The city of San José, California, is leaping into NG911 -- a new era of public safety communications -- as it connects its first responders and key personnel to FirstNet – America’s dedicated public safety communications platform.
FirstNet is designed to improve communications across public safety entities nationwide. It gives first responders the reliable, unthrottled connectivity they need to share critical information, communicate and coordinate during day-to-day situations, large events and emergencies.
Depending on the situation, first responders may rely on a broad ecosystem of partners behind the scene to help coordinate their complex response to keep the public safe. That’s why San José is equipping both its first responders and those critical to their response with FirstNet.
To align with the city’s Emergency Action Plan, agencies subscribing to FirstNet include:
- San José Police Department
- San José Fire Department
- Office of Emergency Management
- Office of the City Manager
- San José Environmental Services
- San José Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services
- San José International Airport
- Office of Civic Innovation
- Public Works
- Transportation
FirstNet is being built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) -- an independent government authority.
Implementing FirstNet at full scale across the city is key to helping us create a new standard for public safety,” said Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San José. “We believe this is a model for cities across the country to ensure those charged with maintaining the safety of our residents and communities have the tools they need to stay connected during disasters and emergencies.”
Ray Riordan, Director of the San José Office of Emergency Management said outdated and unreliable communications have slowed down public safety response. “In an industry where every second matters, it’s about time that we change the face of public safety communications,” he said. ”
San José’s FirstNet adoption builds on the City’s public-private partnership with AT&T, which is focused on expanding public safety and addressing some of the critical issues facing the community. As part of this relationship, AT&T is:
- Deploying the FirstNet Band 14 spectrum across the city to provide optimal coverage and capacity for public safety
- Installing 15 Digital Infrastructure nodes that will help support first responders
- Deploying 670 smart lighting controllers and 550 LEDs that improve lighting in 14 city parks,
- Providing $200,000 to help local community organizations tackle the digital divide.
FirstNet performs over 25% faster than any commercial network in the nation.
“We’re honored that the city of San José chose FirstNet to elevate their communications capabilities,” said Chris Congo, assistant vice president – AT&T Public Sector.