Local

Every year, hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators line the streets of Boston to witness the Boston Marathon. In 2018, 80 ruggedized FirstNet devices with push-to-talk and location-tracking applications helped Boston and Brookline police, fire, and incident response teams protect the community.

First responders in Harris County and the city of Houston are exploring different ways to use FirstNet and its app ecosystem to enhance operations and break down interoperability walls.

During the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, the Rhode Island DMAT's Medical Reserve Corps (RI MRC) used FirstNet's secure connection for field hospital operations.

During this year’s annual Summerfest that attracted over 30,000 visitors, FirstNet was put to the test by the Orem Fire and Police Departments who patrolled the event’s parade and festivities on foot, bicycle and by car. 

As FirstNet subscribers, first responders in Orem, Utah experience interoperable communication with other agencies in the region and across state borders without experiencing congested networks during large-scale events like Summerfest.

Chief Erik Newman of the Stockton (CA) Fire Department shares how FirstNet played a critical role during the California wildfires in 2017.

The sharing of data via FirstNet is enabling first responders to have more information available at their fingertips to help with their lifesaving mission. Today, through over-the-top push-to-talk (PTT) apps, first responders can use FirstNet’s always-on, reliable connection to collaborate — including sharing pictures, videos, texts, and other data in real time. With enhanced communications, public safety can be better prepared to keep themselves and the communities they serve safe.

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.

Whether securing large events or responding to local emergencies, it can be a challenge for public safety to keep track of where first responders are positioned. Historically, tracking first responders in the field meant repeated radio roll-calls where units identify with their call sign and location and incident scribes map the scene on a white board – a labor-intensive process that didn’t provide the up-to-the-minute situational awareness incident commanders need for optimal decision-making.

Public safety agencies in Whiteville joined FirstNet, providing local first responders with access to a reliable and secure network.

When the town of Brookfield, Connecticut was hit hard by a tremendous storm with wind speeds over 100 miles per hour, most of the area’s communications infrastructure was damaged and overloaded. Thanks to a quick response, first responders were outfitted with 30 FirstNet “ready” devices connected to a deployable SatCOLT (satellite cell on light truck) to support Brookfield.

During this year’s Boston marathon, the First Responder Network Authority (First Responder Authority) team and AT&T were on hand to distribute 80 FirstNet devices to fire, police and incident response teams from the cities of Boston and Brookline. Thirty of these phones were outfitted with SIM cards and connected to the dedicated FirstNet Core.

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.

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.

Public safety agencies in Virginia’s capital city of Richmond were among the first in the country to subscribe to FirstNet. After testing, city leaders and public safety officials adopted FirstNet to equip first responders with advanced speed, capacity, and improved interoperability.

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. 

With hundreds of thousands of visitors coming for events and concerts throughout the year, the Atlantic City Police Department needs a reliable connection to communicate through the crowds. By joining FirstNet, officers have priority and preemption capabilities that help them keep their community safe.