Priority and Preemption

In Wisconsin, Winnebago County has adopted FirstNet, a broadband communication network dedicated to first responder use. The FirstNet network will help improve the county’s communication capabilities and public safety services across its departments, including the Sherriff’s Office. With this initiative in place, the county is now equipped with cutting-edge tools, a secure network, and guaranteed priority access to help streamline their operations.

In this video, FirstNet Authority Board Member Alexandra Fernandez Navarro explains the unique challenges of disaster response on island territories. When emergencies occur, these territories are often cut off by air and sea, which makes pre-planned emergency management crucial. Fernandez Navarro provides information about FirstNet's deployable resources, which can be pre-positioned to serve hard-to-reach areas. Learn more about the deployable program at FirstNet.gov/deployables.

Tens of thousands of runners and more than 100,000 spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, every Memorial Day for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer road races in the world. During the 2022 race, FirstNet enabled communications inside the emergency operations center, bringing critical connectivity to local first responders. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/Colorado.

Each year on Memorial Day, runners and spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer races in the world. With more than 100,000 people in attendance, communication can be a challenge for local public safety. During the 2022 race, FirstNet helped connect responders on the race course and at the emergency operations center.

FirstNet Authority Board Member Alexandra Fernández Navarro’s extensive career in public service and telecommunications gives her a unique understanding of the interaction between utilities and telecommunication organizations during emergency response and recovery. We sat down with Ms. Fernández Navarro to discuss the unique communications challenges U.S. territories face, how FirstNet supports territories, and her career in public service.

Law enforcement officers are among the most important users of the FirstNet network, along with other public safety agencies like EMS, fire services, 9-1-1, and emergency management. When help is needed from the wider community, public safety can temporarily give other subscribing organizations elevated access to the network. This keeps everyone connected and communicating when it matters most.

In Charles County, Maryland, the school district has adopted FirstNet’s secure and dependable network to ensure communication during emergency and day-to-day situations. The school district has also integrated the use of drones into their school security plans, enhancing situational awareness for responders so they can more efficiently respond to emergencies.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office in Tallahassee, Florida, participated in a demonstration of FirstNet technology to show how a dedicated public safety broadband network and technologies make a diff

The FirstNet Authority invested in an in-building solution called Cell Booster Pro to bring better indoor FirstNet coverage to police headquarters and other public safety buildings. With this new program, public safety agencies can install up to 50 devices across multiple locations—at no cost to the agency—to boost FirstNet inside the buildings where they work.

Hyannis, Massachusetts, serves as the economic and transportation hub for Cape Cod and as a major tourist destination in the summer months. As the town’s population ebbs and swells throughout the year, the Hyannis Fire Department faces communication challenges. Whether on land or at sea, FirstNet provides personnel with a reliable connection to the information they need to make critical decisions.

Situated on the southern part of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Hyannis is an economic and transportation hub and a major tourist destination in the summer months. The Hyannis Fire Department responds to fire, medical, and water rescue calls across nine square miles on the cape. As the town’s population ebbs and swells throughout the year, the fire department faces communication challenges. Whether on land or at sea, FirstNet provides personnel with a reliable connection to the information they need to make critical decisions. Learn more: https://firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog/land-and-sea-firstnet-supporting-hyannis-fire-cape

When Iowa needed a backup communications network for its public safety answering points, the state turned to FirstNet. Blake DeRouchey, 9-1-1 program manager for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, shared how Iowa uses FirstNet as a failover so 9-1-1 calls stay connected.

Every year during the holidays, the city of St. Augustine in Florida is transformed by millions of holiday lights that bedazzle the city’s downtown in an event called Nights of Lights. As visitors marvel at the twinkling lights, St. Augustine officials use FirstNet to ensure the event runs smoothly and safely for everyone involved.

From missing person searches to HAZMAT incidents and holiday celebrations, first responders in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Texas use drone technology to gather critical situational awareness during emergencies and planned events. With FirstNet, footage from the drones can be streamed seamlessly back to decision makers on the ground.

The “Monster Mile” at Dover Motor Speedway can be as tough on communications as it is on drivers. With more than a dozen public safety partners supporting races and the Firefly Music Festival, reliable connectivity is critical. FirstNet is ensuring responders can communicate and share information to keep visitors safe.

In St. Augustine, Florida, public safety officials navigate obstacles ranging from antiquated infrastructure causing connectivity issues to saturated networks due to tourism and special events. With the adoption of FirstNet, the police department, fire department, and other city agencies are using the network to reliably communicate throughout the oldest city in the country.

Chief Sylvia Moir is a police executive with more than three decades of local police practice and over a decade of experience as a chief of police. She was appointed to the FirstNet Authority Board by the Secretary of Commerce in October 2021. Chief Moir shared her perspectives on FirstNet, her service on the board, and the role of mindfulness in policing.

Fire departments around the country are investing in drone technology to keep firefighters safe. Division Chief Dan Cremeans of the Durham Fire Department in North Carolina explained how their drone program helped keep firefighters safe as they battled a fire at a fertilizer plant containing hundreds of tons of highly flammable chemicals.

During an emergency, 9-1-1 is the public’s first point of contact—which presents unique challenges for telecommunicators. Andrea Baughn, Indiana’s deputy statewide interoperability coordinator and 9-1-1 liaison, shared how her state is supporting emergency communication centers and how FirstNet can support the unique challenges of 9-1-1.

Every emergency manager knows a disaster calls for all hands on deck, including the extended community of responders who help public safety in emergencies. This extended community can include utilities, transportation, and other essential services. FirstNet is available to this extended community of responders when needed. And emergency managers should know how to prepare all response partners to communicate during a disaster.