FirstNet in Action
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 Seattle Fire Department experienced the benefits of FirstNet during the SeaFair 2019 festival. Despite the more than 350,000 people in attendance, firefighters and paramedics were able to communicate important safety information during the event.
In January 2019, a gas outage in Newport County, Rhode Island left over 7,100 residents without heat in frigid temperatures. Ruggedized FirstNet devices, WiFi hotspots, and GIS mapping software helped the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and local public safety agencies ensure residents were safe.
As mobile broadband communications become increasingly embedded in public safety operations, states are updating policy and process documents to account for this new way of communicating. The Missouri Department of Public Safety updated the Missouri Field Operations Guide, a statewide reference tool that outlines established and trusted interoperable communications solutions for first responders, to include FirstNet.
The Indian River Volunteer Fire Department is replacing its cell tower with a new tower that will bring first responders in Sussex County, Delaware, enhanced coverage and connection through FirstNet.
When Super Bowl LIII came to Atlanta, the Fulton County E9-1-1 Center used FirstNet to support the backup center.
The Seattle Fire Department is equipping firefighters and paramedics with access to FirstNet on smartphones and rig apparatus, keeping them connected through everyday emergencies and natural disasters.
After rolling out FirstNet, the Mesa Police Department in Arizona developed new technology, including a mobile app, to enhance response times for law enforcement officers.
Southern Platte Fire District in Missouri uses FirstNet and its push-to-talk capabilities to enhance daily operations.
Through FirstNet’s extended primary user program, schools, hospitals, and other non-traditional public safety entities can benefit from everything the network has to offer. FirstNet helped one such extended primary user, Texas City Independent School District, communicate during two incidents.
The City of Columbia, South Carolina, has joined FirstNet, keeping first responders connected during every day incidents and critical moments.
When wildfires broke out near Stanley, Idaho, first responders turned to FirstNet to help connect responding agencies. With the help of a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) deployable asset, first responders from multiple agencies were able to communicate as they fought the blazes.
When severe rains caused rivers to flood in the Midwest, the Illinois Incident Management Team requested a FirstNet SatCOLT (satellite cell on light truck). The SatCOLT provided first responders with a secure and reliable connection, allowing them to communicate as they worked in the aftermath of the storms.
Warren County’s first responders got a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of two new, purpose-built cell sites. The sites – located in Warrenton and near Lake Gaston – are part of the FirstNet network expansion taking place in North Carolina, which is bringing increased coverage, capacity and capabilities to first responders across the state.
First responders from the Town of Duck in North Carolina use FirstNet to support daily operations and prepare for disaster response.
After testing the FirstNet network in and around the county, local officials in Montour County, Pennsylvania, decided to subscribe to FirstNet. Now, first responders and county employees supporting public safety operations use the network to stay connected during daily incidents, emergencies, and natural disasters.
Signal Mountain became the first city in Tennessee to join FirstNet, bringing first responders access to a dedicated, reliable network that connects them to the critical information they need during everyday incidents and emergencies.
