Situational Awareness
The momentum continued at the September 2020 3GPP Plenary meetings with Release 17 (R17) work fully underway. Several studies are moving into the normative work phase and address public safety areas of interest, including enhanced location services, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as drones, direct mode enhancements including sidelink relay, and 5G multicast-broadcast.
Harris County, Texas, was one of the early adopters of FirstNet. As the nation’s third most populous county, first responders in the area need to be prepared for any event. The Harris County Radio Services Organization operates the regional radio system for public safety in Harris County, and FirstNet is allowing them augment that radio system in remote areas and in times of heavy network congestion.
The U.S. Coast Guard acts as a key part of our nation’s maritime safety, supporting a wide range of missions—from search and rescue to counter-drug operations. The Coast Guard has equipped more than 1,300 pilots and aircrew with FirstNet-enabled devices to aid in day-to-day operations as well as during major events and incidents, such as Fleet Week and the Super Bowl.
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is dedicated to promoting the principles of emergency management and the work of those who protect communities during emergencies and disasters. As a member of the FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, IAEM provides input on issues that are essential to emergency managers.
Download a summary of the FirstNet Authority's situational awareness roadmap.
When Otterbein University in Ohio played host to the 2019 Democratic presidential debate, thousands flocked to the City of Westerville to attend. During the event, the Westerville Police Department used FirstNet and drones to capture live, high-definition video and relay it to the emergency operations center, improving situational awareness and decision making.
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.
Situational awareness for first responders can come from cameras, sensors, wearables, or countless other pieces of technology. In this blog, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Products Advisor Randy Kerr and FirstNet Authority Senior Director of Product Technology and Architecture Carlos L’Abbate discuss public safety’s situational awareness needs and how the FirstNet Authority is ensuring those needs are met.
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.
First responders rely on dogs for many tasks that no human or technology can do. As K9 units continue to proliferate across public safety, industry is designing new technologies to keep them safe and increase their effectiveness. Many of these technologies require a reliable, secure broadband connection to function properly.
With FirstNet's reliable broadband connection, Derry police officers are always connected and able to extend their LMR footprint.
The FirstNet Authority Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) held its bi-annual meeting in Austin, TX, where more than 20 PSAC members gathered to discuss 2019 activities and accomplishments and 2020 goals and initiatives. Kenzie Capece, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor, recaps the conversation on the FirstNet Authority Roadmap and special presentations from FirstNet, Built with AT&T, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
As technology rapidly evolves, more and more tools are becoming available to first responders. Over the past year, the FirstNet Authority has supported several innovation contests that encourage entrepreneurs, researchers, and public safety professionals to develop solutions to assist emergency responders. Brian Hobson, Director of the FirstNet Authority Enterprise Strategy Division, breaks down some of these contests and how the FirstNet Authority is helping drive innovation forward.
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.
The FirstNet Authority has always relied on input and feedback from public safety, and with the release of the Roadmap, the FirstNet Authority is continuing this engagement with stakeholders in a new, targeted manner. David Buchanan, FirstNet Authority Executive Director of Public Safety, describes this new approach and how it will help inform the evolution and improvement of the network.
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.
Tech to Protect, NIST PSCR’s national innovative challenge, introduces coding contests designed to foster communications technology solutions that will aid emergency responders in serving and protecting communities nationwide. Participants will compete for cash prizes from a pool of $2.2 million. The FirstNet Authority is pleased to have technical subject matter experts from our organization leading three contests.
In this episode, host Dave Buchanan sits down with FirstNet Authority Executive Director of Enterprise Strategy Jeremy Zollo to discuss the newly released FirstNet Authority Roadmap and what it means for public safety.