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The EMS Take: Spring 2020
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 The EMS Take by Brent Williams
Preemption is a big advantage for FirstNet users
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The advantages of using FirstNet for EMS communications are more evident than ever before. FirstNet is different than commercial networks—it’s built for public safety. I recently talked to Matt Zavadsky, President of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), about his firsthand experience with how preemption works in everyday use.
The FirstNet difference for EMS
FirstNet is the nationwide public safety broadband network, created by Congress after public safety leaders from across the nation fought for their own network. Available now, FirstNet was designed from the ground up to serve public safety’s needs.
Thousands of EMS practitioners have made the switch to FirstNet as subscriber paid users and are able to make use of FirstNet on their smartphones, which are often used in the care of EMS patients. I urge you to work with your leadership to be sure your agency is taking full advantage of this advanced public safety communication resource. Is your 12-lead monitor using FirstNet to connect to the hospital? How about your laptop and tablets in the ambulance? If you are using any form of telehealth, are you using FirstNet for connectivity?
Priority and preemption
FirstNet offers true priority and preemption for public safety users, ensuring your vital EMS data is always connected and your messages always go through. Commercial networks may get congested. With FirstNet, first responders have a fast lane for their communication needs. Public safety users are the first and most important users on the network. Dedicated infrastructure separates public safety traffic from non-public safety users’ traffic. When they need it, all of FirstNet’s spectrum—Band 14—is dedicated to public safety through the network’s preemption features. First responders have always-on priority and preemption on FirstNet with no action necessary from users.
Preemption in action
What does preemption look like in action? Matt Zavadsky got to experience preemption firsthand. In addition to serving as President of NAEMT, Matt is Chief Strategic Integration Officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare, a large EMS agency in Fort Worth, Texas.
Medstar had not fully upgraded to FirstNet yet, but personally, Matt needed a new phone, and as a first responder he got a FirstNet-enabled device. Soon after, Matt attended a concert with 10,000 people. Matt tried using a non-FirstNet phone, and the network was so congested, no calls, texts, or social media messages went through. On the other hand, using his subscriber paid FirstNet phone, every call, text, and message went through.
After that experience, Matt was convinced. He said, “I went to our IT department and requested [FirstNet].” The IT department promised a new FirstNet phone for him in two weeks.
During the interim, Matt attended a large parade in downtown Fort Worth. Again, he experienced the FirstNet difference: the non-FirstNet phone couldn’t connect and the FirstNet phone had full service.
The next business day, Matt got his new FirstNet phone from Medstar. Soon after, he went to one of the busiest places at the busiest times: New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Even among a million people in attendance, Matt had unfailing connectivity on his FirstNet phones.
“I was thrilled. Since being on FirstNet, the service is unbelievable,” said Matt. “I’ve never dropped a call, never had an issue getting a signal, never had an issue getting emails. It is absolutely fabulous.”
Your experience with preemption
I want to hear about your experience with priority and preemption. Let’s keep in touch. As always, you can reach me directly at Brent.Williams@FirstNet.gov.
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 Patient safety has never been more important, and FirstNet is helping first responders and medical providers stay connected and focused on improving patient care.
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 FirstNet Authority in the news: we just marked three years of groundbreaking public-private partnership with AT&T, Ed Parkinson was named the new CEO, and FirstNet Push-to-Talk was released as the nation’s first mission-critical push-to-talk solution.
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 Public safety agencies are using FirstNet to conduct exercises such as counteracting a cyberattack with a deployable or simulating an aircraft accident with mass casualties, and to respond to local, regional, and national emergencies as a rural EMS provider.
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 The FirstNet Authority continues to drive innovation, with support for NIST PSCR’s CHARIoT challenge, which calls on innovators to design augmented reality or develop smart city data streams, and the Tech-to-Protect Challenge, which is announcing up to $2.2 million in prizes to winners on May 1.
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Tech, Innovations, and Hot Topics in EMS
Read what we’ve been hearing from public safety in the field about trends and drivers for EMS and emergency communications.*
Paramedics are using technology to help with a lifesaving role. EMS agencies are incorporating video intubation into their practice for quicker and more accurate results. A scope with a video camera and LED light attached helps guide the intubation tube past the vocal chords to the trachea. Video laryngoscopy data can be live-streamed to the hospital, and telemedicine can support endotracheal intubation.
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University of Florida Health uses FirstNet across their facilities to connect personnel to the resources and information they need. Ambulances, helicopters, the emergency department, and the facilities department are all equipped with FirstNet. Larry Benton, Director of Telecomm Systems and Network Infrastructure explains how access to the network allows them to connect with one another seamlessly and instantly while caring for patients and keeping them secure.
Watch the video on YouTube |
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Brent Williams is a Senior Public Safety Advisor and the First Responder Network Authority EMS Subject Matter Expert. Learn more about Brent or email him with your questions. |
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*FirstNet Authority may provide hyperlinks for third-party, non-governmental websites in order to offer additional context and added value for our users. FirstNet Authority does not endorse any product or service and is not responsible, nor can it guarantee the validity or timeliness of the content on hyperlinks outside of the federal government. In addition, users may wish to review privacy notices on non-government sites since their information collection practices may differ from ours.
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