Priority and Preemption
FirstNet keeps firefighters connected during wildfires, such as the 2018 Miles Fire in Prospect, Oregon, and wildfires in Napa Valley and Sonoma in California. In Oregon, a FirstNet deployable enhanced coordination and communication among the nearly 2,000 first responders who gathered at base camp. In California, FirstNet equipped responders with the devices they needed for enhanced situational awareness and coordination during the 2017 wildfires.
Jeff Buchanan, Deputy Fire Chief of the Clark County Fire Department (NV), speaks about the unique challenges Las Vegas first responders face and the critical need for priority and preemption during major incidents such as the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting.
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.
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.
FirstNet provides another layer of redundancy and additional capabilities for Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services, which is responsible for serving more than half a million residents in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office became the first agency in Michigan to join FirstNet, giving deputies a reliable network with priority and preemption that will also help connect them to advanced communications tools.
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.
Public safety agencies in the City of Casper in Wyoming were among the first in the nation to adopt FirstNet services. The network provided Casper first responders with critical connectivity during the 2017 solar eclipse when the state’s population doubled with tourists.