Devices

After testing the FirstNet network in and around the county, local officials in Montour County, Pennsylvania, decided to subscribe to FirstNet. Now, first responders and county employees supporting public safety operations use the network to stay connected during daily incidents, emergencies, and natural disasters.

In the latest episode of the Public Safety First podcast, guest host and First Responder Network Authority, Director of Field Operations (Northcentral Region) Lesia Dickson is joined by officials from Texas City (Tx.) to discuss their “whole of community” approach to emergency communications and the use of FirstNet to enhance school safety efforts. 

First responders in Pennington County, South Dakota, operate in a remote county with unique terrain. With FirstNet bringing new tower infrastructure, deployables, and a reliable network connection, deputies with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office are able to move data and information quickly and securely.

The First Responder Network Authority’s mission is to be a catalyst for advancing the nationwide public safety broadband network. As part of the launch of our roadmap engagement program, we were pleased to co-host a Public Safety Innovation Day on March 6 in College Station, Texas.

In 2018, the Citizen Potawatomi Tribe hosted its annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With FirstNet devices in hand and a deployable on site, tribal first responders were able to better handle emergencies that required a rapid response, including a lost child, heat-related incidents, and cardiac issues.

In this episode of Public Safety First, FirstNet’s Senior EMS Advisor Brent Williams chats with Plain Township (OH) Assistant Fire Chief Jack Rupp and Dr. Paul Zeeb, EMS Medical Director for Ohio’s Metropolitan Emergency Consortium Communications (MECC), at the 2018 EMS World Expo. Together, they reflect on how FirstNet will enable emerging technology in the world of EMS.

In this episode of Public Safety First, guest host, Lesia Dickson, FirstNet’s Director of Field Operations for the North-central region sits down with Arizona DEMA’s Wes Dison at the 2018 NEMA Forum in Savannah, Georgia to discuss Arizona’s experience with FirstNet during high-profile events such as Senator McCain’s funeral in August.

In this episode of Public Safety First, Washington County’s Doug Mullendore chats with host Dave Buchanan on how FirstNet has modernized communications for public safety for Washington County since his agency.

In the latest episode of Public Safety First, FirstNet Authority’s Senior Law Enforcement Advisor, Harry Markley and the FirstNet Board’s Vice Chair, Hennepin Co. (MN) Sheriff Richard Stanek sit down at the 2018 IACP Annual Conference and Exposition to chat about how FirstNet benefits law enforcement and the evolution of public safety technology.

In our latest episode of Public Safety First, host Dave Buchanan sits down with representatives of the FirstNet Authority Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) Executive Committee (EC) to discuss how FirstNet is providing technological advancements, helping first responders look to improving the future of responding to incidents in Utah, Texas, Michigan, and Oregon.

In 2018, the Life is Beautiful Music and Art Festival attracted 180,000 visitors from around the globe to an 18-block radius in Las Vegas, Nevada. To assist, 30 FirstNet Ready™ mobile devices were distributed to the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue team, including firefighters, EMS, and bomb squad personnel.

Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District (BMFPD) is a volunteer fire department that serves an area in the mountainous Front Range area just west of Boulder, Colorado.  Recently, a team of four BMFPD firefighters brought an attack engine to the FirstNet Authority offices in Boulder. 

At the 2018 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, public safety agencies employed a drone detection system to monitor restricted airspace above the event and surrounding areas. FirstNet provided the critical connection needed to support the system as well as on-the-ground operations.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators line the streets of Boston to witness the Boston Marathon. In 2018, 80 ruggedized FirstNet devices with push-to-talk and location-tracking applications helped Boston and Brookline police, fire, and incident response teams protect the community.

First responders in Harris County and the city of Houston are exploring different ways to use FirstNet and its app ecosystem to enhance operations and break down interoperability walls.

The FCC updated its location accuracy requirements in 2015, recognizing that technologies such as “Assisted GPS” offered opportunities for even greater improvements in location accuracy. And just this summer, Apple announced that its next software update will automatically make device-based location information available through its integration partner(s) (only one has been announced to date) to 911 centers when a person calls 911, thanks to a suite of technologies including Wi-Fi, cellular towers and GPS.

No community is immune to emergencies or disasters. In every state, county, and municipality—across all levels of government and branches of public service—there are dedicated men and women working to prepare for and respond to incidents to keep communities safe and aid in recovery.

Chief Erik Newman of the Stockton (CA) Fire Department shares how FirstNet played a critical role during the California wildfires in 2017.

Whether securing large events or responding to local emergencies, it can be a challenge for public safety to keep track of where first responders are positioned. Historically, tracking first responders in the field meant repeated radio roll-calls where units identify with their call sign and location and incident scribes map the scene on a white board – a labor-intensive process that didn’t provide the up-to-the-minute situational awareness incident commanders need for optimal decision-making.

In May 2018, over 100,000 tourists and sailing enthusiasts descended on Newport, Rhode Island to witness one of the world’s toughest sailings competitions. FirstNet outfitted first responders with FirstNet devices, which enabled fire, police, emergency management and EMS to stay connected and coordinated.