FirstNet Brings Tech Focus to Community Resiliency; Encourages Innovation for First Responders at CES 2019

January 11, 2019 (Reston, VA) – The FirstNet network is enabling more resilient communities nationwide. With more than 5,250 public safety agencies using 425,000+ connections on FirstNet today, the network is helping first responders and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Speaking at CES 2019 and CES Government 2019 this week, the First Responder Network Authority highlighted how the network is enhancing the delivery of public safety services today and encouraged innovators to bring technology to bear for America’s first responders.

“Across the country – in every state, county, city, or township – emergency managers, police, fire, EMS and dispatchers work tirelessly to help ensure that families and businesses can get back to life and prosperity as quickly as possible after disaster strikes,” Edward Parkinson, Acting CEO of the FirstNet Authority, said today. “They will tell you, as they have told us, the ability to communicate with each other and the public is at the heart of enabling community resiliency.”

With FirstNet available today and expanding, Parkinson called on government officials and technology innovators to harness and create technology to help public safety keep communities safe and recover quickly after disasters. Read his prepared remarks here and watch the video replay on the CES Government site.

In Stockton, CA, firefighters already have seen the advantages of using the FirstNet network during emergencies. As one of the first adopters of FirstNet in California, Chief Erik Newman of the Stockton Fire Department said at CES, “With FirstNet, we were able to bring everyone on to one system. If you don’t have the communication piece to talk to your neighbor or talk to your county reps or talk to people that are going to come in and help your jurisdiction, the recovery process and going through the incident is not going to work. It’s going to be a struggle. So, we’re all in with FirstNet.”

Learn more about FirstNet, innovation, and community resiliency from the video replays of three FirstNet Authority CES panels this week:

Ensuring Resilient Communication Networks

• Jennifer Harder, Senior Product Director, First Responder Network Authority (moderator)
• Chief Erik Newman, Stockton, CA, Fire Department
• Henry de Chaille, Business Development, Loon
• John Lawson, Executive Director, AWARN Alliance

• Izzy Santa, Director, Strategic Communications, CTA (moderator)
• Chrissie Coon, Public Safety Liaison, First Responder Network Authority
• Chris Rezendes, Chief Business Officer, SphericalAnalytics.io
• Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities, Rockefeller Foundation

·         Diane Brady, Author (moderator)

·         Bill Schrier, Senior Advisor, First Responder Network Authority

·         Ketal Ghandi, Director of Business Development, Qualcomm

·         Rob Reiss, CEO, Higher Ground

About the First Responder Network Authority

The First Responder Network Authority is an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Chartered in 2012, its mission is to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. Learn more at FirstNet.gov and follow the FirstNet Authority (@FirstNetGov) on Facebook and Twitter for updates.