Preparedness
When disaster strikes, most emergency managers and public safety officials rely on pen and paper to conduct damage assessments. The process involves slow, manual data entry and can delay disaster aid for weeks. In Cherokee County, Alabama, emergency management personnel are using FirstNet devices to collect and upload damage assessment information in real time so that communities can get the help and resources they need faster.
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.
Emergency management agencies are turning to the FirstNet Authority’s planning tools and support mechanisms — including an exercise inject catalog, event pre-planning program, and post incident/event review process — to help emergency managers and other public safety officials integrate broadband into their daily operations and emergency response. Through collaborative efforts with our team, responders across the nation are leveraging these offerings as part of their SMART approach to emergency management.
The FirstNet Authority provides three types of support to help public safety agencies as they prepare for all hazards: pre-planning support, an exercise inject catalog, and post-incident reviews. These three types of support help agencies understand how to best use FirstNet during disasters or large events, leading to more timely and efficient decision-making, better coordinated response, and well-managed resources and logistics.
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.
Penn State University Police and Public Safety joined FirstNet, connecting department personnel to a reliable, dedicated network. Using phones and tablets, officers can access tools and communicate during everyday incidents, packed football games, and emergency situations.
Teton County is a rural county in northwest Wyoming. Situated in the Teton Range, the county experiences weather hazards including fires, floods, and wintery conditions, as well as earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches. Teton County first responders rely on FirstNet’s hardened network to stay connected in the most remote parts of the county and during tourist season when cell networks grow congested.
Atmos Energy, headquartered in Texas, provides natural gas services across eight states. FirstNet is supporting Atmos Energy during daily operations and in the aftermath of major disasters, such as Hurricane Laura in 2020. The network keeps teams connected as they work to restore services and helps them better serve their communities.
First responders rely on an extended community of support entities during major incidents, events, and disasters for clean-up, transportation, and other services. These entities are eligible to join FirstNet as Extended Primary users. During times of extreme network congestion, the FirstNet Uplift Request Tool can be used to provide temporary elevation for Extended Primary users to the same priority level as Primary users, ensuring they remain connected and able to communicate and coordinate response.
Broadband infrastructure can be sparse and inconsistent across many parts of Indian Country. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, this lack of infrastructure complicated efforts to provide tribes with critical food supplies and personal protective equipment. FirstNet deployable assets enabled the National Tribal Emergency Management Council to coordinate logistics and deliver millions of pounds of food and resources to tribes across the nation.
Traditionally, emergency telecommunicators have been limited to operating within the walls of an emergency communications center. As technology evolves, dispatch operations are moving to the field to support first responders and remotely to keep telecommunicators safe. FirstNet provides a secure, reliable network for these operations, and priority and preemption on the network ensures telecommunicators can access all the information they need, when and where they need it most.
Whether it’s during a football game with 100,000 fans or everyday emergencies, officers with the Penn State University Police and Public Safety in Pennsylvania need the ability to communicate. The agency made the switch to FirstNet to equip officers with advanced tools and reliable connectivity, preparing officers for any incident.
Public works officials are a critical component of preparedness and response, working alongside law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel to respond to emergency events. The American Public Works Association (APWA) serves as the leading organization representing municipal and county public agencies responsible for over 70% of the U.S. road systems and much of the nation’s other public infrastructure. APWA has been a valued member of the PSAC since its inception, making sure that broad interoperability is built into the FirstNet network.
FirstNet Authority Senior Emergency Management Advisor Bruce Fitzgerald spent more than 15 years in public safety and crisis management, responding to major disasters and assisting with recovery and mitigation. At the FirstNet Authority, he works with emergency managers to understand their needs and demonstrate how mobile broadband can support all phases of emergency management.
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.
The Central Virginia Healthcare Coalition (CVHC) is one of six coalitions in the Commonwealth of Virginia and helps its membership plan, train, and respond to incidents and events in the region. FirstNet is supporting communications for CVHC during emergencies, in its response to COVID-19, and in preparation for large events and protests.
As broadband becomes more prevalent in public safety communications, the FirstNet Authority offers the After Action Review (AAR) program — a free service available to any FirstNet subscribing agency to capture best practices and lessons learned related to event planning, logistics, operations, and technology use. The AAR program has made a positive impact on communications usage at events such as the New York International Air Show.
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.