Law Enforcement

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announced today that Chair Edward Horowitz has named Sheriff Richard W. Stanek to be Vice Chair of the Board, effective immediately. Appointed to the FirstNet Board in 2014, Sheriff Stanek has served on the Board’s Public Safety Advocacy Committee, where he has helped strengthen relationships with the Nation’s law enforcement community

During this year’s annual Summerfest that attracted over 30,000 visitors, FirstNet was put to the test by the Orem Fire and Police Departments who patrolled the event’s parade and festivities on foot, bicycle and by car. 

The FCC updated its location accuracy requirements in 2015, recognizing that technologies such as “Assisted GPS” offered opportunities for even greater improvements in location accuracy. And just this summer, Apple announced that its next software update will automatically make device-based location information available through its integration partner(s) (only one has been announced to date) to 911 centers when a person calls 911, thanks to a suite of technologies including Wi-Fi, cellular towers and GPS.

As FirstNet subscribers, first responders in Orem, Utah experience interoperable communication with other agencies in the region and across state borders without experiencing congested networks during large-scale events like Summerfest.

I was honored to participate in this year’s National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida.

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.

Host Dave Buchanan is joined by Amanda Hilliard, Senior Director of Business Operations, Public Safety Advocacy, for a discussion on the importance of engaging the public safety community and the evolution of FirstNet’s advocacy efforts. Episode 2 also features first responders sharing their initial perspectives on the FirstNet network.

When the town of Newport, Rhode Island hosted the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, it was the only North American stopover out of 12 cities on six continents during this around-the-world sailing event.

When the town of Brookfield, Connecticut was hit hard by a tremendous storm with wind speeds over 100 miles per hour, most of the area’s communications infrastructure was damaged and overloaded. For Brookfield Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Ellis the lack of communications threatened his ability to coordinate multiple agencies on scene providing mutual aid. Thanks to a quick response, Brookfield first responders were outfitted with 30 FirstNet-ready devices connected to a FirstNet SatCOLT (satellite cell on light truck).

Those who are employed in law enforcement know there is no amount of training or tool that can remove all risk from police work. Nonetheless, the deployment of FirstNet provides U.S. law enforcement agencies with another tool in their officer safety toolbox—a powerful communications network that improves first responder safety and offers more ways to track and monitor officer health and well-being.

Harry Markley joined the First Responder Network Authority as law enforcement senior advisor after more than 30 years with the Phoenix Police Department. Markley started his career as patrol officer and was promoted through the ranks to assistant chief of police. In his three decades of service, he touched nearly every part of the department, serving as a narcotics detective, training officer, SWAT team commander, crime lab administrator, precinct commander, and director of the State Police Academy.

During my 31 years with the Phoenix Police Department, we lost 21 officers in the line of duty. Each and every one of those losses was a tragedy. 

During the 2018 Boston Marathon, the steady, cold rain made it a tough day for runners, but the addition of FirstNet as a communications tool made it easier for first responders to share information and keep competitors and spectators safe.

During this year’s Boston marathon, the First Responder Network Authority (First Responder Authority) team and AT&T were on hand to distribute 80 FirstNet devices to fire, police and incident response teams from the cities of Boston and Brookline. Thirty of these phones were outfitted with SIM cards and connected to the dedicated FirstNet Core.

America’s first responders are on the front lines working to save lives and protect communities across the nation. During the month of May, there are a number of opportunities to recognize the hard work and life-saving sacrifices of fire service, law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel.

The Brazos County Sheriff’s Department became the first Texas agency to officially subscribe to FirstNet. Whether during flooding, tornadoes, Hurricane Harvey, or even an armed standoff, the department has used livestreaming video to better assess incidents as they evolved.

In Bay, Arkansas, local law enforcement and fire agencies adopted FirstNet so they had a reliable way to communicate with each other. With interoperable communications in place, the city’s police and fire departments were able to expand service beyond the city's six square miles. Today, they serve and protect nearly 3,000 residents living within 18 square miles.

See why the Brazos County Sheriff’s Department chose to sign on with FirstNet and how the agency is using dedicated broadband to improve situational awareness and department efficiencies.

Public safety agencies in Virginia’s capital city of Richmond were among the first in the country to subscribe to FirstNet. After testing, city leaders and public safety officials adopted FirstNet to equip first responders with advanced speed, capacity, and improved interoperability.