FirstNet News
FirstNet has completed 45 State Governance Body Consultation Meetings with a Virginia meeting last week. On Tuesday, FirstNet presented to the Virginia Statewide Interoperable Executive Committee (SIEC) in Roanoke. Much of the group dialogue was high-level and regarded network deployment, the Governor’s opt-in/opt-out decision, and potential for including IT personnel in outreach efforts.
Last Monday, FirstNet briefed over 100 local leaders at the first ‘9-1-1 Goes to Lincoln’ event in Lincoln, Nebraska. In addition to FirstNet sharing how the data submitted by the state would be used in State Plan development, there was a discussion about the process for review of the FirstNet plan in Nebraska. Also, a panel of state representatives discussed FirstNet, current planning for Next Gen 9-1-1, the state radio system, and a microwave system in place throughout the state.
On Thursday, FirstNet attended the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA) annual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. FirstNet provided programmatic, outreach, and engagement updates, and discussed current activities with the 9-1-1 community. The ensuing discussion focused on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning the opt-out process and how state 9-1-1 administrators can help with the State Plans process.
Also last week, FirstNet spoke at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Special Committee on Wireless Communications Technology Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, providing a FirstNet update and technical overview of the FirstNet network. Questions addressed state assets, rural coverage, and how the FirstNet network will handle potential overload situations.
This week, FirstNet will be participating in a meeting of the New York State Preparedness Commission in Albany; the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Emerging Technology Forum in Seattle, WA; the Idaho Rangeland Fire Protection Association Fall Meeting in Boise; a Rhode Island Interoperable Communications Committee meeting in Lincoln; the Alaska State EMS Conference in Anchorage; the International Wireless Communication Expo (IWCE) Critical LTE Communications Forum in Chicago, IL; a Vermont Public Safety Broadband Commission meeting in Waterbury; a New Hampshire Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee meeting in Concord; the Illinois APCO/NENA Conference in Springfield; and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement public meetings in Baton Rouge (LA), Jackson (MS), Little Rock (AR), Oklahoma City (OK), and Santa Fe (NM).
FirstNet posted two blog entries this past week: An Update on the Network Procurement and IACP in Review: Law Enforcement Anticipation Builds for FirstNet Network. All blog posts are available on the FirstNet blog at: www.firstnet.gov/newsroom/blog.
The State Plans Team recently expanded when FirstNet onboarded Vicki Lee, Aislynn Turner, and Karlin Younger on October 3. The Consultation team also recently added David Faulkner as a Regional Lead for Region 9.
News from the PSAC, States and Territories
The PSAC Executive Committee is holding its monthly teleconference on Monday, October 31 from 4:00pm-5:00pm ET.
Media Watch
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Emergency Management 10/28: The Need for FirstNet Should Be a Given
The technology train has already left the station and is speeding up, headed down the first responder rails. To date, I think we have just dipped our toes in the technology revolution that is about to smack us right in the face. All levels of government, from elected officials, to administrators, to budget directors and then the first responder community are going to have to face the technology music, as it plays on, and on, and on.
Urgent Communications 10/26: FirstNet Leadership to Present Opening Remarks at Penton’s IWCE’s Critical LTE Communications Forum on November 2 in Chicago
Penton’s IWCE’s Critical LTE Communications Forum, a new business technology conference focused on mission-critical LTE network solutions, today announced that First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) leadership will present the Opening Remarks on Wednesday, November 2 at 9:05 a.m. The Forum is scheduled for November 2-3, 2016 at the McCormick Place in Chicago in tandem with Penton’s IoT Emerge.
Web and Social Media
FirstNet’s social media presence grew at the normal rate this week. Twitter gained 35 new followers, now at 4,434. Facebook has 477 followers. LinkedIn now has 1,721 followers. YouTube has 344 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.