Push-to-talk

Voice communications are the fundamental form of public safety communications. At the heart of the FirstNet effort is the need for a reliable communications platform that will provide voice, data, and video services for public safety’s lifesaving mission. With the launch of FirstNet, countless first responders gained access to the most advanced broadband emergency communications solution available today, and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) strives to learn from public safety where the network needs to go next.

The Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District is turning to push-to-talk over LTE on FirstNet to help augment radio communications and coverage in the rural, mountainous area they protect. This move will also help the agency save money and provide more ways for first responders to partner and communicate with other agencies in the region.

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.

This week marks some major milestones in the history of public safety’s nationwide broadband network.

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.

Coders and developers in Seattle participated in the Tech to Protect Challenge, sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and supported by the FirstNet Authority, to develop innovative technologies to help first responders

When Super Bowl LIII came to Atlanta, the Fulton County E9-1-1 Center used FirstNet to support the backup center.

The New Hampshire Department of Public Safety’s Office of Interoperability hosted the FirstNet Authority for two User Forums – for New Hampshire and for Region I states. Public safety officials from across the region gathered to learn more about the FirstNet Authority Roadmap and had the opportunity to explore some FirstNet dedicated assets for first responders.

Southern Platte Fire District in Missouri uses FirstNet and its push-to-talk capabilities to enhance daily operations.

Through FirstNet’s extended primary user program, schools, hospitals, and other non-traditional public safety entities can benefit from everything the network has to offer. FirstNet helped one such extended primary user, Texas City Independent School District, communicate during two incidents.

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

In the latest episode of the Public Safety First podcast, guest host and First Responder Network Authority, Director of Field Operations (Northcentral Region) Lesia Dickson is joined by officials from Texas City (Tx.) to discuss their “whole of community” approach to emergency communications and the use of FirstNet to enhance school safety efforts. 

At a recent public safety broadband forum, first responders, public administrators, and IT support personnel from the State of Arizona gathered to discuss FirstNet, its impact on public safety broadband needs, and the FirstNet Authority Roadmap.

In the latest episode of Public Safety First, host Dave Buchanan sits down with a FirstNet ‘Founding Father,’ and former PSAC chair, Chief Harlin McEwen to discuss the early days of FirstNet.

The December 2018 quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Sorrento, Italy, addressed standards in several areas relevant to mission-critical broadband in three separate plenary group meetings.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators line the streets of Boston to witness the Boston Marathon. In 2018, 80 ruggedized FirstNet devices with push-to-talk and location-tracking applications helped Boston and Brookline police, fire, and incident response teams protect the community.

When Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina in September 2018, FirstNet provided reliable coverage and connection to public safety agencies in Whiteville. A FirstNet SatCOLT (satellite cell on light truck) was deployed to the area, and first responders used enhanced push-to-talk and to communicate in the aftermath of the storm.

Chief Erik Newman of the Stockton (CA) Fire Department shares how FirstNet played a critical role during the California wildfires in 2017.

The sharing of data via FirstNet is enabling first responders to have more information available at their fingertips to help with their lifesaving mission. Today, through over-the-top push-to-talk (PTT) apps, first responders can use FirstNet’s always-on, reliable connection to collaborate — including sharing pictures, videos, texts, and other data in real time. With enhanced communications, public safety can be better prepared to keep themselves and the communities they serve safe.

Public safety agencies in Whiteville joined FirstNet, providing local first responders with access to a reliable and secure network.