Interoperability
For public safety in Niagara County, interoperability is key, and for years, agencies have worked on a regional approach to interoperability. With FirstNet, the agencies in this area have access to a dedicated network for first responders that also provides cost-effective interoperability solutions.
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.
Public safety agencies in Whiteville joined FirstNet, providing local first responders with access to a reliable and secure network.
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.
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.
For first responders at the 2017 International Balloon Festival, communicating and sharing information became much easier because of FirstNet's priority capabilities. Instead of slow or lost signals that often occur during large events, law enforcement and public safety officials at the festival experienced enhanced coverage, connectivity, and capacity with FirstNet.
Captain Phil Perry of the Alexandria Fire Department talks about the central role communications plays when multiple jurisdictions respond. From the tragic crash of an Air Florida flight in 1982 to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in 2001 to more routine events, Captain Perry says the ability to share information affects the success, safety, and speed of public safety’s response.