This post first appeared on the AT&T blog.
By Scott Agnew, President – FirstNet, AT&T
When winter weather hits, public safety doesn’t freeze. As Winter Storms Fernand Giannamoved through in January, FirstNet®, Built with AT&Tdelivered the critical connectivity public safety and essential services rely on.
America’s Network with a Mission
Unlike commercial networks, FirstNet is an entire program built from the ground up to exclusively support America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. During winter weather, when snow, ice and power outages can devastate communities, the FirstNet Response Operations Group™ (ROG) – led by former first responders – delivers on-the-ground support and dedicated connectivity to help keep public safety connected.
Plus, with the Network Status Map on FirstNet Central, public safety has unprecedented visibility into their network. This includes maintenance and restoration updates and the location of on-air portable cell sites, helping them stay prepared and operate more seamlessly. As a public-private partnership, FirstNet is responsive and accountable to public safety needs in ways that other networks and carriers are not.
Winter Storm Response in Action
During the response to Winter Storm Fern, FirstNet ROG responded to more than 20 requests from public safety across Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Tennessee to support emergency communications. Dedicated FirstNet assets remain in place in hard-hit areas of Mississippi and Tennessee right now, and we’ll continue to be there for this vital community throughout their mission needs.
During Winter Storms Fern and Gianna, we:
- Staged winter-ready portable generators and maintained existing fixed generators to prevent freezing.
- Positioned dedicated assets from the FirstNet fleet in strategic locations for quick deployment.
- Kept FirstNet liaisons in close contact with federal, state, and local officials to coordinate response efforts in support of first responders and the communities they serve.
As Fern recovery continued, we readied for Winter Storm Gianna. With the AT&T Weather Operations Center (AWOC) providing near real-time storm analysis, the team pre-deployed portable generators and personnel, and engaged public safety along the forecasted path from the Carolinas to New England.
Always ready
Winter isn’t over, and first responders must remain ready for whatever mother nature brings. FirstNet is the only network with a fleet of 190+ deployable assets dedicated exclusively for public safety. The fleet is available 24/7, at no additional charge, and is available to provide added connectivity support during planned events and major disasters. And because FirstNet has unmatched accountability to public safety, ROG works directly with first responder agencies to deploy these assets based on their needs and requests, tailoring support to the unique realities on the ground. That level of service and dedicated assets – backed up with 750+ AT&T commercial assets nationwide – is how we keep public safety connected when it matters most before, during and after a storm.
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
