By Dave Buchanan, FirstNet Director of State Consultation
Members of the FirstNet Consultation team were in the District of Columbia last month for the Washington, D.C. initial consultation meeting. Cathy Lanier, Chief of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, welcomed the nearly 70 attendees on behalf of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and delivered opening remarks that led to a productive dialogue between the city and FirstNet over the day and a half meeting.
Chief Lanier, who is a 23-year veteran of the police force, provided a case review of the tragic Washington Navy Yard incident in which 13 people, including the shooter, were killed on September 16, 2013. She referred extensively to the Metropolitan Police Department’s review of the incident and discussed in general terms the inherent confusion that can occur when several jurisdictions respond to an incident. Chief Lanier addressed communications during the response, noting that at a critical point during the incident, one jurisdiction broadcasted “shooter down” preemptively. Not every responding officer could hear the corrected announcement that the “shooter was not down” and was still active, as broadcast by the Metropolitan Police Department. This miscommunication potentially put officers’ lives at risk.
Chief Lanier also discussed communications issues related to several high-profile incidents in the past, including the Air Florida crash in 1982, when many responding departments from D.C. and the surrounding jurisdictions in Virginia could not immediately communicate with each other because of interoperability challenges. She also discussed how during the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, commercial cell service bogged down and was not available for anyone, including public safety. Chief Lanier talked about all these instances in which a dedicated broadband network for public safety would make a big difference in how first responders could communicate.
Following the Chief’s presentation, FirstNet Acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy discussed the types of similar communications issues shared at consultation meetings in other jurisdictions across the country, while emphasizing the unique challenges in the District, with its many miles of subway and concrete government buildings.
Washington, D.C. public safety leaders then offered some very interesting and unique use cases. Serving in the nation’s capital, first responders are accustomed to operating in some of the most high profile and high volume events in the nation. The Presidential Inauguration, for instance, can bring more than a half-million people to the city, stretching manpower and capacity for public safety. The District’s Director of Homeland Security, Chris Geldart, talked at length about the Inauguration and the years of planning that goes into each one. He said they routinely utilize Cells on Wheels (COWs) and other deployable technology in order to ensure public safety always has a connection.
DC Director of Public Works, Bill Howland, explained the city’s response to the earthquake that shook the region in August of 2011. Aside from responding to an overwhelming number of 911 calls, Howland talked about the response of building engineers from the city to ensure the safety of many structures damaged in the quake. The Washington Monument and National Cathedral were both extensively damaged and were closed for months while repairs were made.
Also very active in the discussion were members of the city’s Office of Chief Technology. Tegene Baharu, who is the Chief Technology Officer for the District of Columbia, said his office is excited about the potential that FirstNet brings to the public safety communications arena. “It is critical that we keep dialogue open throughout this process and beyond,” he said.
I would like to thank Washington, D.C. single point of contact Jack Burbridge for organizing the consultation meeting. Echoing what TJ said during his remarks at the meeting, FirstNet looks forward to continuing to discuss solutions collaboratively and putting the best tools available in the hands of first responders. We want to build a relationship with DC that will extend far beyond the consultation phase of network development.
-Dave
To view more photos from the meeting on the FirstNet Flickr, please click on the photo below:
