Technology

The FirstNet Authority has made substantial progress over the past five years to improve how the fire service uses voice communications, video, and data. Despite these advances, firefighters continue to search for a device they can use while wearing full protective gear and operating in environments that are immediately dangerous to life or health. So, we’re asking—what should that technology look like?

FirstNet’s Cell Booster Pro is a valuable tool for EMS to bridge the gap between FirstNet service in the field and when responders return to the station. This in-building solution boosts FirstNet coverage indoors where EMS officials work. Two EMS agencies that use the device share their experiences and advice for other agencies.

The Super Bowl — America’s largest sporting event — requires significant pre-planning to ensure the safety of players, staff, and spectators. Coordinating public safety communications for Super Bowl LVII involved more than a dozen different cities and jurisdictions and posed unique challenges, including overlap with another major sporting event the same week. Through the FirstNet Authority’s Network Experience Engagement Program, public safety officials in Arizona received pre-planning assistance for the Super Bowl, helping responders be ready on game day.

The Super Bowl — America’s largest sporting event — requires significant pre-planning to ensure the safety of players, staff, and spectators. Coordinating public safety communications for Super Bowl LVII involved more than a dozen different cities and jurisdictions and posed unique challenges, including overlap with another major sporting event the same week. Through the FirstNet Authority’s Network Experience Engagement Program, public safety officials in Arizona received pre-planning assistance for the Super Bowl, helping responders be ready on game day.

The First Responder Network Authority and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that registration is open for 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit, to be held June 28-30, 2023, in San Diego, California.

First responders are using FirstNet Authority’s virtual reality test center to set-up and engage in immersive emergency response training.

The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Immersive Test Center uses augmented and virtual reality to test equipment in simulated experiences and to develop methodologies for real world emergencies.

FirstNet is supporting public safety officials by providing coverage with deployable communication assets as they respond to flooding across eastern Kentucky.

New FirstNet network cell sites in Oneida County, New York are giving first responders and residents access to reliable wireless service.

School buses in Hopkins County, Kentucky turned to FirstNet to replace their CB radios with an upgraded communication system.

FirstNet’s Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD) is a miniature cell tower that first responders can depend on to provide reliable coverage during emergencies.

FirstNet is advancing public safety in Tennessee by providing tools and resources that keep first responders connected when they experience outages.

Public safety requested FirstNet emergency support 100+ times for Hurricane Ian. Assets from the dedicated FirstNet fleet supported first responders in affected areas, including Charlotte, Col

AT&T, in collaboration with Intrado, introduced a location-based routing feature in New Mexico that enables 911 dispatch centers to pinpoint the exact location where a 911 emergency call was pl

The only nationwide public safety broadband network, FirstNet, which was created in 2012 is celebrating a decade of public safety accomplishments.

With over 200 hundred attendees, the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association’s Vision conference in Las Vegas, Nevada provided first responders with the opportunity to see how FirstNet could

The University Fire Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps prepare the next generation of firefighters by providing students with on-the-ground training, certifications, and a colle

The Public Safety Immersive Test Center in Boulder, Colorado, is an innovative test facility, created in partnership between the FirstNet Authority and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Division. Virtual and alternate reality technologies will help first responders train, and tracking systems will provide ground truth for location-based services.

When disasters strike, public safety officials need access to a reliable communications network to facilitate and coordinate resources in a moment’s notice. During a wildfire that started near the National Center for Atmospheric Research facility, the City of Boulder, Colorado experienced firsthand how FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployable assets quickly resolved connections issues by reestablishing communication within 15 minutes.

In the City of St. Augustine, Florida, when multiple public safety agencies are involved in different aspects of securing the city―whether in the aftermath of a hurricane or during a large planned event―communication is critical to ensure all partners are informed and working as a single unit. Agency personnel citywide are connected to FirstNet, an interoperable network that provides reliable communication when they need it most.