SPOKANE, Wash. – Mayor Lisa Brown has appointed Stephen Williams as the new Director of Emergency Communications to lead the development of Spokane’s new emergency communications center, the Spokane United 911 Network (SUN).
Reliable mission critical communications (MCC) is the gold standard for any public safety agency. In plain language, reliable MCC translates into voice, video, and data communications that must get through no matter how chaotic the incident scene is. In fact, the more chaotic it is, the more reliable MCC matters to first responders. This is why FirstNet, the nationwide wireless broadband service dedicated to public safety, was created.
FORT SMITH — The Fort Smith Police Department Communications Unit transferred to the River Valley Communications Center Wednesday, according to a news release from the Police Department.
The Fort Smith dispatchers will begin operating under the supervision of the new communications center starting Thursday, according to the release.
Las Vegas, NV (December 22, 2025) — The Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA) welcomes the announcement by the First Responder Network Authority to expand FirstNet through the deployment of more than 135 new purpose-built cell sites, enhanced indoor coverage solutions, and upgrades supporting future satellite-to-device capabilities for public safety.
These strategic investments will strengthen wireless broadband connectivity for first responders, particularly in rural, remote, and hard-to-reach areas, building on the network’s ongoing growth and addressing critical feedback from the public safety community.
“I want to thank the FirstNet Authority Board, under the leadership of Acting Chair Sheriff Michael A. Atkinson, which continues to demonstrate its commitment to and support for first responders on the front lines,” said Richard Carrizzo, President of the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association. “This is an important ongoing investment program to enhance FirstNet coverage, and withother reinvestment projects still pending more work lies ahead to ensure every first responder has reliable connectivity where and when they need it most.” We encourage the FirstNet Authority to move forward on the remain projects expeditiously as we move into the new year.
PSBTA remains dedicated to empowering the first responder community and advancing the success of the FirstNet ecosystem.
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About PSBTA
The Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA) is an organization focused exclusively on ensuring the success of the entire FirstNet ecosystem that includes the legal entity created by Congress, the network infrastructure, hardware and software, and the single most important component—the end users.
In a split decision, Lincoln County commissioners voted to begin negotiations for a Damariscotta property as a possible new public safety building complex. County officials began considering moving the sheriff’s department, emergency management agency and communication center in 2023 following a consultant’s report.
