By Dave Buchanan, FirstNet Director of Consultation
More than 100 stakeholders from local, state, and tribal entities in Michigan gathered in East Lansing earlier this year for the state’s Initial Consultation Meeting with FirstNet. David Behen, Michigan’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC), and Lieutenant Colonel Gary Gorski, Deputy Director, Specialized Services Bureau, Michigan State Police (MSP), welcomed the group and highlighted some of Michigan’s unique features, such as its large water area and its international boundary with Canada. They also emphasized the importance of teamwork for the success of FirstNet, and Mr. Behen also stressed the importance of cybersecurity.
Following Michigan’s introduction, FirstNet Board Member Teri Takai and FirstNet Chief Executive Officer Michael Poth offered some opening remarks on behalf of FirstNet, setting the stage for attendees to engage in a lively discussion of state needs, FirstNet’s plans, and coverage objectives for the state.
Michigan presented three use cases to show different perspectives on the future of broadband. The state also provided updates on its FirstNet outreach and data collection efforts, noting that its data collection strategy incorporates the Mobile Data Survey Tool and NG911 data. In terms of outreach, Michigan maintains extensive and ongoing involvement with a range of organizations, including the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials Broadband Committee, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council, the Public Safety Communications Research Program, the National Association of State 911 Administrators, the State 911 Committee, Michigan’s Public Safety Communications Interoperability Board, and others.
Use Case: Great Lakes Response and Enforcement
Lieutenant Jennifer Wolf, First Lieutenant Law Enforcement Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division has 225 law enforcement officers and unique enforcement responsibilities, environments, and needs. At 721 miles, Michigan has the second largest stretch of international border with Canada. Effectively patrolling such a long border requires strong public safety partnerships. Accordingly, the department works with Canada, neighboring U.S. states, and various federal agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, among others. The department’s mission requires communication with boats, land support, and air support. Currently, broadband coverage is limited and patchy. Lieutenant Wolf identified several areas where a dedicated public safety broadband network would support her team’s mission: Data and image sharing would support covert operations in remote areas of the Great Lakes by providing shore-based and vessel-based officers with immediate, real-time intelligence; real-time satellite imagery would assist in investigation locations and could be used to direct patrol efforts; and satellite imagery would establish the capability to monitor lake trout refuges miles off shore to determine when and where illegal fishing is occurring.
Use Case: 2013 Ice Storm
Trent Atkins, Director of Emergency/Risk Management & Security, Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL)
During the 2013 ice storm, Mr. Atkins said he spent 13 days working 12-hour shifts as the Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Lansing. The storm was the most catastrophic event to hit BWL’s electric service territory. The response to the storm involved many partners and participants, including the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Red Cross, Central Michigan 2-1-1, Ingham County 9-1-1, Ingham County Animal Shelter, Community Emergency Response Teams, and the MSP Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. The storm exposed a lack of redundancy, inadequate communications, and resiliency, reinforcing the notion that information sharing and communication are essential for incident command. Indeed, the team learned valuable lessons: Facebook and Twitter are useful, but more smartphone applications are needed; line truck laptops require access to geographic information system (GIS) to improve efficiency; infrastructure must be built to withstand the environment; deployables are key for quick responses; and the importance of training, resource sharing, and interoperability.
Use Case: Blue Water Bridge
Jeffrey Friedland, Director of Emergency Management/Homeland Security, St. Clair County
Jeff Brooks, EMS Deputy Director, County of Lambton, Ontario, Canada
The Blue Water area is a community with a river running through it: Port Huron, Michigan, is on one side and Sarnia, Ontario, is on the other. It is not a major metropolitan area, but the border represents trillions of dollars to the economies of both the United States and Canada, and the area is an entry point for carriers of hazardous, radioactive, and flammable materials. It is the busiest northern border crossing in North America and the busiest entry point for the entire North American continent. The Canadian National Rail Tunnel also runs across the border. In addition to being a major transportation hub, the area is home to many refineries and chemical plants. Given the level of activity in the area, seamless cross border communications are critical but are difficult to achieve due to regulatory barriers and other issues.
I would like thank David Behen as well as Michigan’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, Brad Stoddard, and Michigan Public Safety Broadband Program Manager Laura Blastic for bringing together a great group of attendees and presenting an informative set of use cases at the consultation meeting. We look forward to working with Michigan as we continue build out the nationwide public safety broadband network
-Dave
