Local

In healthcare emergency management, resilient communications are essential to delivering patient care. When hospitals in Maryland experienced communications disruptions from cyberattacks and fiber cuts, they turned to the Maryland Healthcare Coalition Region V for assistance. The coalition, in turn, deployed FirstNet devices and compact rapid deployables to restore connectivity, allowing healthcare providers to deliver lifesaving care without interruption.

When the Derby Fire blazed in a remote part of Colorado, with minimal cell infrastructure in place, the Gypsum Fire Protection District linked a low earth orbit satellite to a FirstNet Cell Booster Pro. The connection allowed staff and mutual aid partners to track their team members’ locations even in the most inaccessible corners of the Rockies.

The First Responder Network Authority and AT&T joined local first responders, and community leaders in Brantley County, Georgia to celebrate a new 5G cell site along Highway 52. This new cell site is a direct result of state and local public safety feedback and a part of the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing work to expand the FirstNet network where first responders need it most.

Responsible for patrolling a large section of Massachusetts's coastline, the Marblehead Harbormaster Department needs reliable communications on the water. Since 2022, the agency has used FirstNet to stay connected during day-to-day incidents and major events like America250. While on the department’s new patrol boat, the team’s FirstNet devices help keep the mobile command post connected to shore-based agencies from Salem to Boston.

Marion County’s use of FirstNet helps the Emergency Management Agency stay connected while preparing for and addressing natural disasters and other emergencies. Devices, such as cell phones, and platforms, like FirstNet Fusion, ensure responders can communicate with each other and the public from anywhere in the country.

Rapid City-Pennington County Emergency Management in South Dakota relies on FirstNet devices and deployables to maintain coverage across the urban and rural areas in their county. From large events at Mount Rushmore National Memorial to search-and-rescue efforts in remote parts of the county, FirstNet helps the small team respond to emergencies.

Local, state, and federal agencies combatting the 2024 Airport Fire in the Santa Ana Mountains of California used technology to create a shared common operating picture across agencies. Throughout the Airport Fire, broadband connectivity underpinned nearly every operational decision. FirstNet devices, dual-SIM phones, deployable assets, satellite backhaul, and radios formed a layered communications stack designed for redundancy.

As host to the most World Cup games in the United States, public safety officials in Dallas, Texas, had a significant amount of preparation to do. With Fourth of July festivities and potential hurricane evacuations also on the horizon, local leaders worked with FirstNet and other commercial carriers to ensure they had the connectivity and interoperability needed to communicate with local, state, federal, and international partners.

Local public safety officials and U.S. Representative Kat Cammack joined AT&T and the FirstNet Authority in Horseshoe Beach, Florida to highlight a new 5G cell site. This new cell site is the first to launch of over 135 new sites to be deployed across the country so far, as part of a series of strategic investments made by the FirstNet Authority. It will strengthen broadband for responders in an area that has historically experienced connectivity issues.

Law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire tested their piloting skills with FirstNet-connected drones.

Law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire tested their piloting skills with FirstNet-connected drones. By bringing together departments of all sizes and experience, regional agencies exchanged best practices, enhanced operations, and strengthened partnerships.

The 2026 World Cup will create unprecedented operational demands on the host city communities especially Arlington, Texas and the surrounding area. Emergency Management Administrator for the City of Arlington, Irish Hancock shares his three tips for how to prepare for the world's biggest sporting event.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr joined leaders from AT&T, the FirstNet Authority, NTIA and the town of Lake Lure, North Carolina to celebrate a new cell site and new connectivity options. New wireless infrastructure will bring residents and the extended public safety community improved coverage, capacity and resiliency.

The Farmville Police Department protects a Virginia town that sits along U.S. 460 and U.S. 15, drawing steady traffic from Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Richmond. With local universities and major events bringing visitors to the town year-round, the department relies on FirstNet for reliable communications. The network is strengthening officer safety, operational readiness, and the department’s ability to serve a rapidly changing community.

Through Coverage Enhancement Workshops, the FirstNet Authority works alongside public safety nationwide to identify coverage needs and ensure network investments meet those needs.

The FirstNet Authority understands that coverage must be expanded in strategic areas that reflect the needs of public safety. Our Coverage Enhancement Program gathers input from public safety on where they need coverage to help guide strategic network investments. Workshops across the nation have provided a forum for state and local government officials and public safety leaders to meet with FirstNet Authority staff to relay where coverage is inadequate and how that impacts operations.

In rural southern Utah, where red rock canyons, forests, small towns, and wide-open terrain coexist, communications for public safety can be a challenge. Given the dramatic differences in the terrain, Northwest Fire and Rescue turned to FirstNet for a secure, robust and dependable network that provides improved communications and rescue capabilities in the backcountry.

The rugged terrain and remote geography of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania have long presented challenges for first responders who depend on communications to protect residents and visitors. With the addition of a new hilltop cell site in Drums, which improves coverage and capacity around Butler Drive and Old Turnpike Road, the Valley Regional Fire and Rescue team and surrounding public safety agencies will now benefit from expanded coverage.

FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor Gerald Risner and Senior Emergency Management Advisor Bruce Fitzgerald sit down with Woodford County, Kentucky Emergency Management Agency Director Drew Chandler to discuss the communication challenges emergency managers face in Kentucky and nationwide. Learn more about how teamwork between the FirstNet Authority and emergency managers nationwide helps solve daily problems and prepare communities for a variety of events planned and unplanned alike.

Sandusky, Ohio sees massive population swings — from a tight-knit community of 25,000 to thousands of visitors on peak summer weekends at Cedar Point and Lake Erie — putting pressure on public safety’s ability to communicate. By adopting FirstNet, local fire, police, public works, and other city departments now have reliable connectivity, improved coverage, and a new level of interoperability across agencies.