Innovation

First responders bravely and selflessly protect and serve our communities every day. On National First Responders Day, we take time to celebrate and honor their dedication. The FirstNet Authority is proud to serve the men and women of public safety with innovative solutions that can make their jobs easier, more efficient, and safer.

Palm Beach County 9-1-1 in Florida answers roughly 10,000 calls per month, making reliable connectivity critical to serving the community. When the pandemic hit, this became even more important as call takers and dispatchers needed remote capabilities to stay safe. The agency is using FirstNet to keep staff connected through SIM cards in routers, on 9-1-1 busses, and in “go-bags” that enable remote capabilities.

The Grand Rapids Police Department in Michigan is a full-service law enforcement agency serving a largely urban community. Officers with the department began experiencing in-car computers slowing down and losing the ability to access systems and databases due to reduced bandwidth. Since switching to FirstNet, officers can access the software they need throughout the city, giving them greater mobility while providing cost savings to the department. 

Burleson County is a small, rural county east of Austin in Texas. The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office serves the county through law enforcement, corrections, and dispatch services. The Sheriff’s Office launched its drone program to enhance situational awareness during emergencies and planned events. As a rural county, connectivity is key, and FirstNet ensures footage from the drones can be streamed back in real time to decision makers on the ground. 

The second quarterly Third Generational Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary e-meetings of 2021 focused on the completion of Release 17 (R17) stage 2 (architecture) work and preparation for prioritization of features for R18. The group declared the stage 2 work frozen, while allowing some work items to continue into the third quarter of 2021. At this time, the R17 stage 3 (protocol) freeze date remains on schedule for March 2022.

Personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department and County Department of Public Health in California are using FirstNet-enabled devices to better serve residents and visitors to the Los Angeles region. In addition to routers, modems, and smartphones, the agencies are utilizing an Internet of Things system solution on the network to help detect radiation and HAZMAT incidents.

At APCO International’s Annual Conference and Expo, stakeholders from across disciplines come together to discuss topics impacting emergency telecommunications. For the second year, the FirstNet Authority will participate and lead sessions in a FirstNet-specific track, highlighting how the network is supporting emergency communications centers.

The Wilmington Police Department in Delaware serves the state’s largest city. Recognizing the need for more efficient and effective aerial video capabilities, the agency invested in unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in 2014. The agency relies on FirstNet to stream video footage from the drones back to the ground in real time, providing responders with critical information to make in-the-moment decisions. 

The FirstNet Authority is joining PSCR 2021, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division’s virtual annual Stakeholder Meeting. Through plenaries, on-demand sessions, and live question and answer sessions, the FirstNet Authority team will discuss standards work, innovation in public safety communications technology, and how the pandemic changed operations for first responders.

The Central Massachusetts EMS Corp. (CMEMSC) provides support to state and local jurisdictions, EMS system providers, and hospitals through dispatch services, education, and technical assistance. With FirstNet, CMEMSC is enhancing their ability to communicate and track assets, such as sprayers used to disinfect ambulances and hospital facilities to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Females are statistically underrepresented in public safety and in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career fields. At the intersection of STEM and public safety, there are women developing innovative solutions to make first responders’ jobs easier and more efficient. Working on this technology takes tenacity – but those who rise to the challenge are making an incredible difference.

The Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) held its Spring Business Meeting to discuss the committee’s efforts in 2021 and its ongoing plans to support FirstNet’s growth and expansion. Discussions highlighted accomplishments and business updates in 2021, PSAC Strike Team efforts, and PSAC User Working Group updates.

The first quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary e-meetings of 2021 recently concluded. At the March meetings, the 3GPP momentum continued with more Release 17 progress and a focus on the upcoming June deadline for stage 2 (architecture) work. There were major discussions on the use of the 5G New Radio (NR) sidelink interface to support both user equipment (UE) to network (U2N) relay and UE to UE (U2U) relay.

After testing Band 14 capabilities at the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, public safety agencies in Eagle County, Colorado, began adopting FirstNet. Priority, preemption, coverage, and capacity have benefited first responders in the area while responding to events such as major fires and large concerts.

The Baltimore Police Department is the largest public safety agency in Maryland on FirstNet. With department-issued smartphones, laptops, and in-vehicle routers and modems connected to the network, officers have reliable access to the tools they need. And in-building solutions ensure that coverage reaches officers throughout all police facilities.

The Arlington (Va.) Emergency Communications Center is one of the first in the nation to deploy remote call-taking, dispatching, and supervision capabilities. Deployed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, these new capabilities allow Arlington telecommunicators to work remotely with a setup that includes a FirstNet hotspot.

Public safety K9s can be trained for a wide range of services, from search and rescue to bomb and drug detection. These dogs work across urban, rural, wilderness, and disaster settings, and can sometimes end up a mile away from their handler. As technology advances, handlers are exploring ways technology – such as trackers and live-streaming cameras – can enhance K9 operations, keep dogs and handlers safe, and improve situational awareness and mission success.    

In response to the spread of COVID-19, public safety agencies looked for ways to keep personnel safe while continuing to serve their communities. The Arlington County Emergency Communications Center in Virginia launched remote call-taking, dispatching, and supervision capabilities. Telecommunicators are able to work from home or other locations with a setup that includes a FirstNet hotspot.   

Nine years after the passage of the legislation that created FirstNet, retired Police Chief Harlin McEwen reflects on the evolution of FirstNet and how the network is benefiting first responders today.  Harlin also talks about the future of FirstNet and how new technologies, such as high-powered user equipment and Z-axis features, are “game changers” for public safety.  

The Association of Public Works Association (APWA) released its Top Five Trending Technologies of 2021 survey and report announcing promising technologies that best support public works agencies. APWA reached out to the FirstNet Authority to discuss small cell/5G technologies’ growing impact on FirstNet’s vision to expand and enhance coverage into communities located in urban, rural, or other hard to reach areas.