by AllThingsECC.com | Jan 31, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
The following is a statement from Edward Parkinson, CEO of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), on key network developments:
The FirstNet Authority is pleased to see the adoption of the FirstNet network continue to grow at a fast pace. First responders need a network that works for them, and with the number of connections almost doubling since late 2019, it is clear that FirstNet is providing them with the capabilities they want and need.
It is also exciting to see how FirstNet is transforming the marketplace for public safety. These new mission-ready solutions are delivering innovative capabilities into the hands of first responders. Through our engagements with public safety, they identified these features as essential to advancing the FirstNet user experience, so we are thrilled to see them move from concept to reality…
by ECC Editor | Jan 29, 2021 | Articles
Once upon a time before I began my career in 911, I was a thriving, overly enthusiastic cashier with a popular grocery store chain based in the southeastern United States. Working at a store so renowned for its “premier customer service” and employees with “bright, pleasant faces” meant hours of having such principles drilled into my head like “the customer is always right” and “your smile is the most important part of your uniform.” I was trained to never walk by a single customer without asking if they needed assistance or offering them a hand in finding whatever item they were looking for…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jan 29, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Research focuses on ensuring first responder communication tools are designed to meet users’ operational needs.
What do first responders do? It’s an easy question, and I used to think I knew the answer. Firefighters put out fires; police officers enforce the law; emergency medical system (EMS) workers treat injuries; 911 operators answer 911 calls and dispatch first responders to the scene. Simple, right? …
by AllThingsECC.com | Jan 29, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
AT&T-FirstNet is now offering first responders vertical location capabilities in more than 100 markets, ahead of an April 2021 FCC deadline for having the technology in place to support 911 callers on mobile devices.
The z-axis location information is one of several new technology offerings for public safety that AT&T-FirstNet announced this week. The others are high-power user equipment in Band 14, which it has dubbed “FirstNet MegaRange”, and a new compact deployable that can be purchased by departments and used to connect to FirstNet when other coverage is not available…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jan 28, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
The goal of FirstNet was to provide nationwide broadband coverage for all first responders and to enable them to communicate among each other over a dedicated public-safety network. The Band-14 spectrum (20 MHz in the 700-MHz band) is one of the many features that set FirstNet apart from commercial broadband networks. While Band-14 spectrum is sometimes shared with commercial users, it can be quickly re-designated for exclusive public-safety access.
MegaRange™ devices and Band-14 network upgrades announced this week are another major differentiator. Today, FirstNet is the only broadband network in the world licensed to provide two types of user devices. The first group consists of standard devices that can be used on most networks that operate at the 0.25-watt power level required by law…
by AllThingsECC.com | Jan 27, 2021 | Articles, Comm Center News
Public-safety organizations have more opportunity than ever to be efficient, interoperable and data-driven thanks to cloud computing, a panel of experts said during a webinar.
For instance, California’s Office of Emergency Service’s Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division turned to the cloud to use device-based location data for 911 callers. When that data first became available a few years ago, the equipment in the state’s public-safety answering points (PSAPs) couldn’t integrate it. Now, 82% of the state’s 911 calls come from mobile devices, and with cloud, dispatchers can immediately view location data on their screens and verify it with callers…
