By Andrew Delaney, FirstNet Government Affairs

As FirstNet has noted on several occasions, meeting with state and local groups is critical to us fulfilling our mission to ensure the building of an interoperable nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN). To be successful, we must gather and incorporate feedback from public safety experts who will be using the network.

Last month, FirstNet Government Affairs and Consultation staff met with the Arkansas Interoperable Communications Executive Committee (AICEC) in Little Rock to discuss our progress as well as local needs and concerns. The AICEC is made up of a diverse group of emergency management personnel, local and state officials, police, IT, broadband, and project management professionals. FirstNet conducted its initial consultation meeting with Arkansas on May 14, 2015, so it was great to be back in the state a few months later to assess the state’s progress since then.

David Maxwell, Director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and the state’s single point of contact (SPOC), kicked off the meeting with an overview of FirstNet and the NPSBN. He also stressed the importance of everyone being on the same page as each State Plan is developed and ultimately presented. FirstNet could not agree more; making sure we not only meet but exceed local needs is paramount as we continue our consultation and outreach this year and begin to draft and deliver the State Plans.

Meeting with the AICEC was an opportunity for FirstNet to provide an update on our priorities for the coming year and review progress in meeting our milestones. The team gave an update on the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the network, discussed the state’s data collection results, and previewed our outreach and consultation plans for 2016. But mostly, we were there to listen, answer questions, and continue our conversation with the state.

Local officials asked about the timeline for including state assets and how FirstNet plans to define “public safety entities.” They also shared some very interesting experiences related to network capacity and lessons learned, as well as telling us about Governor Hutchison’s initiative to teach coding in public schools. We talked about how this could possibly lead to generating apps for the network. Additionally, given Arkansas’ predominately rural make-up, broadband coverage is a significant priority for the state. All of these items will be extremely helpful as FirstNet works with Arkansas to develop a State Plan once the RFP is awarded.

All in all, it was another productive engagement with the state, and we appreciate David’s leadership in organizing the event and support of FirstNet. Arkansas has had its fair share of emergencies in the last few years, from tornadoes, to floods, to major ice storms. It was clear from our dialogue that the state knows what is needed during an emergency, especially the ability to communicate effectively and continually.

We at FirstNet appreciate the dedication and input from Arkansas, and we anticipate our continued collaboration as we move forward.

Thanks,
Drew