Emergency Management
At the PSAC Tribal Working Group’s (TWG) semi-annual in-person meeting, the FirstNet Authority updated TWG delegates on FirstNet’s latest developments, and tribal leaders discussed their network needs and shared real-world FirstNet use cases in tribal communities.
In the latest episode of the Public Safety First podcast, guest host and First Responder Network Authority, Director of Field Operations (Northcentral Region) Lesia Dickson is joined by officials from Texas City (Tx.) to discuss their “whole of community” approach to emergency communications and the use of FirstNet to enhance school safety efforts.
Public safety agencies in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, joined FirstNet in 2019. Now, first responders have access to a network built for their needs with priority and preemption capabilities that help them quickly and securely communicate during everyday incidents, large events, and emergencies.
FirstNet deployables were used by the Yankton Sioux Tribe Police Department in South Dakota, where rough terrain physically limits LTE coverage. During a critical search-and-rescue mission, the department reached out to the FirstNet Authority and AT&T, which deployed a SatCOLT within hours.
When mudslides threatened Hawkins County in March 2019, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security used a FirstNet deployable to restore communications and stream video back to the Transportation Management Center in Knoxville.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security has relied on FirstNet for a variety of incidents and emergencies, from Hurricane Michael to a lost hiker to the 2019 Super Bowl. With priority and preemption on the FirstNet network and access to deployable assets such as SatCOLTs (satellite cells on light trucks) and COWs (cells on wheels), first responders have reliable connection when and where they need it.
At the 2018 American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Hayward, the Wisconsin Office of Emergency Communications deployed the state's Site on Wheels trailer along with a FirstNet Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT). With these network assets in place, first responders were able to stay connected and operate even in the most remote areas along the race.
FirstNet Authority Board Member and Senior Vice President of Willis-Knighton Health System Brian Crawford talks about how FirstNet is connecting communities during response and recovery—from first
In this episode of Public Safety First, Dave Mulholland — Administrator for the Arlington Co. (VA) Emergency Communications Center — discusses the evolution of emergency communications in the National Capital Region and shares his experiences with a FirstNet demo at the Marine Corps Marathon.
In this episode of Public Safety First, guest host, Lesia Dickson, FirstNet’s Director of Field Operations for the North-central region sits down with Arizona DEMA’s Wes Dison at the 2018 NEMA Forum in Savannah, Georgia to discuss Arizona’s experience with FirstNet during high-profile events such as Senator McCain’s funeral in August.
FirstNet is a new nationwide broadband network dedicated to first responders. Designed with the advice of public safety professionals, FirstNet aims to give first responders 21st-century communications tools to help save lives, solve crimes, and keep communities and emergency responders safe.
Every summer, thousands of people travel to western Indiana for the Terre Haute airshow—a two-day event that features the Navy’s famous Blue Angels and other aircraft. At the 2018 event, planning officials decided to deploy FirstNet to provide a robust interoperable broadband connection for all involved.
As an emergency manager, you know that one of your most important duties is to turn data into actionable information for all responding entities. FirstNet equips you with a reliable broadband connection and key features like priority and preemption that allow you to collect and share data to improve response.
The age of FirstNet stands to deliver situational awareness and data for Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs), whether for emergency managers in rural or metro areas in the US. When police needed to search a 300-acre wooded property in rural Alabama, they used a mix of traditional police work and cutting-edge technology to try to find evidence that could provide a long-sought break in a missing persons case.
When Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina in September 2018, FirstNet provided reliable coverage and connection to public safety agencies in Whiteville. A FirstNet SatCOLT (satellite cell on light truck) was deployed to the area, and first responders used enhanced push-to-talk and to communicate in the aftermath of the storm.
During the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, the Rhode Island DMAT's Medical Reserve Corps (RI MRC) used FirstNet's secure connection for field hospital operations.
The sharing of data via FirstNet is enabling first responders to have more information available at their fingertips to help with their lifesaving mission. Today, through over-the-top push-to-talk (PTT) apps, first responders can use FirstNet’s always-on, reliable connection to collaborate — including sharing pictures, videos, texts, and other data in real time. With enhanced communications, public safety can be better prepared to keep themselves and the communities they serve safe.
Priority and preemption are a few of the crucial features FirstNet provides to first responders, especially during large planned events with thousands of participants, such as the annual International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. In years past, first responders at the festival reported poor connectivity on commercial networks due to attendees’ high volume of voice calls, texts, and social media posts. But using FirstNet, public safety’s dedicated network, for this year’s festival, they had a dramatically different—and better—experience.