More than two decades later, the lessons of 9/11 still resonate through police and law enforcement communications today. The reason: During and after the attack on the World Trade Center, there were so many first responders using radios that law enforcement communications became totally overloaded and eventually failed.
“First responders were unable to communicate even with their own agency, let alone with other agencies on the scene,” said retired Sheriff Byron Oedekoven. Serving as a Professional Peace Officer in Wyoming for four decades, Sheriff Oedekoven achieved command-level leadership in the Gillette Police Department (1974-1986), four terms as Sheriff of Campbell County (1987- 2003), and twenty years as Executive Director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs. “Police, fire and EMS officers could not talk to the thousands of first responders at the World Trade Center because their radio systems couldn’t interoperate with each other and there was too much radio traffic,” he said. “The radio technology of the day was never designed to handle a catastrophic event as big as 9/11.”
As a result of the lessons learned from 9/11, Congress created the FirstNet Authority to establish and operate FirstNet, the nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety communications. “FirstNet was created to ensure effective communications for law enforcement at all times,” Sheriff Oedekoven said. “FirstNet was created to prevent the communications chaos that happened during 9/11 from ever happening again. This is why Wyoming was one of the first states to sign up for FirstNet when it started the buildout in 2018.”
Communication Challenges Facing Law Enforcement
Even without a horrific situation like 9/11, law enforcement officers still face communications challenges.
“When you’re using radios, there are always issues associated with tower locations, range and reception limits, and being unable to support the kind of data and video traffic that can be carried by commercial cellular carriers on wireless broadband,” said Sheriff Oedekoven. “But even on wireless broadband, there are problems. If too many people try to use their smartphones and tablets at the same time, the networks overload and crash. This occurs just as frequently during major sporting events and concerts as it does in times of disaster.
FirstNet Benefits for Law Enforcement
As the only U.S. wireless broadband network dedicated to police, fire, and EMS users — over 7 million of them — FirstNet has been purpose-built to avoid the problems cited above. This is because FirstNet has exclusive access to Band 14. It is a 20 MHz section of the 700 MHz band that the Federal Communications Commission has assigned to FirstNet, along with responsibility for the 4.9 GHz band.
Priority and Preemption on Band 14
Through its contract with AT&T, which was awarded through a competitive bidding process, FirstNet is able to provide its police, fire, and EMS users with 24/7 priority and preemption service on Band 14 for voice, video, and data communications. If a non-public safety user is on Band 14 when first responders need the bandwidth, their call is preempted. No other wireless broadband network in the United States offers this kind of guaranteed access to police, fire, and EMS.
“Thanks to Band 14, FirstNet users know that they have the best chance of communicating in a crisis,” Sheriff Oedekoven said. “Right now FirstNet has the best coverage in most of the United States. With the FirstNet’s Authority’s $6.3 billion 5G expansion — all paid through subscriber fees — this coverage will get even better in the future.”
Integration with Modern Police Technology
One of FirstNet’s major advantages is its ability to integrate wireless broadband service into modern police technology. “Take our mobile data terminals,” said Sheriff Oedekoven. “To be able to insert a FirstNet AT&T SIM card into one and connect it to nationwide 4G/LTE coverage is huge!”
FirstNet can carry video from officer-worn bodycams back to Dispatch in real-time, so that commanders can see what their officers are facing in the field. FirstNet can also be used to share live video from drones to everyone on the network — providing them with an unparalleled degree of situational awareness and enhanced safety.
Interoperability Across Jurisdictions
During the attack on the World Trade Center, communications between responding agencies wasn’t interoperable. In plain language, police in Department A couldn’t talk to police in Department B, because each department was using radios made by different manufacturers that were incompatible with each other. Imagine if your Brand X smartphone could only communicate with other Brand X smartphones and no one else! That’s what it was like.
That’s not the case with FirstNet. Supported by AT&T, it is nationwide, meaning that FirstNet supports interoperable communications across jurisdictions to Android and Apple users across America.
“Thanks to its very nature, FirstNet provides that fundamental level of interoperability that law enforcement needs to cooperate with other agencies and other public safety disciplines,” Sheriff Oedekoven said.
Empowering Officers with Reliable Tools
By providing priority and preemption broadband to U.S. first responders, FirstNet empowers officers by ensuring that their smartphones, tablets, mobile data terminals, bodycams, and drones work reliably 24/7. “The dedicated broadband access that FirstNet provides ensures that the voice, video, and data that police, fire, and EMS need to do their jobs gets through,” said Sheriff Oedekoven. “This means that they’ll be armed with the right intelligence, connectivity, and situational awareness to make the right split-second decisions when time matters and lives are at stake.”
Improving Communications around the Clock
The lessons learned from 9/11 were some of the most difficult in human history, but they were learned, nonetheless. This truth is evident in the existence of FirstNet and the ongoing support it provides to first responders every second of every day. This around-the-clock improved communications has saved the lives of the public and police alike. Put plainly, FirstNet has and is making a difference.
“Thanks to FirstNet, we have the ability to reliably exchange information — whether it’s voice, video or data — over a proven, interoperable, and reliable broadband network,” Sheriff Oedekoven said. “Back in the days of 9/11, when we were all relying on radios, this wasn’t the case. As such, FirstNet has truly improved police and law enforcement communications in America.”
24 years after 9/11, it is heartening to know that the communications challenges that first responders faced at the World Trade Center have been confronted and mitigated. In this way, FirstNet is a tribute to the memories of those who served during that calamity, because it truly is an answer to the communications problems that they faced.
FAQ
How does FirstNet help law enforcement agencies communicate better?
FirstNet provides police, fire, and EMS communicators with reliable priority and preemption broadband service nationwide.
What are the main benefits of FirstNet for police officers?
FirstNet’s priority and preemption service ensures that police can communicate with each other, their commanders, and other first responder agencies even during the most severe emergencies.
Is FirstNet only for large police departments or also for rural agencies?
FirstNet is for all law enforcement agencies in America, big or small. Its extensive national wireless coverage extends urban-quality service into the most rural and remote jurisdictions.
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