Florida

FirstNet Authority Board Member and Sheriff of Walton County, Florida Michael Adkinson has extensive experience facing hurricanes and other challenges throughout his public safety career, including the impact of losing regional communication. Hear more about his unique experiences and the strengths he brings to the FirstNet Authority Board.

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.

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...

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.

TO: ALL TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division is pleased to announce it will be hosting the 2023 FBI CJIS Division Information Sharing Event: Connecting Indian Country at the InterContinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL 33131, on August 1-2, 2023.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office in Tallahassee, Florida, participated in a demonstration of FirstNet technology to show how a dedicated public safety broadband network and technologies make a diff

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

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.

EMTs and paramedics can be called to duty in incredibly hard-to-reach locations, and they need connectivity where their mission takes them. Compact Rapid Deployables are a unique FirstNet coverage solution that keeps public safety connected even in the toughest spots.

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.

One thing the 9-1-1 community learned from the pandemic was the need to plan for alternate ways to work. Rather than be tied to workstations at fixed locations, 9-1-1 telecommunicators need flexibility to remotely take, dispatch, and supervise calls. 9-1-1 leaders looked to technology for a solution. Through FirstNet, the nationwide public-safety broadband network, first responders had access to a secure, reliable connection outside of the ECC. 

NOBLE Annual Training Conference

Long before the rain starts falling or the wind starts blowing, first responders are focused on planning for hurricanes. Innovative features and functions on FirstNet and programs available through the FirstNet Authority help public safety agencies as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from these disasters.

First responders in Florida are benefiting from FirstNet’s expanding coverage, boosted capacity, and new capabilities. FirstNet’s Band 14 infrastructure is bringing public safety agencies nationwide access to the network’s unique 5G features and functions.

More than 18,500 public safety agencies and organizations, accounting for more than 2.8 million connections nationwide, are on FirstNet. The San Francisco Sheriff's Department, Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and Newark Police Department (New Jersey), as well as the Florida Division of Emergency Management among the latest agencies to sign on to public safety's network.

First responders bravely and selflessly protect and serve our communities every day. On National First Responders Day, we take time to celebrate and honor their dedication. The FirstNet Authority is proud to serve the men and women of public safety with innovative solutions that can make their jobs easier, more efficient, and safer.