Global Medical Response (GMR), an industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services and managed medical transportation organization, is connecting first responders and paramedics with 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 first responders across the country with new capabilities and reliable access to critical information while in the field.
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.
A U.S. government contractor, GMR helps communities and citizens after individual incidents and widespread disasters like hurricanes, floods and fires, by providing a full array of ground and air ambulance, paratransit services and medical personnel to supplement the government’s military response to a disaster or public health emergency. Recently, GMR used its network of subcontractors to help with COVID-19 testing at military bases and other government entities.
Utilizing FirstNet across the entire ecosystem of mobility devices and services nationwide, GMR is helping local first responders, paramedics and other disaster response team members connect during times of need. During crises deployments, GMR will utilize 1,200 Sonim XP8 devices, military-grade android smartphones, with FirstNet service capabilities. GMR is also using FirstNet powered customer-owned and maintained (COAM) deployable assets with Band 14 specific equipment that will work in conjunction with the FirstNet network to provide service to the devices in the field.
“As a government contractor, it is vital for us to stay connected during every scenario our responders are deployed to nationwide,” said Jeffrey E. Marani, National Director of Field Technologies and OEM Communications Section Chief at GMR. “With FirstNet, we are able to maintain contact with our first responders across the country during everyday crises and large disasters.”
Global Medical Response 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 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 safety health and wellness tools and resources that go beyond network connectivity—all powered by the FirstNet Health & Wellness Coalition, which represents more than 1.3 million first responders.
GMR and AT&T announced last year that they are collaborating on the FirstNet Health & Wellness Coalition’s ROG the Dog program, a fleet of trained Labradoodles, who specialize in animal assisted therapy for first responders. The dogs, provided by GMR, can be deployed to customers during times of crises, following natural or man-made disasters.
“We’re honored that Global Medical Response chose FirstNet to elevate their communications and disaster response capabilities across the country,” said Stacy Schwartz, VP for Public Safety and FirstNet at AT&T. “It’s our mission to give first responders the cutting-edge tools they need to effectively keep their communities safe. FirstNet will help GMR connect with those in need and to each other to provide the best emergency response.”
“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 Global Medical Response and the public safety community with FirstNet, making sure it delivers what they need, when they need it.”