AT&T names Scott Agnew to head FirstNet team; Jim Bugel set to retire next week

AT&T today announced industry veteran Scott Agnew as the new president of its FirstNet unit, succeeding Jim Bugel, who will retire after serving more than three decades for the telecom carrier.

“As America’s Public Safety Network, FirstNet is leading the way for first responder communications,” Agnew said in a prepared statement. “I am proud to lead this team, as we continue to support first responders during disasters and everyday emergencies.

“From being selected by the federal government to deliver public safety’s own network to developing mission-centric tools and solutions, it has been an honor to be a part of the FirstNet journey every step of the way.”

Agnew (pictured above, left) has more than 25 years of telecom experience and has been a member of AT&T’s FirstNet team since its inception, according to AT&T. Agnew has led the development and implementation of key solutions for FirstNet users, including high-power user equipment (HPUE), agency-owned deployables, and the integration of mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) and land-mobile-radio (LMR) communications, according to AT&T.

Bugel (pictured above, right) officially will retire on Sept. 1, after serving 31 years with AT&T, according to the company.

Jeff Johnson, executive director of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and former vice chair of the FirstNet Authority board, applauded Bugel for his role championing the FirstNet concept within AT&T and for helping the carrier develop a “deep bench of successors” committed to prioritizing public safety+.

“If there was an equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize for contributions to public safety, Jim Bugel would have it on his mantle,” Johnson said in a prepared statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “Jim led the charge inside the company to paint a compelling picture of why AT&T needed to bet their company on public safety.

“While many companies like to sell to public safety and say they are here for us, AT&T signed the contract [with the FirstNet Authority] and made promises that last decades. Jim Bugel was key to AT&T making that promise.”

Agnew also acknowledged the contributions of Bugel, who is described as “a renowned leader in FirstNet from the beginning and was one of the rare industry leaders who recognized the profound importance of FirstNet when others could not see its potential” in an AT&T press release about the leadership in the carrier’s FirstNet unit.

“Jim Bugel’s legacy of commitment to the public safety community will continue to drive our work in the years to come,” Agnew said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to carrying on his work as we transform the network and help keep our first responders mission-ready.”

Association of Public-Safety Telecommunications Officials (APCO) Executive Director and CEO Mel Maier echoed this sentiment.

“Jim Bugel’s commitment to public safety has been an anchor for FirstNet since the beginning,” Maier said in a prepared statement. “He truly understood the importance of communications with public safety and helped to ensure that all first responders—including telecommunicators—were mission ready. With his retirement, he will leave behind a legacy of support, innovation and connectivity that will continue to power Public Safety’s Network for years to come.

“We are excited to see FirstNet and public-safety communications continue its forward momentum as Scott Agnew steps into the role and we look forward to the future of the network.”

Chris Lombard, chair of the FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), applauded Bugel’s work to make the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) a reality and expressed optimism about Agnew leading AT&T’s FirstNet unit.

“Jim Bugel’s extraordinary vision and dedication to the first-responder community has transformed public-safety communications, impacting countless lives,” Lombard said in a prepared statement. “Under Jim’s leadership, FirstNet has grown to become the network of choice for the first-responder community. I have come to consider Jim a good friend and wish him all the best as he begins this next chapter.

“[With] Scott Agnew’s wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to mission-centric innovation, FirstNet is poised to propel public-safety communications to new heights that will help save the lives of first responders on the front lines and the people they tirelessly protect and serve.”