When do people ‘need to know’ about FirstNet? The sooner, the better
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When do people ‘need to know’ about FirstNet? The sooner, the better
Local communications personnel should understand the FirstNet vision and be prepared to determine how the FirstNet system can be used to complement or replace existing services used by their public-safety agencies.
This information needs to first responders, who should be aware of FirstNet and how its existence can impact their operations in the future. In turn, they should be able to make their communications needs clear to elected officials, so appropriate subscription decisions can be made and included in future budgets.
In many states, the FirstNet educational process is fairly advanced, via in-person meetings, e-mail lists and informational websites. But that’s certainly not the case everywhere. Whenever I meet someone associated with public safety outside of a trade show, I ask whether the person has heard of FirstNet. So far, I’ve yet to receive a positive response.
That’s a shame. Although most of the key decisions for state and local officials are at least a year away, it is important that outreach and dialog with these key stakeholders happen sooner, rather than later.
Timelines associated with making several of these decisions will be tight, so there will not be a lot of time to assess users’ needs, gather data about options and set criteria for making decisions once the clock starts ticking. But many of these tasks can be done now, knowing that some adjustments will need to be made after the FirstNet RFP process is completed and more detailed information is finalized.
People “need to know” what is happening with FirstNet now and monitor its progress, so they are prepared to make key decisions beginning next year.