Colorado

Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deployed a FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD) to Gold Hill, a remote area with poor cellular coverage, to maintain emergency 9 -1-1 connectivity during a planned power outage. The CRD ensured people could still access help, regardless of their carrier, and allowed responders to communicate while responding to incidents.

The evolution of technology has changed the landscape of search and rescue missions — clearing radio airwaves for essential traffic and mission critical information. Travis Hull, Kate Cummings, Ben Lawrence, and Jason Day explore how broadband solutions have increased operation efficiencies, live at 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit. 

The Boulder FirstNet Lab is where we demonstrate state-of-the-art technology designed for public safety’s needs.

Division Chief Kara Gerczynski of the Elizabeth Fire Protection District details the communication challenges that come with serving a remote region of Colorado. Discover how FirstNet has improved connectivity and aided first responders across this rural community. Read more about FirstNet in Colorado at FirstNet.gov/Colorado

Elizabeth, Colorado, is a rural area located in one of the state’s fastest-growing counties. To support communications and connect responders to the tools they need in the field, the Elizabeth Fire Protection District turned to FirstNet.

The FirstNet Authority Board will convene an open public meeting of the Board and Board Committees. The meeting will begin at 9:30 AM-10:30 AM MST.

Sheriff Tim Norton and Deputy Dustin Pastore of Colorado's Elbert County Sheriff's Office explain the communication challenges that come with serving in a large and remote area. Explore how FirstNet has expanded connectivity across this rural community. Read more: https://www.firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog/firstnet-connects-rural-colorado-first-responders

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 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.

Tens of thousands of runners and more than 100,000 spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, every Memorial Day for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer road races in the world. During the 2022 race, FirstNet enabled communications inside the emergency operations center, bringing critical connectivity to local first responders. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/Colorado.

Each year on Memorial Day, runners and spectators gather in Boulder, Colorado, for the BOLDERBoulder, one of the largest 10-kilometer races in the world. With more than 100,000 people in attendance, communication can be a challenge for local public safety. During the 2022 race, FirstNet helped connect responders on the race course and at the emergency operations center.

In March 2022, a fire broke out near the Table Mesa neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, close to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Facility. Over the course of six days, the NCAR Fire burned 190 acres. FirstNet deployables, including a compact rapid deployable owned by the City of Boulder, supported first responders on scene and ensured they could share critical information. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/Colorado.

The NCAR Fire, named for its proximity to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Facility, broke out near Boulder, Colorado in March 2022. The fire prompted the evacuation of 19,000 people and burned 190 acres. Public safety relied on FirstNet deployables, including a Compact Rapid Deployable, to connect their devices and communicate efficiently while managing the evacuations and battling the blaze.

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.

The Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, based out of Estes Park, Colorado, is a difficult for travelers in need of aid to reach due to the remote and hazardous nature of its location.

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.

The FirstNet Authority Board will convene an open public meeting of the Board and Board Committees. May 3, 2023; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT); Broomfield, Colorado.

Public safety personnel in Colorado are leveraging FirstNet’s high-quality Band 14 spectrum and 5G connectivity to keep their rural and urban communities connected and safe. FirstNet’s advancement of public safety interests also involves working with the Safer Building Coalition, an advocacy group aimed at ensuring reliable in-building communication capabilities for first responders.