Public Safety Communications Survey Issued By Verizon

Verizon Frontline yesterday released findings from its new Public Safety Communications Survey, conducted by Lexipol, incorporating responses from more than 3,000 active first responders nationwide. The results of the survey were first revealed during an event at the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

Key observations were:

• Need for interoperability among public safety agencies: 93 percent of first responders say coordination between agencies is critical when responding to public safety crises, while 80 percent believe that interoperability – the ability to communicate across agencies, regardless of network or device – is critical.
• Smartphones are essential tools: Smartphones have passed land mobile radio systems (LMRs) as the main way first responders communicate on the job, with 72 percent using their devices for work every day, compared to 68 percent for LMRs. Only half (50.5 percent) use laptops.Continue reading
• Opportunity to improve: While the vast majority of first responders (70 percent) feel capable of doing their jobs with existing technologies, nearly 20 percent want better technology.
• Ready for 5G: Nearly all first responders (97 percent) know about 5G, and most (70 percent) believe 5G’s faster speeds and enhanced capabilities are key to the future of public safety technology.  

The results, according to Verizon, indicate a demand among public safety professionals for network reliability and interoperability as well as a desire to take advantage of the enhanced communication and technological capabilities enabled by 5G.

Verizon Public Sector senior vice president, Jennifer Chronis moderated a panel discussion on the survey’s findings and other challenges facing first responders. The discussion featured Bill Bratton, two-time commissioner of the New York Police Department, former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and current chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; Ed Plaugher, former fire chief for Arlington County, VA, and former assistant executive director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs; and Karen Tandy, vice chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and former Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.