Interoperability

The Saint Louis region is home to 88 municipalities across 523 square miles. For public safety officials in this area of Missouri, interoperability is key. To meet this need, the Clayton Fire Department is using FirstNet to connect to other first responders, access data on the scene of incidents, and enhance situational awareness and patient care.

The Texas A&M Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC) in College Station, Texas plays an important role in developing public safety broadband technologies. Through its annual Winter Institute Workshop and Exercise, ITEC has brought together industry and public safety leaders to test and developing apps and services that benefit first responders.

 

In March 2020, several tornadoes tore across middle Tennessee. In Putnam County, 80 miles outside of Nashville, an EF-4 tornado caused major damage to structures and a public safety radio tower. With communications severely limited, state and local first responders turned to FirstNet for coverage from deployables and push-to-talk on smartphones.

Gainesville’s public works use FirstNet on their cell phones and tablets to deploy resources and people, track work orders, and communicate with staff in the field. With these tools in place, they can get their work done more efficiently, and work in partnership with other responders.

As EMS providers expand their use of technology, FirstNet gives them a wireless broadband platform to connect in the field. FirstNet Authority Senior EMS Advisor Brent Williams highlights three EMS agencies using FirstNet to communicate in rural areas, send vital patient information to hospitals, and access the resources to enhance patient care.

The blog provides four examples of how FirstNet services and features are being used by fire personnel to save lives, protect communities and infrastructure nationwide.

The Cranford Police Department in New Jersey trialed FirstNet Push-to-Talk, a service built on 3GPP mission critical push-to-talk standards. This service provided officers with an easy-to-use system with clearer voice quality and wider coverage area than traditional land mobile radios.

Emergency Management professionals across the country are using FirstNet for many aspects of emergency planning and response, including in emergency operation centers, for incident management teams, in exercises and drills, and with deployables.

The Muleshoe Police Department in Texas uses FirstNet to run duty phones and tablets, enhancing communications and improving interoperability.

Tabitha Smithers, an emergency aviation flight nurse and Goochland County Fire and EMS volunteer paramedic, uses FirstNet to alleviate communications hurdles in a rural region of Virginia.

Historic Annapolis, Maryland, hosts nearly two million tourists annually, and public safety officials are responsible for protecting these visitors and local residents throughout the town and in the surrounding Chesapeake Bay. Recognizing the need for reliable communications for first responders, local law enforcement, emergency management, and city services are rolling out FirstNet.

Indiana’s Integrated Public Safety Commission worked to integrate the state’s land mobile radio system with FirstNet to enhance coverage, achieve significant cost savings, and expand capabilities for the state's first responders.

FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor Lori Stone sits down with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator Tom Crabbs to discuss FirstNet, how first responders are exploring and adapting cutting-edge technologies, and how the FirstNet Authority is helping public safety agencies nationwide advance operations.   

Every summer, tens of thousands of boating enthusiasts descend on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for one of the most popular powerboat racing events in the nation. For the 2019 Lake Race, local public safety agencies relied on FirstNet to support their communication and data needs.

As mobile broadband communications become increasingly embedded in public safety operations, states are updating policy and process documents to account for this new way of communicating. The Missouri Department of Public Safety updated the Missouri Field Operations Guide, a statewide reference tool that outlines established and trusted interoperable communications solutions for first responders, to include FirstNet.

The City of Columbia, South Carolina, has joined FirstNet, keeping first responders connected during every day incidents and critical moments.

When wildfires broke out near Stanley, Idaho, first responders turned to FirstNet to help connect responding agencies. With the help of a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) deployable asset, first responders from multiple agencies were able to communicate as they fought the blazes.

First responders from the Town of Duck in North Carolina use FirstNet to support daily operations and prepare for disaster response.

The Parma Fire Department in Ohio relies on FirstNet for interoperable communications and greater situational awareness through advanced tools, such as biometric monitors.

Public safety agencies in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, joined FirstNet in 2019. Now, first responders have access to a network built for their needs with priority and preemption capabilities that help them quickly and securely communicate during everyday incidents, large events, and emergencies.