The 2025 Vision Summit, the premier annual event for FirstNet end users, brought together first responders, government agencies, and industry leaders at the Westin Indianapolis Downtown Hotel & Conference Center on September 8-11, 2025. As in previous years, the Vision Summit was a gathering of the extensive FirstNet community, united by a shared mission: improving public safety communications across the United States.
The 2025 Vision Summit opened with partner events on Monday, September 8. The Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA) hosted a Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) training session and the Western Fire Chiefs Association’s (WFCA) Communications Unit Leader (COML) class. This year also marked the inaugural Gathering of Tribal EMS at the Vision Summit.
Later that day, the PSBTA and AT&T’s Health & Wellness Coalition hosted a featured presentation by Dr. John Delony, a mental health expert with Ramsey Solutions/SmartDollar and host of the John Delony Show. Dr. Delony advised the audience on the importance of balancing and handling work and life stressors.
In the afternoon, there was an invitational workshop on FirstNet Fusion, co-hosted by the FirstNet Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and FirstNet, Built with AT&T. Invited guests were able to see an interactive demo of this new mission critical communication platform and engage in breakout discussions with subject matter experts. Monday concluded with a welcome reception hosted by FirstNet, Built with AT&T in the Exhibit Hall.
On Tuesday, September 9, the educational portion of the 2025 Vision Summit began with a welcome from PSBTA President Al Gillespie and introductory remarks from John Paul Jones, PSBTA Executive Director and local public safety officials.
Tuesday’s first plenary session of the day was the State of the NPSBN (National Public Safety Broadband Network) with Scott Agnew, President, FirstNet, Built with AT&T, and Jeff Bratcher, Deputy Director and CTO of the FirstNet Authority. The two other plenary sessions on Tuesday were presented by Amazon Web Services – AI in Public Safety and public safety leaders from California reviewing the response to the Los Angeles wildfires. The breakout sessions covered:
- FirstNet and multi-technology handset solutions
- First responder connectivity with FirstNet MegaRange (HPUE or High Power User Equipment technology only available through FirstNet)
- A regional approach to pursuing federal grants
- Unlocking the transformative potential of FirstNet and 5G
- How real-time AI impacts public safety response
- How to responsibly harness AI for public safety
The Tuesday educational program closed with a Tech Talk from FirstNet, Built with AT&T (providing a deep dive into the functionalities of FirstNet) and Nextivity (improving school safety using active distributed antenna systems or DAS).
Wednesday’s educational program opened with an update from the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) and a keynote from Sheriff Mark Lamb (retired) of Pinal County, Arizona. He delivered an inspiring speech focused on communication, service, and the perseverance of the American spirit in the face of adversity. Sheriff Lamb used historical examples, personal anecdotes, and professional experience to highlight the critical role of effective communication for first responders.
Sheriff Lamb drew a direct line between historical crises and modern communication needs. “The challenges that they faced at 9/11 was another one of those points in history of first responders where we now just realize we got to do better,” he said. “The system has to be better, we have to get it right, lives depend on it.” Later on, Sheriff Lamb observed, “George Washington said that the best way to preserve peace, the most effective way to preserve peace, is to prepare for war. And the most effective way to protect life is to prepare communications systems appropriately to give ourselves maximum advantage.”
A plenary session on September 10 highlighted the January 29, 2025, mid-air collision of a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner and Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River, in which 67 people died. The breakout sessions that day covered:
- Innovation, technology, and FirstNet synchronization in communications centers
- AI-driven emergency response
- Inter-agency collaboration across levels and disciplines
- Insights into FirstNet coverage enhancement workshops
- A use case of FirstNet in rural America
- First responder wellness
During the Wednesday Tech Talks, Emergent highlighted new real-world public safety solutions, while Samsung demonstrated how Galaxy AI could enhance public sector workflows and communications.
On the morning of Thursday, September 11, the PSBTA hosted a 9/11 ceremony at the Indiana 9/11 memorial, with remarks from local responders. The concluding plenary was delivered by Assistant Chief Chuck Dowd, who commanded the NYC 911 system and NYPD communications on 9/11. He delivered a powerful presentation that included many 911 recordings from that horrific day, explaining how 9/11 motivated the nation’s first responders to create FirstNet — and how the attacks haunt them to this very day.
“I couldn’t go to the 9/11 Museum for at least 10 years after it opened: I just couldn’t go,” Chief Dowd shared. “I was asked to speak today on the 24th anniversary. It’s almost a quarter of a century. I can’t believe that. To me, it seems like it happened just last year. It always seems to feel that way.” His reflections served as a reminder of why the FirstNet initiative exists — and how deeply those events shaped the nation’s approach to public safety communications.
All told, the 2025 Vision Summit was a resounding success, and plans are already underway for the 2026 Vision Summit. It will be held September 14-15, 2026, at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas and is certain to be full of great insights, collaboration, and momentum for the future of public safety communications. For more information, visit www.vision.thepsbta.org
Be the first to comment on "2025 Vision Summit Brought Together the FirstNet Community"