What happens when public safety has to compete for a wireless signal with more than 77,000 fans at a Carolina Panthers football game? It’s not a win for first responders.

During big games in North Carolina and large-scale events across the country, police, fire and paramedics have to compete with the general public for a wireless signal, making connectivity difficult and putting the public at risk should an emergency arise.

Jeff King is FirstNet area lead / law enforcement and a reserve police officer for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

This article originally appeared in PoliceOne.com on October 20, 2017.

The use of technology is not new to the average law enforcement officer on the street. From the first hand-held radios to today’s mobile data terminals, police officers have relied on technology for years to help with a wide range of policing activities -- from investigations and arrests to large-scale incident responses and community policing – making technology a mainstay for law enforcement.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) was pleased to represent public safety interests at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary meetings held in Sapporo, Japan last month.  These meetings addressed standards in several areas relevant to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.  The 3GPP plenary meetings consisted of three separate plenary group meetings.   

As law enforcement agencies eagerly await the deployment of the FirstNet network, the Major County Sheriffs of America (MSCA) continues to champion the needs of public safety from the Nation’s largest counties and parishes. MCSA is the voice of elected sheriffs from counties or parishes with a population of 500,000 or more – representing over 100 million Americans. Sheriffs’ offices are often the sole law enforcement agency in rural areas without local police departments, operate jails and prisons, provide court services, and execute warrants.