Fire Service
Tech to Protect, NIST PSCR’s national innovative challenge, introduces coding contests designed to foster communications technology solutions that will aid emergency responders in serving and protecting communities nationwide. Participants will compete for cash prizes from a pool of $2.2 million. The FirstNet Authority is pleased to have technical subject matter experts from our organization leading three contests.
Southern Platte Fire District in Missouri uses FirstNet and its push-to-talk capabilities to enhance daily operations.
The Columbia Fire Department is one of several city agencies joining FirstNet. This is the largest deployment of FirstNet in the state of South Carolina.
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.
First responders from the Town of Duck in North Carolina use FirstNet to support daily operations and prepare for disaster response.
Recently, the New Hampshire Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) hosted the FirstNet Authority for a focused engagement session on the Roadmap.
The FirstNet Authority joined the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board for a Region VII User Forum in Altoona, Iowa. Public safety agencies from the region gathered to learn more about the latest FirstNet developments and key initiatives underway across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri.
Emergency communications were not a concern at the 2019 Garmin Marathon in Kansas, thanks to advance planning by the Olathe Fire Department. A FirstNet deployable was on site to bolster communications and provide first responders with capabilities like priority and preemption.
First responders from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland integrated FirstNet into search and rescue exercises held in Gore, VA — a remote region in the Shenandoah Valley.
First responders serving the Red Cliff Reservation got a major boost in their access to broadband communications with the addition of a new, purpose-built cell site. The new Infrastructure will improve connectivity for tribal first responders and expand rural broadband access for the tribal community.
The FirstNet Authority PSA team held a Roadmap Engagement with the City and County of Honolulu to solicit feedback from the island’s public safety community about their localized emergency communications needs.
FirstNet continues to gain rapid momentum with 600,000+ device connections being used by more than 7,250 public safety agencies.
At the Texas A&M University Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center’s 2019 Winter Institute Workshop and Exercise, first responders trained on how to respond during an earthquake. FirstNet was used to enhance operational communications during a simulated natural disaster.
During the month of May, the FirstNet Authority is recognizing and celebrating first responders for the critical, lifesaving work they perform year-round.
The aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City highlighted the critical need for dependable communications among first responders during emergencies and disasters.
Police cars and firetrucks in Shreveport, Louisiana, were outfitted with new modems that are connected to FirstNet. With this new in-vehicle technology, first responders will have access to a reliable network connection that is faster and more efficient.
During the 2018 college basketball championship in San Antonio, the Southwest Texas Fusion Center used FirstNet to monitor live data coming from officers in the field and security cameras. With a reliable network connection, first responders were able to quickly and securely send data and respond to incidents.