Public Safety Broadband

The volunteer EMS community is a vital part of our nation’s public safety efforts, especially in rural areas. FirstNet provides important communication benefits to all first responders. For smaller volunteer EMS agencies, FirstNet levels the playing field, giving access to the same quality of services and products that bigger agencies with more resources have.

In this first blog of a two-part series, Executive Director and CEO Joe Wassel reflects on his first 100 days at the FirstNet Authority. Following a coast-to-coast tour where he met with first responders, he shares his thoughts, insights, and vision for the future of public safety communications.

FirstNet is an important resource for emergency managers, whether during disasters, everyday operations, or large planned events. FirstNet’s unique public safety features help emergency managers be more prepared, increase situational awareness, and better track assets and people. For better response and operations, emergency managers should know these five things about FirstNet.

Tennessee is upgrading its 9-1-1 network and leading the nation by instituting FirstNet as backup for every primary public safety answering point or PSAP. Curtis Sutton, Executive Director of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, discusses the lessons learned, the benefits of FirstNet, and the future of 9-1-1 in Tennessee.

5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit, brought to you by NIST PSCR and the FirstNet Authority is an event designed to revolutionize the way innovators from industry approach public safety communications and technology. With a lineup of influential speakers, keynotes, hands-on demos, and invaluable networking opportunities, 5x5 promises to be a transformative experience. Be part of the movement that is shaping the future of public safety communications technology.

A prominent leader in the 9-1-1 community—Renee Gordon, Director of the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the City of Alexandria, Virginia—recently joined the FirstNet Authority Board. Renee has led some particularly innovative efforts in remote 9-1-1 operations and in regionalizing ECCs. We asked Renee about the current and future state of 9-1-1, the role of FirstNet in the ECC, and her priorities while serving on the FirstNet Authority Board.

The First Responder Network Authority announced that Joseph M. Wassel has been named Executive Director (CEO) of the FirstNet Authority. He joins the FirstNet Authority after serving in senior executive positions at the Department of Defense, where he oversaw global technology and communications systems during his 34-year career.

As AT&T reaches near completion of its initial Band 14 infrastructure buildout, the FirstNet Authority turns its focus to solutions that will let public-safety users access the nationwide publi

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 Burleson County’s Sheriff’s Office is safeguarding their community using innovative technologies, like drones that enhance situational awareness in their rural part of Texas.

In the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report to Congress, the FirstNet Authority highlights efforts to advance public safety communications technology through innovation and insight. The report details the forward-thinking, state-of-the-art technology made available to the public safety community through FirstNet and ongoing efforts by the FirstNet Authority to enhance the nationwide public safety broadband network.

New Hampshire public safety leader John Stevens has been awarded the prestigious Chief Harlin R. McEwen Public Safety Broadband Communications Award (Harlin McEwen Award) for his leadership and commitment to the advancement of broadband communications for public safety personnel.

The FirstNet Authority Roadmap lays out six domains that public safety identified as critical to the network’s success. The User Experience domain helps to provide public safety with an intuitively designed user experience on the FirstNet network. The FirstNet Authority engaged with public safety to develop a deep understanding of how first responders interact with the FirstNet network through devices and applications, as well as their needs and expectations of the network.

During September, we remember the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks and recognize National Preparedness Month. These events serve as poignant reminders that emergencies can happen at any time, and it is critical for first responders to be prepared. The FirstNet Authority is working to strengthen emergency preparedness through ensuring the men and women of public safety can communicate when and where disaster strikes.

Before joining the FirstNet Authority as the EMS subject matter expert, Jon Olson spent 31 years working in EMS in Raleigh, North Carolina. We recently sat down with Jon to discuss his perspective on how the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network has evolved from concept to solution and how FirstNet will help advance EMS operations into the future.

 

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the legislation that created the FirstNet Authority. From our earliest days, the FirstNet Authority has collaborated with tribal leadership and organizations to better understand the needs of responders in Indian Country. We are working to expand broadband coverage into tribal communities that have historically lacked access to reliable communication services and offering advanced technologies to keep them connected.

The FirstNet Authority’s law enforcement expert, Harry Markley, recently sat down with Sheriff Peter Koutoujian who leads the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts. Sheriff Koutoujian was appointed in October by the Secretary of Commerce to serve on the FirstNet Authority Board. The discussion covered the sheriff’s approach to law enforcement, his views on FirstNet’s value, and what he hopes to accomplish on the Board.

First responders at any size event depend on reliable communication to ensure a successful and safe outcome. In preparation for the Super Bowl in 2022, Los Angeles area public safety agencies’ used the FirstNet Authority’s pre-planning event support to help maximize broadband capabilities. This free and unique service from the FirstNet Authority resulted in more timely and efficient decision-making, better coordinated responses, and well-managed resources and logistics.

Jeff Pierce has served for decades as South Dakota’s statewide interoperability coordinator and engineering manager for the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications. On the brink of retirement, Pierce shares his vantage point looking at the past, present, and future of public safety communications. No matter where Pierce looks, he sees interoperability as the key to effective public safety communications.

The Indian Gaming Association is working with FirstNet and the FirstNet Authority to raise awareness of the benefits of public safety’s network to Indian Country. Through this collaboration, FirstNet will support the Indian Gaming Association’s members as they explore the best options for security and emergency response.