First responders are using FirstNet Authority’s virtual reality test center to set-up and engage in immersive emergency response training. This cost-efficient training simulation enables public safety officials to cultivate their skillset in a non-hazardous environment.  

The FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Immersive Test Center uses augmented and virtual reality to test equipment in simulated experiences and to develop methodologies for real world emergencies. The test center is used by multiple public safety agencies to train and educate first responders.

FirstNet is supporting public safety officials by providing coverage with deployable communication assets as they respond to flooding across eastern Kentucky. These resources include a SatCOLT, communication vehicles, compact rapid deployables, as well as in-building solutions. 

School buses in Hopkins County, Kentucky turned to FirstNet to replace their CB radios with an upgraded communication system. The updated system, which includes a mounted tablet-like device, enhances student safety by providing bus drivers with an extended communication range, access to Google Maps, and a real-time tracking system.

AT&T, in collaboration with Intrado, introduced a location-based routing feature in New Mexico that enables 911 dispatch centers to pinpoint the exact location where a 911 emergency call was placed. This service works by utilizing the GPS of the phone that made the call and connecting it with the closest 911 dispatch center so that public safety officials can identify the incident location swiftly and precisely. 

With over 200 hundred attendees, the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association’s Vision conference in Las Vegas, Nevada provided first responders with the opportunity to see how FirstNet could be leveraged to streamline their responsibilities. The conference also included hands-on training for public safety officials, key speakers, and demonstrations of FirstNet equipment and capabilities.  

The University Fire Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps prepare the next generation of firefighters by providing students with on-the-ground training, certifications, and a college degree. To remain at the forefront of firefighting innovation in the state, the fire department uses FirstNet technology to boost cellular transmission strength, transmit data to other first responders, capture thermal imaging, and more.

Cinco De Mayo celebrations in San Jose, California, bring in large crowds every year and first responders depend on FirstNet to avoid communication challenges during the festivities. A FirstNet SatCOLT was used to ensure responders had the coverage they needed to coordinate response, and interoperability was key to keeping attendees safe.

The Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, based out of Estes Park, Colorado, is a difficult for travelers in need of aid to reach due to the remote and hazardous nature of its location. Crown Castle, the nation’s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure, through a collaboration with FirstNet, is completing a cell tower project that will maintain a connection down the 20-mile stretch of US 36 between Estes Park and the town of Lyons, Colorado enabling those in need to be able to call for help any time.