FirstNet is a national broadband public safety network that has been many years in the making. It is an effort to centralize and modernize emergency response communications across all 50 states. San Jose has not only joined the network; it has extended it to its public safety and emergency personnel, as well as some agencies that might be related, such as environmental services and the city’s airport.
The full list of FirstNet-participating agencies in San Jose includes the police department, the fire department, the office of emergency management, the office of the city manager, environmental services, parks, the airport, the office of civic innovation, public works and transportation.
In a press release this week, city officials said they have added so many agencies to FirstNet's platform because multiple city departments are often called upon to help in an emergency. Officials also praised FirstNet in general, noting that the platform “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.” FirstNet's expanded role in San Jose has been made possible by an ongoing public-private partnership between the city and AT&T, which is building and running the national emergency network.
