State

Through Coverage Enhancement Workshops, the FirstNet Authority works alongside public safety nationwide to identify coverage needs and ensure network investments meet those needs.

The FirstNet Authority understands that coverage must be expanded in strategic areas that reflect the needs of public safety. Our Coverage Enhancement Program gathers input from public safety on where they need coverage to help guide strategic network investments. Workshops across the nation have provided a forum for state and local government officials and public safety leaders to meet with FirstNet Authority staff to relay where coverage is inadequate and how that impacts operations.

Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation throughout the southeast United States in late 2024. Public safety leaders in Tennessee and North Carolina worked with partners across their state to ensure 9-1-1 calls could go through and responders had the communications they needed. FirstNet provided critical redundancy and resiliency during response and recovery efforts.

Tennessee integrated FirstNet into its statewide public safety radio system, the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN), to provide redundant, resilient communications for first responders. From tornados that destroyed radio infrastructure to a daring flood rescue during Hurricane Helene, FirstNet provided the coverage to keep responders connected in crucial moments.

In October of 2024, the North Carolina 911 Board deployed the FirstNet Wireless Redundant Solution to a public safety answering point (PSAP) whose infrastructure was obliterated by Hurricane Helene. The PSAP received and processed 911 calls for one month using FirstNet connectivity. Renee Gordon, Pokey Harris, Tom Rogers, and Josh Briggs share best practices and lessons learned from rolling out this solution across North Carolina, live at 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit.  

Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deployed a FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD) to Gold Hill, a remote area with poor cellular coverage, to maintain emergency 9 -1-1 connectivity during a planned power outage. The CRD ensured people could still access help, regardless of their carrier, and allowed responders to communicate while responding to incidents.

With many rural jurisdictions in South Dakota experiencing degraded land mobile radio coverage in remote areas, the state of South Dakota began exploring how FirstNet Mission Critical Push-to-Talk could help address coverage, capacity, and interoperability limitations. By integrating this broadband solution with the statewide radio communications system to streamline emergency communications, South Dakota is using FirstNet-MCPTT to address interoperability challenges and expand radio capabilities.

When the Groundhog Day annual ceremony attracted more than 50,000 visitors to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police alongside local, state, and federal agencies, tapped into operational assistance from the FirstNet Authority. The FirstNet Authority worked closely with public safety officials to evaluate network coverage and ensure reliable communication for the event. Throughout the day, FirstNet provided high-speed coverage that allowed the multiple agencies to coordinate seamlessly and respond swiftly to emerging needs.

The First Responder Network Authority presented the Patriot Award to six distinguished leaders in public safety, recognizing their innovative use of broadband technologies to protect and safeguard their communities.

Deputy Commissioner for the New York Office of Technology and Innovation, Robert Barbera, explains how the city that never sleeps leverages FirstNet — from major events to everyday operations

The total solar eclipse in April brought massive crowds to 15 U.S. states in the path of totality. The FirstNet Authority began working with public safety officials two years in advance to incorporate broadband into their eclipse planning and support each state in unique ways to prepare for the influx of people

Shawn Talmadge, State Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, describes how the Commonwealth utilizes of FirstNet capabilities — such as radio interoperability, unmanned arial systems, and flood monitoring — to ensure reliable communication for Virginia’s emergency teams both during routine and unexpected events. Shawn Talmadge was the recipient of a 2024 Patriot Award. Join Shawn Talmadge as he shares his perspective on the critical role of communications in disaster response. Learn more about FirstNet in Virginia at FirstNet.gov/Virginia.

A year of unprecedented disasters — including two major floods and a train derailment — brought unique challenges to rural Stillwater County, Montana. FirstNet supported communications and emergency management throughout these incidents, allowing responders to connect and collaborate during response and recovery efforts.

Maine is undertaking a statewide project to install FirstNet in all its ambulances — to keep them connected and communicating wherever the call takes them. Integrating FirstNet into ambulances improves pre-hospital care and safety for patients, responders, vehicles, and roads.

Officials from the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council discuss how the state uses cutting-edge technology to enhance 911 services for telecommunicators, responders in the field, and the public. The state is using FirstNet to enable data sharing, mobile dispatching, and redundancy for 911 agencies.

The FirstNet Authority works hand in hand with public safety to collect feedback on the network and their communications needs. First responders gathered for the FirstNet Users Summit in Sacramento, California to share their real-world experience using FirstNet. The FirstNet Authority uses public safety’s insights to ensure the network offers the right tools and services to meet their technical and operational needs.

75 FirstNet installations have been deployed to support Iowa’s 9-1-1 program, providing a great leap in reliability even on bad days.

The FirstNet Authority joined New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn, AT&T, and other public safety officials at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to mark several milestones in the state’s buildout of FirstNet. The event took place in advance of National First Responders Day (October 28th), a chance to recognize members of public safety and highlight efforts to support them, such as the ongoing collaboration between the State of New Hampshire and FirstNet, Built with AT&T

When an eight-year-old boy went missing in Michigan's sprawling Porcupine Mountains, an extensive search and rescue operation was initiated. Darian Reed, President of Superior Search and Rescue, shared that broadband and data service support from FirstNet was pivotal in successfully and safely recovering the child.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Health system uses nearly 4,000 mobile devices, powered by FirstNet, to enhance care for patients. The leader of UVA Health’s Mobile Device Technologies program, Anthony Thompson, discusses the impact of FirstNet in healthcare and how it’s supporting telemedicine capabilities, translation services, and rural healthcare.