Apps

In northeastern Kansas, volunteer firefighters respond to incidents that have increasingly grown more intense in the area. Bigger and faster fires mean dependable communications are key to protecting the community. Shawnee County Fire District #4 installed FirstNet High Power User Equipment and routers in their firetrucks, keeping firefighters connected across the rural landscape.

Biometrics and wearables are ushering in a new wave of public safety technologies. These innovations have the potential to greatly improve the health and safety of firefighters — and get us closer to the goal of zero deaths or injuries.

The FirstNet Authority is excited for our participation and involvement at APCO 2024. With a FirstNet specific track, APCO promises to be a unique experience showcasing the best in 9-1-1 communications technology, from mobile command posts to maritime response.

Successful response to a suspicious package incident relies on good communications. Technology can make a difference in ensuring response teams have the most up-to-date information. FirstNet technologies can help with a coordinated, connected, and safe response.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Annual Report to Congress highlights the achievements and continued progress that the FirstNet Authority has made throughout FY 2023. Details of the FirstNet Authority’s milestone successes in ensuring the deployment of the FirstNet network and securing the renewal of its Band 14 license by the Federal Communications Commission demonstrate a continued commitment to innovation and serving our nation’s public safety community.

Officials from the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council discuss how the state uses cutting-edge technology to enhance 911 services for telecommunicators, responders in the field, and the public. The state is using FirstNet to enable data sharing, mobile dispatching, and redundancy for 911 agencies.

With push-to-talk, the press of a button instantly connects firefighters with dispatch and other first responders, making it an invaluable communications tool. With firefighters increasingly needing easy access to multimedia data on the job, push-to-talk over FirstNet can be a gamechanger. It offers cost savings and added capabilities compared to only using radios.

The volunteer EMS community is a vital part of our nation’s public safety efforts, especially in rural areas. FirstNet provides important communication benefits to all first responders. For smaller volunteer EMS agencies, FirstNet levels the playing field, giving access to the same quality of services and products that bigger agencies with more resources have.

FirstNet is an important resource for emergency managers, whether during disasters, everyday operations, or large planned events. FirstNet’s unique public safety features help emergency managers be more prepared, increase situational awareness, and better track assets and people. For better response and operations, emergency managers should know these five things about FirstNet.

The Los Angeles Police Department, one of the biggest police departments in the country, is modernizing its communications and issuing FirstNet devices to all of its almost 10,000 officers.

In the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report to Congress, the FirstNet Authority highlights efforts to advance public safety communications technology through innovation and insight. The report details the forward-thinking, state-of-the-art technology made available to the public safety community through FirstNet and ongoing efforts by the FirstNet Authority to enhance the nationwide public safety broadband network.

Emergency management thrives on good communications. One FirstNet tool that aids communications is push-to-talk on hand-held mobile devices. Push-to-talk capabilities over FirstNet deliver better situational awareness for responders in the field and in the emergency operations.

In 2022, the FirstNet Authority reached two major milestones: the 10-year anniversary of the legislation that created FirstNet and the five-year anniversary of the FirstNet Authority’s public-private partnership with AT&T. In the coming years, the FirstNet Authority will continue to build out the network, bring dedicated coverage to urban and rural areas, and invest in cutting-edge public safety technologies.

Deputy Chief Gavin Babieracki of Otsego County EMS Rescue shares his experience responding when a tornado struck his community, a rare event in northern Michigan. Though the tornado was unexpected, Babieracki and his team were prepared with FirstNet and other technologies to keep first responders connected throughout the disaster.

In St. Augustine, Florida, public safety officials navigate obstacles ranging from antiquated infrastructure causing connectivity issues to saturated networks due to tourism and special events. With the adoption of FirstNet, the police department, fire department, and other city agencies are using the network to reliably communicate throughout the oldest city in the country.

First responders in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are benefitting from FirstNet. Now with FirstNet, LAPD is equipping officers with new tools, expanded capabilities, and reliable access to critical information while in the field, allowing the department to better serve those who live, work, and visit Los Angeles.

Nlets – the International Justice and Public Safety Network is an international, not-for-profit corporation owned and managed by the 50 states and 5 U.S. territories. Since its establishment, Nlets has served the law enforcement community by enabling state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies to exchange and access public safety information. As a member of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, Nlets provides critical input related to criminal justice information sharing and secure data exchange.

How do FirstNet’s Z-Axis and Push-To-Talk work in real-life scenarios? The FirstNet Authority partnered with the Major County Sheriffs of America to conduct a technology trial of these capabilities. By putting the technology into the hands of officers on the job, we can evaluate its real-world usability, discover any adjustments needed, and plan for future upgrades.

Public safety needs a solution that allows for a single, secure authentication process across every application needed. Logging on once should make multiple mobile applications immediately available for first responder use, allowing life-saving work to begin sooner. The FirstNet Authority is exploring how Identity, Credential, and Access Management affects public safety daily and what other solutions can help solve real-world problems.

As a part of the COVID-19 response, first responders are turning to FirstNet-enabled devices to make emergency communications efficient and effective during this critical time. From connecting socially distant 9-1-1 call takers to coordinating logistics for distributing personal protective equipment across state lines, FirstNet-enabled devices have played a supporting role in mitigating health risks in communities across the nation.  When COVID-19 struck, Texas DPS required immediate and direct communications with local and state agencies to maintain traffic flow, manage state entry points, and monitor crowded areas across the state. Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) used FirstNet-enabled devices to stay connected to partner agencies to prepare for and maintain pandemic-related services throughout the state.