When Every Second Counts, AT&T FirstNet Ensures Reliable Communications in Schools
Clear Communications are Imperative for First RespondersThe safety and security of students is of the utmost importance to parents, educators, and administrators - but oftentimes the gaps in safety protocol aren’t apparent until there’s an actual emergency taking place.
Whether it’s ensuring seamless, reliable connectivity during emergency situations within school buildings or providing bus drivers and dispatchers with the ability to be in constant contact with accurate location-tracking, it’s imperative that first responders, administrators, and staff all have the ability to communicate with public safety agencies and each other when time is of the essence.
Communications Fail During School-Related Emergencies
In-Building Safety
On December 14, 2012, a lone gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and shot and killed 26 people - 20 of them students between the ages of 6 and 7. Throughout the entire ordeal, which lasted just over 5 minutes, there were numerous operational failings that made the situation exponentially worse for the victims, survivors, and emergency response teams.
While teachers, staff, and students properly executed the safety protocols and shooter drills they had practiced, equipment failures were the primary cause of confusion and a slower-than-ideal response.
For starters, the school secretary’s landline telephone did not have a cord long enough for her to be on the phone while hiding from the shooter. As a result, she called 911 but was forced to hang up in order to get to safety and was unable to provide important information to the dispatcher.
In a horrific revelation, the school’s public address system malfunctioned, and rather than hearing an administrator relaying safety instructions, the occupants of the building heard gunshots ricocheting throughout the building’s speakers. When the police arrived on the scene this made it incredibly difficult for them to pinpoint where the actual shooting was taking place and how many shooters there even were.
Finally, teachers and staff inside the building had no updates and no way of communicating with anyone due to the lack of reliable cellular connectivity. This, coupled with the fact that the PA system was blaring the sounds of echoing bullets, meant that officers were unsure where the shooter was and had difficulty identifying whether they themselves were in the line of fire.
When an emergency takes place, so many individuals are desperate for open lines of communication - from first responders to those impacted, to their loved ones looking for information - but due to the sheer volume of calls, no one is able to effectively communicate. In some instances, even first responders have a difficult time communicating with each other via both mobile phones and two-way radios due to obstructions (Solutions like Public Safety DAS from our family company, MCA, can help here).
Transportation Safety
From a transportation perspective, being able to communicate with drivers while accurately tracking vehicles is a paramount concern for all school districts. The Shelby County School District in Alabama operates 318 bus routes over 810 square miles, transporting over 11,000 students to and from school and activities every day.
An outdated system and a large geographical area covered with hills, rough terrain, and cellular coverage dead spots means that communicating with buses on the road has always been tricky. Especially concerning was that drivers had no way to get in touch with dispatch or the schools if there was an emergency, and that the central offices had no way of seeing exactly where a bus was if they needed to track it down due to something as severe as an accident or breakdown or as minor as a scheduling adjustment.
AT&T’s FirstNet® Provides Reliable Coverage for Emergency Communications
AT&T’s FirstNet Public Safety Network, powered by FirstNet Ready Devices™ available from USAT, provides first responders and public safety agencies with a dedicated spectrum for emergency and public safety communications.
After the tragic events of 9/11, public safety agencies across the country successfully lobbied Congress to establish a single, interoperable network dedicated to voice and data communications. Designated by Congress as a public safety spectrum, the 700 MHz Band is unavailable to commercial operators, has excellent properties for first responder communications, and can easily penetrate buildings and walls, as well as cover large geographic areas.
Dedicated Lines of Communication To Coordinate A Rapid Response
By utilizing FirstNet, schools are able to drastically increase their communication availability and reliability, while also utilizing other tools to help create a cohesive situational monitoring system.
During emergency situations, police, fire, and EMT are able to communicate efficiently and effectively via voice and data services with their counterparts on site as well as those who are monitoring the situation back at the station or at the emergency response center. By routing all emergency personnel communications to the public safety spectrum, it ensures that they can avoid the congestion that happens throughout the regular spectrum as those affected call for help or to update their friends and family.
In the Shelby County School District, administrators tested FirstNet throughout the entire 800+ square miles of their district and in every nook and cranny - literally in janitorial and supply closets! - of their academic and administrative buildings to ensure that the signal was strong wherever a first responder may need it.
Not only does FirstNet allow administrators to keep contact with drivers throughout the day, but it also provides them with a unique perspective to improve operations. By reviewing driving records the district has been able to reduce redundancies and consolidate bus routes in some areas while providing additional vehicles to others. This has saved them time, money, and resources while also providing a better experience for students and their families who rely on the bus to get to and from school and activities.
Contact USAT
As a registered FirstNet Dealer, USAT can help public and private educational institutions obtain, update, manage, and replace FirstNet Ready™ cellular hardware for fixed and mobile applications with devices from top-tier manufacturers like Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless, and Digi International.
USAT LLC, a key part of the data solutions team at Mobile Communications America, exists to serve our nations critical infrastructure by creating secure communication networks that pass data wirelessly between key systems — linking remote personnel and machine assets. We have partnered with industry leaders that manufacture top-of-the-line communications devices, management platforms, and accessories to suit the specific needs of a vast array of industries in a variety of applications and environments.
*Original Article Credit Goes to FirstNet.
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