The Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System (ISICS) Board, led by Board Chair Tom Lampe, was formed in 2007 to create and manage the statewide land mobile radio system known as ISICS. Coupled with the buildout of FirstNet, ISICS has given first responders across Iowa’s 99 counties access to reliable, redundant communications. The LMR and LTE systems have played critical roles in day-to-day response as well as major incidents, including the 2020 derecho storms and a recent missing children’s case.

About this Board Meeting The FirstNet Authority Board will convene an open public meeting of the Finance Committee and the Board.

Harris County, Texas, was one of the early adopters of FirstNet. As the nation’s third most populous county, first responders in the area need to be prepared for any event. The Harris County Radio Services Organization operates the regional radio system for public safety in Harris County, and FirstNet is allowing them augment that radio system in remote areas and in times of heavy network congestion.

Sacred Cross EMS provides EMS and emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport services across North and West Texas. Many of the areas that the company services are rural, and cellular coverage is traditionally sparse. With the help of FirstNet, Sacred Cross is able to communicate among crews, with hospitals, and with dispatch provide better patient care in these remote areas during everyday incidents and planned events.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck our Nation, first responders began to face a new set of challenges that changed operations for many public safety agencies and call centers. The District of Columbia’s emergency communications center, the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) quickly made accommodations to support remote call taking to keep call takers safe while continuing to be a one-stop shop for emergency communications in the Nation’s capital.

The Emergency Communications Center in Alexandria, Virginia, used FirstNet to seamlessly continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. With FirstNet, telecommunicators were able to work remotely and stay safe. In Memoriam | Robert Donald Bloom | July 18th, 1959 - July 20th, 2020

Edward Horowitz reflects on his time as Chair of the FirstNet Authority Board and shares how his career and personal experiences led him to serve the nation’s public safety community.

On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, FirstNet Authority CEO Ed Parkinson delivered a keynote speech at IWCE’s 2020 virtual conference. During his keynote, he highlighted how FirstNet has been supporting first responders through the pandemic, from enabling remote work and telehealth capabilities to powering testing sites.

Across the country, FirstNet is helping public safety agencies transform their operations and save lives. On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor Bill Schrier moderated a panel with three FirstNet users at IWCE 2020, discussing how they are operationalizing public safety broadband and using FirstNet for every emergency.

The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) in Washington D.C. is responsible for 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 calls in the nation’s capital, as well as dispatch services and radio communications for D.C. first responders. The OUC handles nearly 3.5 million emergency and non-emergency calls each year. When the pandemic hit, the OUC turned to FirstNet MiFis to support remote telework for 3-1-1 and non-emergency 9-1-1 call takers, keeping staff safe while answering the call for D.C. residents and visitors.

Gainesville Fire Rescue in Florida, is a 200-person responder agency with specialized teams such as HAZMAT response, urban search and rescue, and advanced emergency medical services. Operating in an urban city while also responding to rural areas means Gainesville Fire Rescue responders need access to secure and reliable communications. The agency tested FirstNet across the county to see the benefits in every aspect of their response.

Alachua County Fire and Rescue benefits from FirstNet capabilities in their everyday EMS operations. FirstNet connects their mobile data computers to gather information while en route to calls. They use FirstNet-enabled smartphones to get priority service in an emergency. The EMS team also uses FirstNet to send health data directly from the ambulance to the hospital. “In EMS, seconds count,” said Assistant Chief Jeff Taylor. “So anytime we can get that priority traffic in a cellular-saturated area, especially in the Gainesville area, to transmit EKGs to the hospital when somebody is having a heart attack has been a huge benefit for our service.”

When Otterbein University in Ohio played host to the 2019 Democratic presidential debate, thousands flocked to the City of Westerville to attend. During the event, the Westerville Police Department used FirstNet and drones to capture live, high-definition video and relay it the emergency operations center, improving situational awareness and decision making.

FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, is specifically designed to meet public safety’s critical communications needs. Two of the key public safety features of FirstNet are priority and preemption. Preemption means that p safety devices are treated as the most important on the network. Network resources cannot be taken from public safety. Learn more: https://ift.tt/3j9G0bU

FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, is specifically designed to meet public safety’s critical communications needs. Quality of Service ensures that data public safety needs is at their fingertips. Learn more: https://ift.tt/3j9G0bU