Smart Cities

The mitigation phase of emergency management includes all the steps taken to minimize the impact of disasters. FirstNet can play an important role in mitigation. Smart cities and remote sensors are two ways that technology is advancing mitigation efforts and disaster management, and FirstNet provides the prioritized and secure connectivity that public safety needs for these technologies.

The Association of Public Works Association (APWA) released its Top Five Trending Technologies of 2021 survey and report announcing promising technologies that best support public works agencies. APWA reached out to the FirstNet Authority to discuss small cell/5G technologies’ growing impact on FirstNet’s vision to expand and enhance coverage into communities located in urban, rural, or other hard to reach areas. 

The City of Las Vegas, Nevada, joined FirstNet to support communications for public safety. Las Vegas is a city focused on innovation, and FirstNet will power innovative technology like Internet of Things devices and smart city solutions.

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 FirstNet Authority is supporting NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research Division on a new prize challenge that aims to leverage augmented reality solutions and Internet of Things data to help public safety officials respond more effectively and efficiently.

Edward Parkinson delivers remarks at CES Government 2020 to discuss the expanding public safety broadband marketplace and the FirstNet Authority's plans for FirstNet in 2020, including: FirstNet's role promoting innovation in the marketplace and advancing initiatives to identify industry trends and promote global public safety broadband opportunities.

Historic Annapolis, Maryland, hosts nearly two million tourists annually, and public safety officials are responsible for protecting these visitors and local residents throughout the town and in the surrounding Chesapeake Bay. Recognizing the need for reliable communications for first responders, local law enforcement, emergency management, and city services are rolling out FirstNet.

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.

When disaster strikes, public safety and local officials need the best tools to save lives, and a critical response infrastructure is necessary to help economies recover and remain resilient after these events. In recognition of this, three agencies within the Department of Commerce have come together to launch the Accelerate R2 Network Challenge to foster innovations in response and resiliency technologies.

The First Responder Network Authority’s mission is to be a catalyst for advancing the nationwide public safety broadband network. As part of the launch of our roadmap engagement program, we were pleased to co-host a Public Safety Innovation Day on March 6 in College Station, Texas.

The FirstNet network is enabling more resilient communities nationwide. With more than 5,250 public safety agencies using 425,000+ connections on FirstNet today, the network is helping first responders and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

The First Responder Network Authority recently participated in the Smart Cities workshop in Las Vegas, hosted by US Ignite on May 30. Local governments and industry came together to discuss public safety solutions in light of smart city deployments. Leaders from Albuquerque (NM), Boise (ID), Lafayette (KY), Las Vegas and Henderson (NV), and Portland (OR) attended and shared examples of how they are deploying smart city solutions in their communities.