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With First Responder Network Set to Launch, ‘Communications Is Everything’ says Fire Captain

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January 16, 2018
Alexandria (Va.) Fire Captain Phil Perry uses a mobile device while on board a fire boat on the Potomac River. The First Responder Network Authority is modernizing public safety communications infrastructure to provide fire, EMS, law enforcement and other public safety personnel enhanced data communications via wireless broadband services.
Alexandria (Va.) Fire Captain Phil Perry uses a mobile device while on board a fire boat on the Potomac River. The First Responder Network Authority is modernizing public safety communications infrastructure to provide fire, EMS, law enforcement and other public safety personnel enhanced data communications via wireless broadband services.
By Kyle Richardson, FirstNet Senior Public Safety Liaison

In this blog, Captain Phil Perry of the Alexandria (Va.) Fire Department talks about the benefits of having an interoperable, high speed network that is dedicated and specialized for police, fire, and EMS responders.

As his fire boat patrols a section of the Potomac River that touches the shores of Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, Captain Phil Perry of the Alexandria Fire Department talks about the central role communications plays in an area where multiple jurisdictions and agencies often respond to the same incident.

From the tragic crash of an Air Florida flight in 1982 to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in 2001 to more routine events, Captain Perry says the ability to share information affects the success, safety, and speed of public safety’s response.

“If we can get to the scene more efficiently with better information, it’s only going to make for better results,” Captain Perry says.

Deploying FirstNet in all of the states will give first responders a fast, reliable, and secure way to seamlessly share data and communicate with each other. For police, fire, paramedics, and other public safety personnel, this means they can instantly exchange information, photos, and streaming video when they need to the most: during emergency situations, when communications are critical to saving lives and protecting property.

Captain Perry says that having instant, comprehensive information enhances situational awareness and reduces the potential for any duplication of efforts. It also provides opportunities for responders to speed and concentrate their efforts.

“You can’t even measure it,” Captain Perry says, “what it means to command and communications.”

About the First Responder Network Authority: The First Responder Network Authority is an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Chartered in 2012, its mission is to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide, broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities.

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