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FirstNet Brings Tech Focus to Community Resiliency; Encourages Innovation for First Responders at CES 2019

January 11, 2019

January 11, 2019 (Reston, VA) – The FirstNet network is enabling more resilient communities nationwide. With more than 5,250 public safety agencies using 425,000+ connections on FirstNet today, the network is helping first responders and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

More Than 50,000 Square Miles of LTE Coverage Added Nationwide to Support AT&T and FirstNet Users

January 9, 2019

AT&T customers and FirstNet subscribers got a big boost in wireless connectivity last year. We increased the LTE coverage area for the AT&T network and FirstNet public safety communications platform by more than 50,000 square miles nationwide, covering an additional 1 million individuals.

FirstNet Moves Forward with New Board Members, Vision for Maximizing Network Impact for Public Safety

December 13, 2018

(TYSONS, VA) – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) capped off a year of significant progress for public safety by welcoming new members to the Board and outlining an enhanced strategic direction for the organization.

Secretary Ross Appoints FirstNet Board Members; Statements from FirstNet Chair, Appointees

October 31, 2018

RESTON, Va., October 31, 2018 - Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the appointment of six individuals to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority, including five new members. The following are statements on today’s announcement from the FirstNet Board Chair, Edward Horowitz, and the six appointees.

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Blogs

Priority Makes the Difference – FirstNet in Action

FirstNet’s advanced speeds enable the Richmond (Va.) Police Department to receive and monitor live camera and weather feeds, pull up suspect information quickly, and tie computer-aided dispatch interfaces to 911 call centers.
February 6, 2019
By Tracey Murdock, FirstNet Senior Public Safety Advisor

This article previously appeared in the Nov. 2018 issue of the IAEM Bulletin, the official newsletter of the International Association of Emergency Managers, www.iaem.com.

Imagine a mountain town of 7,000 residents welcoming 500,000 guests. That is the scenario that Sturgis, South Dakota, faces every summer in August. For 78 years, this Black Hills community has hosted the country’s largest motorcycle rally, and every year is a little different. In 2018, FirstNet debuted in the Black Hills of northwest South Dakota, and public safety experienced the difference of communicating over the FirstNet network.

FirstNet Earns its Wings at the Terre Haute Airshow

Spectators watch as jets fly by during the annual airshow in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 2018, first responders bolstered their communications by deploying FirstNet during the event.
January 31, 2019
By: John Hunt (Senior Public Safety Advisor) and Kyle Richardson (Senior Public Safety Advisor), First Responder Network Authority

Every summer, thousands of people travel to western Indiana for the Terre Haute airshow—a two-day event that features the Navy’s famous Blue Angels and other aircraft. While pilots spend months preparing to perform daring tricks in the air, public safety and state and local officials spend months preparing for the event on the ground. With several local, state, and federal first responders supporting the event, organizers for the 2018 event were looking for ways to enhance public safety communications.

Devastation from California’s Camp Fire is Solemn Reminder of Public Safety’s Sacrifice

Acting CEO Edward Parkinson joined a Western Fire Chiefs Association site visit to Paradise, Cali., a community devastated by the November 2018 Camp Fire, to learn about the response and recovery efforts of local first responders.
January 30, 2019
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 Camp Fire in northern California. This trip was an opportunity for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) to learn about the public safety response to the fires that devastated Paradise, California—a town of 27,000 residents in the foothills East of Chico—directly from those fire chiefs and other first responders who were on the ground during the wildfire.

Mission-Critical Features Move Forward During Latest Standards Meetings

The FirstNet Authority participated in the December 2018 quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Sorrento, Italy, which addressed standards in several areas relevant to mission-critical broadband in three separate plenary group meetings.
January 29, 2019
By Dean Prochaska

This blog is a repost from MissionCritical Communications Viewpoint, originally published on January 4, 2019

The December 2018 quarterly Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meetings in Sorrento, Italy, addressed standards in several areas relevant to mission-critical broadband in three separate plenary group meetings.

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