COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Springs is among the first cities in the nation to implement what is called the "First Net" system of communication for emergency responders. It went active this week.
There are times when so many people are using cell devices, it slows service for anyone in the area. "Where we have a lot of citizens that are using the network, that creates some congestion, which slows down speeds," said Colorado Springs Fire Department, Battalion Chief, Tim De Leon. The new First Net communication link prevents it from happening to emergency crews.
These days handheld devices and laptops in emergency vehicles are key to modern emergency management. Receiving and sending data at maximum speed is essential. "A lot of the data received, is where the call is, what the patient’s conditions is, or if there's an assailant or somebody in the area. We need to get that information in a quick manner," said De Leon.
The First Net system gives emergency workers an exclusive operating system, separate from the general public links "Fire Department, police department, OEM, military, to be able to receive and send mission critical information in a timely manner So we won't be impacted by congested consumer networks." If for some reason the First Net band is lost, the system then gives the devices of emergency responders priority on general public systems.
