Interoperability

Gainesville’s public works use FirstNet on their cell phones and tablets to deploy resources and people, track work orders, and communicate with staff in the field. With these tools in place, they can get their work done more efficiently, and work in partnership with other responders.

As EMS providers expand their use of technology, FirstNet gives them a wireless broadband platform to connect in the field. FirstNet Authority Senior EMS Advisor Brent Williams highlights three EMS agencies using FirstNet to communicate in rural areas, send vital patient information to hospitals, and access the resources to enhance patient care.

The blog provides four examples of how FirstNet services and features are being used by fire personnel to save lives, protect communities and infrastructure nationwide.

The Cranford Police Department in New Jersey trialed FirstNet Push-to-Talk, a service built on 3GPP mission critical push-to-talk standards. This service provided officers with an easy-to-use system with clearer voice quality and wider coverage area than traditional land mobile radios.

Emergency Management professionals across the country are using FirstNet for many aspects of emergency planning and response, including in emergency operation centers, for incident management teams, in exercises and drills, and with deployables.

The Muleshoe Police Department in Texas uses FirstNet to run duty phones and tablets, enhancing communications and improving interoperability.

Tabitha Smithers, an emergency aviation flight nurse and Goochland County Fire and EMS volunteer paramedic, uses FirstNet to alleviate communications hurdles in a rural region of Virginia.

Historic Annapolis, Maryland, hosts nearly two million tourists annually, and public safety officials are responsible for protecting these visitors and local residents throughout the town and in the surrounding Chesapeake Bay. Recognizing the need for reliable communications for first responders, local law enforcement, emergency management, and city services are rolling out FirstNet.

Indiana’s Integrated Public Safety Commission worked to integrate the state’s land mobile radio system with FirstNet to enhance coverage, achieve significant cost savings, and expand capabilities for the state's first responders.

FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor Lori Stone sits down with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator Tom Crabbs to discuss FirstNet, how first responders are exploring and adapting cutting-edge technologies, and how the FirstNet Authority is helping public safety agencies nationwide advance operations.   

Every summer, tens of thousands of boating enthusiasts descend on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for one of the most popular powerboat racing events in the nation. For the 2019 Lake Race, local public safety agencies relied on FirstNet to support their communication and data needs.

As mobile broadband communications become increasingly embedded in public safety operations, states are updating policy and process documents to account for this new way of communicating. The Missouri Department of Public Safety updated the Missouri Field Operations Guide, a statewide reference tool that outlines established and trusted interoperable communications solutions for first responders, to include FirstNet.

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.

The Parma Fire Department in Ohio relies on FirstNet for interoperable communications and greater situational awareness through advanced tools, such as biometric monitors.

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.

First responders in Pennington County, South Dakota, operate in a remote county with unique terrain. With FirstNet bringing new tower infrastructure, deployables, and a reliable network connection, deputies with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office are able to move data and information quickly and securely.

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.

Assistant Chief Rodney Reed of the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office (TX) touches on the County’s experience as an Early Builder, and now as a FirstNet subscriber, as well as Hurricane Harvey response, apps, and Real-Time Data