Bellevue, Wash. — The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) today awarded Bill Schrier the Chief Harlin R. McEwen Public Safety Broadband Communications Award (Harlin McEwen Award) for his leadership and contributions to advancing broadband communications for public safety.
The FirstNet Authority was joined by the award’s namesake, Chief (ret.) Harlin R. McEwen, to present the award at 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit today in Bellevue. 5x5 is an annual conference hosted by the FirstNet Authority and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division that brings together public safety, government, industry, and academia leaders to help drive the future of public safety communications.
“It is my great honor and privilege to accept the Chief Harlin McEwen Award,” said Schrier. “Throughout my career, from my first job as a law enforcement officer in Iowa, through my work as Chief Technology Officer at the City of Seattle, I have been fortunate to see first-hand the evolution of public safety communications. The latest development – the FirstNet network – is having an amazing impact on our nation’s first responders. I am so proud of how far we have come for public safety and am honored to have been part of this important mission.”
Schrier has had a distinguished career in public safety communications and technology. From 2003 to 2012, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle, where he played a pivotal role in modernizing the city’s technology infrastructure, including public safety communications systems, and advocated for a nationwide public safety wireless broadband network. Under Schrier’s leadership, Seattle was an early adopter of broadband technologies and made significant advancements in emergency communications.
From 2013 to 2015, Schrier chaired the Washington State Interoperability Executive Committee where he worked to improve interoperable communications for first responders across the state. In this role, he coordinated with the FirstNet Authority and local government, local communities, and public safety agencies to ensure that FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, would meet the needs of first responders in Washington. In 2015, he stepped into the role of CIO for the Seattle Police Department, championing technology advances for local law enforcement.
“Bill Schrier’s passion for collaboration has brought together diverse stakeholders from government, industry, and emergency services to drive meaningful progress,” said FirstNet Authority Acting Board Chair Renee Gordon. “His ability to translate complex policy and technology issues into actionable solutions has made him a valuable leader in the public safety community. From planning to implementation, Bill’s contributions have left a lasting impact on FirstNet and the broader mission of ensuring the safety and security of our nation.”
In 2016, Schrier joined the FirstNet Authority as a Senior Public Safety Advisor. At the FirstNet Authority, he helped guide the development and implementation of FirstNet across the nation in the early years of network buildout. In 2021 Schrier returned to the City of Seattle to help develop the City’s 911 Center as a separate public safety department, now known as Seattle Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE).
