FirstNet promises ‘profound change’ for EMS, official says

To ensure that FirstNet designs its system to meet the needs of EMS, representatives of the sector should provide input to the single points of contacts (SPOCs) in each state and territory, according to Amanda Hilliard, FirstNet’s director of outreach. Hilliard also reiterated FirstNet’s plan to release its draft request for proposal (RFP) “in the near future” and outlined the ongoing state-consultation process.

One webinar asked about the projected fees that EMS would have to pay to access FirstNet. Hilliard noted that FirstNet officials anticipate selling unused capacity on the system to secondary users in an effort to lower end-user fees associated with the service. McGinnis acknowledged that finding money to pay for broadband access can be difficult for EMS, but he believes it can be done, if FirstNet delivers the network that public safety needs.

“Show me an ambulance that doesn’t have a cell phone in it; they are few and far between,” McGinnis said. “The decision that’s going to have to be made down the road by that EMS chief is whether to keep the smart phones they’ve got now or adopt a FirstNet device. The FirstNet board and staff know that’s got to be an economical decision.

“That’s certainly driving our work. We will be successful only if we can offer something that offers value, something that offers capabilities that don’t now exist—and we know that will be the case—and is also economical. That’s the challenge for us.”

In addition, the FirstNet system must provide the highest levels of cybersecurity, McGinnis said.

“We anticipate that the FirstNet network will probably be one of the prime targets of communications hackers and others that would want to bring the system down, because of the people that it’s serving—public safety,” McGinnis said. “So, cybersecurity is absolutely Job 1as far as the network’s capabilities are concerned, and they far, far outstrip any requirements that HIPAA [the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] may have or that patients would want to make sure that the system has.”