By Amanda Hilliard, Director of Outreach
Earlier this week, members of FirstNet’s outreach team attended two important events to educate public safety stakeholders about our efforts to plan for and deploy a nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN). Association Manager Vicki Lee was in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at the Little America Convention Center for the third annual Wyoming Broadband Summit. Meanwhile, more than 600 miles away in Wichita, Kansas, FirstNet State and Local Outreach Branch Chief Jeremy Zollo participated in the Kansas National Public Safety Broadband Conference.
Both Vicki and Jeremy provided background information on the future NPSBN and updates on recent FirstNet developments, including the Request for Information (RFI) with draft statement of objectives (SOO) and the Public Notice. They encouraged participants to submit feedback on the RFI and Public Notice as the responses to those items will help shape FirstNet’s approach to building the NPSBN. They also met with the state and local public safety officials to hear more from them about their challenges and best practices for conducting outreach and preparing for the network.
More than 230 people attended the Wyoming event, organized by the Wyoming single point of contact (SPOC) Troy Babbitt, which was also streamed live. Governor Matt Mead encouraged attendees to “help us link” Wyoming in a video message for the event. He also asked attendees to continue to move “onward and upward” in providing increased coverage in the state.
The Kansas conference aimed to expand the Kansas Office of Emergency Communications’ (KOEC) outreach on public safety communications initiatives in the state. The conference included robust discussions about FirstNet’s mission to ensure the building, deployment and operation of a network for first responders. Working closely with public safety professionals throughout the state, the KOEC implements the strategies of the Kansas Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee’s (SIEC) Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan.
Nearly 80 public safety stakeholders from across Kansas attended the event, including members of the SIEC, the Kansas Adjutant General's Department, and the state’s acting SPOC Jason Bryant. The conference included sessions on mobile broadband technologies, rural communication challenges, 9-1-1, and an update on the state’s outreach efforts.
It's been a busy time for FirstNet’s user advocacy team in our efforts to educate and coordinate with public safety professionals across the Nation. In fiscal year 2014, the FirstNet Board and staff participated in nearly 100 events – including workshops, conferences, summits, and forums – that included about 20,000 total stakeholders. FY 2015 is off to a fast start, too, and we look forward to meeting with new and familiar public safety representatives as we continue our outreach with the states and territories over the next couple of months and in 2015.
I would like to thank the state of Wyoming and the Kansas OEC for inviting us to their broadband events this past week.
-Amanda
