Boston's Ed Davis says reauthorizing FirstNet must be a priority for Congress

During and after the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon, a massive influx of calls and texts caused major communications challenges for public safety. First responders had a hard time connecting and coordinating. Public safety leadership suffered from limited visibility and management of the incident was hampered.

Our public safety heroes rose to the occasion that day, but the challenge and experience drove home the need for better technology. It emphasized just how crucial quality communication is for public safety.

Ten years later, during the 2023 Boston Marathon, first responders at the event saw 99% reliability in their wireless connectivity, with no dips in service even during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to noon.

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What difference did a decade make? The implementation of FirstNet, a dedicated public safety network.

A public-private partnership overseen by the federal government, FirstNet is approaching Congressional reauthorization. As I testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee & Governmental Affairs in April, this network is a lynchpin for keeping federal, state and local first responders connected before, during and after emergency situations.

In order to maintain top-tier, uninterrupted communications, preserve the continuity of the network and strengthen this resource long term, Congress should reauthorize FirstNet now. That stability will help departments throughout America leverage the dedicated connectivity as a common platform for public safety communications.

FirstNet conceived by Congress after 9/11

FirstNet was conceived by Congress following 9/11 and came to fruition over the past 10 years. In that time, it has proved to be a successful, bipartisan solution that’s enhancing safety and emergency readiness not only for the federal government, but in all 50 states, including Massachusetts.

By design, FirstNet provides public safety with critical preemption and multiple tiers of priority, meaning that even during the busiest, most congested times — such as during a crisis — first responders hear one another loud and clear. Think of it as a public safety-only fast lane on a highway jammed with traffic.

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The FirstNet Authority’s Band-14 spectrum is automatically cleared and reserved for public safety to ensure emergency communications take priority. This encrypted, end-to-end communications network for law enforcement, fire, EMS and others is vital for modern day emergency response.

When “The FirstNet Core” launched in 2018 as a physically separate and highly secure infrastructure, the ability to communicate on-scene drastically improved. Today, first responders finally have access to a completely reliable service network, and an array of versatile supplemental resources.

A FirstNet “cell on wheels” was on-scene during the 2023 Boston Marathon, bolstering redundancy and resiliency, identifying the location of all medical personnel in the area, and helping to establish a common operating picture for public safety. FirstNet’s performance at this year’s Marathon was lauded by public safety officials, who even utilized the network as their command center’s internet backup.

The federal Government Accountability Office has repeatedly recommended the need for Congress to reauthorize FirstNet. Thousands of public safety departments around the country, including hundreds here in Massachusetts, would strongly agree.

Public safety has significantly improved its development and use of technology over the past decade. Emergency response, event planning, cybersecurity, responder wellness, public education and much more have been enhanced by innovations like FirstNet. But because security threats, like technology, continue to evolve, I urge Congress to double down on modern safety resources: reauthorize FirstNet and make the Authority’s statute permanent. Failing to do so would add unnecessary static to the clear and collaborative communications our first responders desperately need.

Edward Davis is a former Boston police commissioner who led the city’s response to the Boston Marathon bombings. He previously served as superintendent of police in Lowell. Davis is currently a member of the Board of Advisors at AT&T, which builds and operates FirstNet.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Boston police commissioner Ed Davis reauthorizing FirstNet is critical