Morris Police and Public Works Departments Join FirstNet – America’s Public Safety Network

New Technologies Expand Our Capabilities to Better Serve the City

 MORRIS, Ill., March 15, 2022 — The City of Morris is connecting our police officers and public works field personnel to FirstNet® – the only network built with and for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. With this tech advancement, we can equip our first responders with new capabilities and reliable access to critical information while in the field, allowing us to better serve those who live, work and visit Morris.

FirstNet is designed to improve interoperable communications across public safety entities nationwide, allowing first responders to communicate with one another easily and quickly during everyday situations, big events or emergencies. This is integral to solving the communications challenges public safety has experienced in the past.

The Morris Police and Public Works Departments are utilizing FirstNet to connect our officers and public safety officials. FirstNet is available on their phones, tablets and in-car solutions, providing network connectivity to those in the field.

“We learned so much from last year’s battery fire about what was needed to stay connected and in communication,” said Mayor Chris Brown, City of Morris. “When the chips were down, FirstNet was there to help. They provided a Satellite Cell on Light Truck or a ‘SatCOLT,’ which provided cell coverage during our emergency. The availability of this kind of tool, combined with the connectivity that our public safety community receives, makes FirstNet a no-brainer for us.”

The City of Morris joined FirstNet to provide our first responders unthrottled access to an entire public safety ecosystem of mission-ready tools and capabilities, including:

• The only nationwide communications platform that allows us to coordinate emergency responses efficiently and effectively across agencies and jurisdictions.
• Always-on priority and preemption to give us reliable access to the connection we need – and protecting us from network congestion.
• A separate, dedicated and highly secure network core purpose-built for public safety’s sensitive communications.
• Innovative tools – like public safety-centric applications, mission-critical solutions and connected devices – to give us more actionable information for heightened situational awareness.
• A dedicated fleet of 100+ deployable network assets, like the SatColt, that public safety agencies can call upon for additional connectivity at no extra charge during remote situations, planned events or urgent crises—a unique benefit to the industry.
• Access to holistic public safety health and wellness tools and resources, like ROG the Dog, that go beyond network connectivity—all powered by the FirstNet Health & Wellness Coalition, which represents more than 1.3 million first responders.

“When an emergency happens, or a big event like the Grundy County Corn Festival is taking place, FirstNet’s priority and preemption will be crucial,” said Chief Alicia Steffes, Morris Police Department. “With FirstNet, we will be able to increase critical users’ priority levels in times of need, helping our officers stay connected with one another and other important members of the public safety community.”

“We’re honored that the City of Morris chose FirstNet to elevate its communications capabilities,” said Eileen Mitchell, President, AT&T Illinois. “It’s our mission to give first responders the cutting-edge tools they need to safely and effectively achieve their mission. FirstNet will help first responders in Morris and across the country perform at the highest levels to keep themselves and those they serve out of harm’s way.”

“FirstNet, Built with AT&T, is the exclusive communications platform, built with and for public safety, inspired by public safety. There is no substitution for this purpose-built network,” said FirstNet Authority CEO Edward Parkinson. “We look forward to supporting Morris and all of Illinois’ public safety community with FirstNet, making sure it delivers what they need, when they need it.”

To learn more about the City of Morris, visit https://morrisil.org/.

To learn more about FirstNet, go to FirstNet.com. To learn more about subscribing to FirstNet, contact John Roberts at 847-902-8457 or [email protected]. Individual first responders can also subscribe to FirstNet at a local AT&T store.

About FirstNet, Built with AT&T

FirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. Shaped by the vision of Congress and the first responder community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, FirstNet stands above commercial offerings. It is built with AT&T, in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) – an independent agency within the federal government. The FirstNet network is providing public safety with truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it. These advanced capabilities help fire, EMS, law enforcement save lives and protect their communities. Learn more at FirstNet.com.

 

© 2022 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks of the First Responder Network Authority.  All other marks are the property of their respective owners.