Local

Firefighters need specialized communication tools when battling wildland fires, especially when they threaten wildland urban interfaces. FirstNet was designed for public safety operations and has unique tools for fighting fires in the wildland urban interface, including versatile deployables and high-power user equipment.

Grundy County, Illinois, is a rural community 45 minutes south of Chicago. Deputy Chief Kevin Bogard of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office shared the unique challenges the county faces - including the annual Corn Festival, which brings in thousands of tourists – and how making the switch to FirstNet helped simplify and consolidate their communication technology.

The U.S. Pacific territories — American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam — are home to a quarter million Americans. Located thousands of miles from the mainland, these territories are among the most remote regions in the nation. The FirstNet Authority sent a delegation to all three island territories to discuss the current status of FirstNet in the territories and to further understand their public safety operations and emergency communications needs.

In rural Elbert County, Colorado, a lack of connectivity posed serious safety risks for deputies and those they serve. Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton addressed these communication challenges and brought his deputies better technology by switching to FirstNet, the broadband network dedicated to public safety. This enables faster, safer responses.

The FirstNet Authority works hand in hand with public safety to collect feedback on the network and their communications needs. First responders gathered for the FirstNet Users Summit in Sacramento, California to share their real-world experience using FirstNet. The FirstNet Authority uses public safety’s insights to ensure the network offers the right tools and services to meet their technical and operational needs.

Every year during the holidays, the city of St. Augustine in Florida is transformed by millions of holiday lights that bedazzle the city’s downtown in an event called Nights of Lights. As visitors marvel at the twinkling lights, St. Augustine officials use FirstNet to ensure the event runs smoothly and safely for everyone involved.

When a dangerous wildfire tore through rural areas of Somervell County, Texas, the local fire department, and sheriff's office quickly mobilized to tackle the unfolding crisis. The response to the fire –named the Chalk Mountain wildfire – was hindered by the rugged terrain and intensity, which created issues with maintaining coverage. Recognizing the urgent need for a dependable and secure connection, Assistant Fire Chief of the Somervell County Fire Department of the Somervell Sheriff’s Office requested a FirstNet SatCOLT. This FirstNet network asset was pivotal to supporting communications and data sharing among responding agencies.

The FirstNet Authority joined New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn, AT&T, and other public safety officials at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to mark several milestones in the state’s buildout of FirstNet. The event took place in advance of National First Responders Day (October 28th), a chance to recognize members of public safety and highlight efforts to support them, such as the ongoing collaboration between the State of New Hampshire and FirstNet, Built with AT&T

Jackman is a rural community nestled away in the Northwestern Mountains of Maine. The town struggled with communication due to their remote location. Now, by leveraging FirstNet, they've transformed public safety for the area, enabling residents to take advantage of telehealth capabilities and ensuring that calls for help are met with swift and timely assistance. Learn more: https://www.firstnet.gov/newsroom/blo...

The remote region of Jackman, Maine, was experiencing dwindling healthcare options, especially on nights and weekends when the local health clinic was closed. Through an innovative telehealth project, the region now has 24/7 urgent care with the help of FirstNet. The network connects local paramedics to emergency physicians at a hospital 120 miles away, allowing them to treat patients after hours and improve access to quality of care across the region.

Body cameras make the job of law enforcement easier and more efficient. They can improve situational awareness, provide details for reports, and help protect officers on scene. Officer Monica Lee of the Daytona Beach Police Department in Florida shared why her agency uses livestreaming body cameras for officer safety and tactical advantage.

St. Augustine, a coastal city in Florida, is working toward hurricane resilience. The city has dealt with six Category 1 surges in the past six years alone. After a natural disaster occurs, reliable communication is critical to emergency response times, damage evaluation, and clean-up efforts. With the assistance of FirstNet, public safety agencies in the area are better prepared to efficiently respond and stay connected in situations where traditional infrastructure may be impaired. Learn more: https://firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog/ci...

The fire service faces many different challenges—from structure fires and HAZMAT incidents to wildfires and road accidents. Firefighters need the right tools for the job at hand. FirstNet is a key tool to help firefighters communicate in all incidents. Learn five ways that FirstNet helps the fire service communicate.

Ambulance runs can go to the most remote of places—in both rural and urban environments. A useful piece of technology for EMS is FirstNet’s high-power user equipment, or HPUE. HPUE boosts signal power up to six times the normal strength at the edges of the network. Lieutenant Humza Shamsuddin, Technology Director for the Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District in Illinois, explains how his agency uses HPUE for EMS.

FirstNet Authority Board Member Mayor Billy Hewes beats the drum for public safety communication and coordination. With a lifetime career of service and decades long career in public service, he strives to ensure the FirstNet network works when it is needed most. We had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Hewes and delve into his views on the importance of FirstNet in Gulfport, the unique role of a mayor during emergencies, and his journey working in public service.

Citywide deployments of FirstNet make operations more efficient by creating seamless communication and data transfer among all response partners. Three law enforcement officials shared how their citywide FirstNet deployment has been critical to ensuring everyone is informed and working together on a coordinated response.

The volunteer EMS community is a vital part of our nation’s public safety efforts, especially in rural areas. FirstNet provides important communication benefits to all first responders. For smaller volunteer EMS agencies, FirstNet levels the playing field, giving access to the same quality of services and products that bigger agencies with more resources have.

Today’s firefighters must maintain connectivity, whether the mission takes them into remote wilderness areas or dense urban buildings. These places can be at the edges of where networks reach. By boosting signal strength, high-power user equipment on FirstNet helps firefighters stay connected wherever the call takes them.

When an eight-year-old boy went missing in Michigan's sprawling Porcupine Mountains, an extensive search and rescue operation was initiated. Darian Reed, President of Superior Search and Rescue, shared that broadband and data service support from FirstNet was pivotal in successfully and safely recovering the child.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Health system uses nearly 4,000 mobile devices, powered by FirstNet, to enhance care for patients. The leader of UVA Health’s Mobile Device Technologies program, Anthony Thompson, discusses the impact of FirstNet in healthcare and how it’s supporting telemedicine capabilities, translation services, and rural healthcare.