Alamance County Celebrates Upgraded 911 System
Last Thursday, Congressman Richard Hudson and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth visited Alamance County to discuss the improvements to the county’s 911 system. The improvements are powered by the federal FirstNet program that promotes upgrades to emergency communication systems built for first responders.
The FirstNet program is a 5G network designed to provide first responders with secure and reliable communications. The system now has over 7 million public safety connections providing wireless coverage over 2.99 million square miles across urban, suburban and rural areas.
Chief Jeffrey Ackerman of Duck, North Carolina, said, “When our officers were deployed to impacted areas of North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, FirstNet was there for us. With reliable connectivity on FirstNet, we were able to communicate with our team and other agencies while in remote areas. From search and rescue to welfare checks and even connecting an isolated resident to her husband, FirstNet helped us better serve the local community.”
The first Trump administration awarded the FirstNet contract, which is funded through a private sector investment from AT&T of $18 billion in sustainability payments. This program relies on private sector funding with a self-sustaining business model. Reauthorizing the program is a key step for the Trump administration to continue bolstering America’s emergency response capacity.
The FirstNet system has become a critical component of emergency response, which is why groups like the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), National Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Firefighters support it.
