FirstNet News
FirstNet participated in the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) 2016 Fall Meeting in San Diego, California over the weekend. FirstNet Board Chairwoman Sue Swenson and Board Members Chris Burbank and Rich Stanek, along with President TJ Kennedy and FirstNet staff, provided a number of FirstNet updates.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference began Saturday, and FirstNet leadership and staff are leading workshops, presenting at committees, and engaging Chiefs at the FirstNet booth in the exhibit hall through Tuesday. Sue Swenson also addressed the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) town hall on Sunday, which was held concurrently with the IACP Conference.
Rich Stanek and FirstNet staff also attended the California Sheriffs’ Association Meeting in Bakersfield to give a FirstNet update. Discussion included the opt-in/opt-out process and the key role sheriffs could play in network planning and implementation.
FirstNet currently has a booth at the 64th Annual International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Conference and Emergency Management & Homeland Security Expo (EMEX) in Savannah, Georgia. FirstNet staff will be on hand to answer questions and network with the more than 2,000 emergency management professionals expected to attend through Wednesday.
Last Wednesday, the FirstNet tribal team presented at the National Congress of American Indians’ (NCAI) 73rd Annual Convention & Marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona. The team provided a brief overview of Quality of Service, Priority, and Preemption (QPP) and discussed the various states of the network with the NCAI’s Technology and Telecommunications Subcommittee. Also in Phoenix, the tribal team presented a FirstNet overview and update at the Governor’s Interstate Indian Council last Sunday and discussed interoperable public safety data during a panel at the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums on Tuesday.
This week, FirstNet will be participating in the Colorado Fire Leadership Challenge in Dillon; the Oregon APCO/NENA Conference in Sunriver; a Connecticut Governance Body Meeting in Middletown; the South Carolina APCO/NENA Conference in Myrtle Beach; the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention in Fairbanks; and the Oregon Connections Conference in Hood River.
FirstNet posted three blog entries this past week: Delivering a Nationwide Broadband Network for Public Safety, by Public Safety; PSAC Member Association Profile: National Emergency Management Association (NEMA); and NASEMSO Passes Resolution in Support of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. All blog posts are available on the FirstNet blog at: www.firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog.
News from the PSAC, States and Territories
The PSAC’s Early Builders Working Group (EBWG) held its monthly meeting via teleconference on October 12. In addition to discussing lessons learned and project updates, the EBWG confirmed plans to hold next month’s meeting in-person on November 15 in Scottsdale, Arizona, prior to the state/territory single point of contact (SPOC) meeting November 16-17.
Media Watch
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Fortune 10/12: What Dedicated Broadband Can Do For Public Safety
http://fortune.com/2016/10/12/911-broadband-fema/
James Lee Witt writes: “Fifteen years after 9/11, America’s first responders continue to be hampered by wireless communications systems that are incompatible and unreliable. As a result, they are often unable to share critical information. This compromises their effectiveness and jeopardizes their lives and those of the citizens they serve. As technology has evolved, first responders have come to rely on commercial wireless services to share video and other important data. These services are woefully inadequate to address the mission-critical communications needs of our public safety agencies. The good news is that a key recommendation of the 9-11 Commission – to create a dedicated public safety network – is finally within sight. In 2012, Congress set aside the spectrum and created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to establish, operate and maintain an interoperable broadband LTE network dedicated to public safety. Soon, FirstNet will select its commercial partner to build and operate this network.”
Mission Critical Communications 10/11: NASEMSO Encourages Governors to Opt in to FirstNet
http://www.rrmediagroup.com/News/NewsDetails/NewsID/14801
The National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO) passed a resolution championing the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as the nationwide broadband network for EMS. NASEMSO has actively participated in the planning, development and promotion of the broadband network dedicated to public safety, known as FirstNet. NASEMSO continues to help lead the FirstNet initiative, believing that the practice of EMS and its impact on patient care will be substantially improved and that EMS professionals will become the most prevalent FirstNet users. EMS professionals are strongly urged to become aware of this opportunity and to prepare to integrate it into their systems of care.
Web and Social Media
FirstNet’s social media presence grew at the normal rate this week. Twitter gained 44 new followers, now at 4,376. Facebook has 464 followers. LinkedIn now has 1,707 followers. YouTube has 339 subscribers.
Do you have something you want to feature in the weekly update, such as a conference date, personnel announcement, or news article showcasing the work of your organization? Please send it to PSAC@firstnet.gov for possible inclusion in an upcoming update.