By TJ Kennedy, FirstNet Acting Executive Director

The annual Public Service Recognition Week is underway, and this year’s theme is “Government Works.” On behalf of the FirstNet Board and staff, I would like to recognize the public safety community for the work they do to keep our communities safe. State, tribal, local, and federal first responders deserve the best tools to do their jobs, and FirstNet is committed to building a nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) that will provide them with access to cutting-edge communications capabilities.

Last week, I met with the FirstNet staff to thank them for their service and to review the progress that we’ve made in building the FirstNet culture and organization, and planning for the NPSBN. We discussed how FirstNet is unique in that we work hand-in-hand with public service professionals at all levels of government. The FirstNet team takes public service seriously because it is a reflection of the community that we serve; many of them are on the frontline of emergencies and other life-threatening events every day.

I have seen first hand how improvements in communications and information sharing can help first responders during emergency response operations. My experience as a state trooper, paramedic, and firefighter motivates me each and every day to help build the best possible organization and broadband network to serve our nation’s first responders.

To do so, we are building a team of skilled, dedicated, and motivated people who are passionate about the public safety mission and are committed to making FirstNet a success. This includes hiring future leaders, bringing on staff who can work with the current and next generation of public safety professionals, and creating a culture that rewards accomplishments and provides employees with opportunities to grow.

To learn more about opportunities with FirstNet, please visit FirstNet.USAJobs.gov and the FirstNet.gov Jobs page. Also be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn, as well as Twitter, where we post all of our job announcements.

These are exciting times at FirstNet. With the release of the Special Notice and draft Request for Proposals documents last week, we have taken a big step toward the deployment of a dedicated broadband network for the nation’s public safety community.

Thanks,

TJ