By Amanda Hilliard, FirstNet Director of Outreach

The Vermont Initial State Consultation was held June 16 in South Burlington, where more than 60 stakeholders representing the major public safety disciplines in the state and several FirstNet representatives were in attendance, including FirstNet Board member and former Governor Jim Douglas and Vermont Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Paco Aumand. Governor Douglas spoke about some of the communications challenges he saw in disaster response while in office and how they were a big part of why he got involved in FirstNet as a Board member. Governor Douglas also addressed the value that a nationwide public safety broadband network could bring to public safety stakeholders in the state.

Throughout the day, discussion focused on Vermont’s use of mobile data applications for day-to-day operations and how incident response could benefit from a robust broadband network dedicated to public safety. Participants explained that while Vermont is effectively using applications today, it still faces coverage challenges due to the state’s mountainous geography and other factors. Vermont also faces interoperability challenges along its borders with other states and Canada.

As FirstNet presented the latest information on the network and answered questions from Vermont, we heard from attendees about how the network could address major coverage challenges. Additionally, state and local officials also presented real world “use case” examples of how they are using data today, as well as key communications challenges, including:

Michael Leyden, Deputy Director, Emergency Medical Services at Vermont Department of Health. The Vermont Department of Health uses a variety of patient health data applications in its day-to-day activities and in disaster response. Mr. Leyden discussed how EMS responders and hospitals use the Statewide Incident Reporting System (SIREN) electronic health record platform on a daily basis, and the state has implemented a global positioning system (GPS) to track resources via mobile devices or vehicles in the field. For disaster response, Vermont has implemented a robust centralized process that has standardized incident response to multi-casualty incidents. However, the timely transmission of field data to hospitals and incident management personnel could be improved because of the lack of broadband coverage across rural Vermont.

Tim Clouatre, Vermont State Police Captain, Assistant Field Force Commander. Captain Clouatre discussed a response to a home in the rural mountain town of Halifax, where officers had to remain outside the home for safety reasons. As the case evolved, Captain Clouatre explained how the Tactical Service Unit was requested to assist on the scene; however, the lack of broadband and cellular coverage in the area complicated communications and coordination. Land mobile radio (LMR) coverage was also spotty, requiring the incident commander to search for a location with communications coverage so he could mobilize resources. He noted that a dedicated broadband network could have ensured a quicker, safer, and more effective response to the incident.

Neil Van Dyke, Vermont Department of Public Safety Search and Rescue Coordinator. Mr. Van Dyke
reviewed a search-and-rescue (SAR) case from February 2015 involving a missing skier in the Killington area and the different data applications that were used in the SAR operation. Mr. Van Dyke explained that because of Vermont’s mostly rural topography, most SAR responses occur in remote areas, so these applications are invaluable. One such tool is the mobile Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Position Mailer, which allows personnel in the field to report their location via a geographically tagged text message, versus the traditional method of reporting manually by radio every 15 minutes. In the Killington incident, responders had the benefit of good broadband coverage, and the missing skier was found quickly. He noted that the SARApp is another mobile tool that allows for live tracking of SAR personnel, and the E911 online mapping tool allows users to turn on and off layers of Geographic Information System (GIS) data over a baseline map, including satellite imagery, topography, and road and trail maps. However, Mr. Van Dyke said GIS data is really only available over broadband, which is not available in all parts of the state.

Chief Steven A. Locke, Hartford Fire Department Chief Fire Officer, Executive Fire Officer. Chief Locke noted that Hartford is one of only a few cities in Vermont with a full-time fire department. It also has a local public safety answering point (PSAP) for dispatching to dozens of communities. He explained how the fire department is heavily reliant on data applications that need a strong broadband connection. Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) data is sent via a mobile application to laptops in fire trucks, and the Active 911 cellular phone application is now being used in lieu of voice pagers by more than 700 responders in more than 40 departments. Chief Locke talked about how a dedicated public safety broadband system would be invaluable in supporting the changing operating environment for firefighters and ensure their timely and efficient response to emergencies in Vermont.

Department of Public Safety (DPS) Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Deputy Director Robert Schell and Joe Flynn, DPS Director of Emergency Management. Discussion focused on hurricane Irene in 2011, including its impact on emergency response offices and facilities. Mr. Schell and Mr. Flynn discussed how the state emergency operations center was evacuated and relocated to a FEMA office in Burlington, hundreds of National Guard troops were mobilized from at least eight states, and almost every state road was impacted, leaving thirteen towns isolated due to the damage. Telecommunications problems hampered the information flow to and from incident commanders and amongst responders. They also reviewed key communications capabilities that supported incident response to the hurricane, including a resilient low-band voice-based microwave network maintained by emergency managers; a large network of amateur radio operators that are able to pass along information during disasters; and utility companies that have independent microwave networks and vehicle tracking systems for disaster response.

Thanks to Vermont SPOC Paco Aumand for arranging the meeting and to all those who took time out of their schedules to provide valuable input. We look forward to continuing to work together with Vermont to plan for and deploy the FirstNet network.

- Amanda