Technology

The First Responder Network Authority’s mission is to be a catalyst for advancing the nationwide public safety broadband network. As part of the launch of our roadmap engagement program, we were pleased to co-host a Public Safety Innovation Day on March 6 in College Station, Texas.

The First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet Authority) Technology Headquarters in Boulder, CO - home to the FirstNet Innovation and Test Lab and a future experience center - continues to be a focal point for transforming the future of public safety communications for first responders.

In this episode of Public Safety First, FirstNet’s Senior EMS Advisor Brent Williams chats with Plain Township (OH) Assistant Fire Chief Jack Rupp and Dr. Paul Zeeb, EMS Medical Director for Ohio’s Metropolitan Emergency Consortium Communications (MECC), at the 2018 EMS World Expo. Together, they reflect on how FirstNet will enable emerging technology in the world of EMS.

In this episode of Public Safety First, Chris Algiere, FirstNet Authority’s Director of Federal National Programs, joins us to chat about the Public Safety Entity engagement initiative and lessons learned for current FirstNet subscribers like the City of Richmond, and future FirstNet users.

Paramedic units with the AtlatiCare Regional Medical Center are using a telemedicine application on smartphones running on the FirstNet network. FirstNet provides these EMS teams with a secure connection to send information, ultimately saving time and providing better patient care.

The FirstNet network is enabling more resilient communities nationwide. With more than 5,250 public safety agencies using 425,000+ connections on FirstNet today, the network is helping first responders and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

First responders know all too well that emergencies and natural disasters can strike at any time.

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.

In the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing effort to keep you informed regarding standards development activities impacting public safety, and following our recent update on the March Plenary meetings in Chennai, India, this blog discusses the latest developments from the 3GPP Plenary meetings held in La Jolla, CA, from June 11-15, 2018. The June quarterly meetings addressed standards in several areas relevant to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) in three separate plenary group meetings.

For Mike Worrell, becoming a first responder was personal. His brother was only 25 when he died unexpectedly of a heart ailment. The first responders who rushed to help his brother were exceptionally kind, Mike said, and he’ll never forget the way they treated him and his family. For someone interested in many different careers, that experience, ultimately, led Mike Worrell to becoming a firefighter.

In the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing effort to keep you informed regarding standards development activities impacting public safety, and following our recent update on the December plenary meetings in Portugal, this blog discusses the latest developments from the 3GPP plenary meetings held in Chennai, India from March 19-23, 2018. The March quarterly meetings addressed standards in several areas relevant to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) during three separate plenary group meetings.

A number of public safety agencies are adopting FirstNet and gaining capabilities they have never had before. These FirstNet trailblazers are exploring the benefits of smart devices powered by a dedicated, high-speed wireless broadband connection. Capturing and sharing real-time data, live streaming, and incident mapping are just a few FirstNet-powered capabilities they’re incorporating into emergency response.

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, public safety from all disciplines joined together to advocate for a single nationwide public safety broadband network.