Fire Politics: 2019: From Communications to Congress
By Kevin O’Connor Embracing FirstNet It has been nearly eight years since the fire service secured bandwidth 14 (D-Block) and the creation of FirstNet through aggressive lobbying and advocacy. At…
Insights
Devastation from California’s Camp Fire is Solemn Reminder of Public Safety’s Sacrifice
By Edward Parkinson, Acting CEO, First Responder Network Authority Last week, I joined the Western Fire Chiefs Association and public safety officials for a site visit to the burn area of the…
A New Era of Situational Awareness
By Charles Murph, First Responder Network Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor With FirstNet available throughout the United States, emergency managers have greater access to real-time information than ever before. Charles…
Data sharing, cost savings incentivize Local EMS to adopt FirstNet
By Brent Williams, Senior EMS Advisor FirstNet is making its mark across the country and as I meet with emergency medical services professionals, I’m pleased to hear their feedback on…
PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW
By TJ Kennedy, Co-Founder Public Safety Network It’s been a tremendously exciting year for the development and implementation of new technologies leveraging public safety broadband capabilities. In the course of…
Remembering Ed Reynolds, a FirstNet Pioneer
By Edward Parkinson, Acting CEO The First Responder Network Authority team is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Board member Ed Reynolds on New Year’s Day. Ed…
Operability is the key for Fresno County Sheriff
Margaret Mims Fresno County Sheriff “When I first heard about FirstNet, I thought, ‘here’s our opportunity to fix that problem.’” – Margaret Mims, Fresno County Sheriff Fresno County has urban…
Fire Technology: Smart Cities & the Fire Service
The smart city concept offers the possibility of more effective fire detection, notification and extinguishment systems. By Charles Werner SOURCE: Firehouse.com DATE: December 1, 2018 The concept of smart cities…
Smart Community Resiliency: How Reliable Broadband Helps Communities Prepare for and Respond to Disasters
By Edward Parkinson, Acting Chief Executive Officer, First Responder Network Authority Emergencies and disasters can strike any community. From the recent devastation of Hurricane Michael to massive wildfires that swept…
Washington County, MD turns to FirstNet during critical incident response
By Lori Stone, Region III Lead, First Responder Network Authority The Washington County Sheriff’s office is leading the nation on transforming public safety communications and is putting FirstNet to use…
FirstNet and EMS: Partners in patient care
By Brent Williams, Senior EMS Advisor, First Responder Network Authority As a former paramedic, I know that saying “reliable communications are essential” is truly an understatement. It can be all…
FirstNet Needs YOU! How you can help site coverage
By Richard Mirgon, Public Safety Consultant How many times do we say to friends, colleagues and people we know “How can I help”? We do that more often in public…
Virginia’s COMLINC: An example of a successful transition to a viable funding source
By Tom Gagnon With state and locality budgets facing increased pressure, the prospects of transitioning equipment purchased and maintained with grant funds to a budget line item can appear bleak. However,…
GPS Technology Delivers Critical Lifeline for First Responders
By: J. David Grossman, Executive Director, GPS Innovation Alliance Thanks to Legislation passed by Congress in 2012 that established FirstNet as an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce,…
Verizon Problems and Why FirstNet is Different
By Richard Mirgon, Public Safety Consultant By now everyone (to include the British since the story ran on BBC) knows that Verizon will, can and does throttle public safety users….