First Responders, We Want to Hear from YOU!

I’ve blogged about AT&T FirstNet before but I need to talk with first responders to really understand it.

There’s simply no substitute for firsthand experience. That’s as true in blogging as it is in every other area in life. I can roll out posts about the latest news regarding AT&T FirstNet. What I can’t do is tell you how this dedicated network actually works in the field. That’s because I’m not a first responder. If I was, I could tell other emergency workers about how FirstNet helps me do my job every day. Since I’m not, I have to settle for the next best thing…

…Talking with First Responders

Like I said above, I’d like to talk with emergency workers who use FirstNet. I’m talking about police officers, firefighters, and paramedics here. There’s no one better to tell me how this dedicated network helps them do their job. I want to hear those stories so that I can share them with you. The benefit here is two-fold:

  1. To give readers a firsthand look at how FirstNet helps emergency workers every day.
  2. First responders’ stories deserve to be told because they save people’s lives.

From a personal standpoint, I’ve always admired what first responders do. I think it has to do with my cousin. He used to be an on-call firefighter back in the day and he’d share his stories with me. For example, he and another firefighter nearly got trapped inside a burning garage. And then there was the call where one of his teammates gave mouth-to-mouth to a Rottweiler! (He saved the dog’s life, by the way.) I can’t get FirstNet stories from him because he quit serving before FirstNet was even a thing.

FirstNet: the History

The First Responder Network Authority, aka FirstNet, addresses emergency workers’ needs. In the past, different agencies used different radios and channels on-scene. This made it difficult to coordinate communications and efforts. To make matters worse, they couldn’t always rely on their cell phones, either. The lines were usually clogged with people calling to find out what was going on.

The government awarded AT&T $6.5 million to create a network for first responders. It works on dedicated spectrum made available by the FCC. (It’s located in the 700MHz band.) The network was made available to all emergency workers, including on-call and volunteer first responders. AT&T has a contract to operate the network for the next 25 years.

First Responders, Give Us a Shout!

You had to expect I’d say that by this point. Yes, I’d like to hear from first responders who work with FirstNet. Tell me how this useful network improves your communications during emergencies. I want to help spread the word about this amazing network. To get your story to me, fill out the form below and click “submit.” When I get your message, I’ll reach out to set up a time when we can talk. I look forward to it!

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.