Early American settlement among first to incorporate wireless broadband for emergency communications
Granted, they didn't do it right away. But Abingdon, Virginia, which was founded in the 1770s, was eventually among the very first U.S. towns to deploy a 4.9GHz wireless broadband network with the specific intent to streamline emergency communications between first responders and its citizens back in 2009.
In truth, Abingdon, a designated Virginia Historic Landmark, has a reputation for being a trendsetter when it comes to putting new technology to work for its citizens. The popular East Coast tourist location also served as a municipal test site for fiber optics in the early 1990s. Paving the way for other municipalities now following suit, Abingdon's decision to incorporate wireless broadband for public safety into the town's overall communications strategy was based on taking advantage of the rapidly growing use of smartphones and similar smart devices to safeguard citizens of the community of 8,000-plus.
Today, a series of towers provides 4.9GHZ wireless access to virtually every corner of Abingdon, thereby facilitating real-time communications between police, fire and EMS first responders and anyone with the means to access the network. Additionally, the network also enabled Abingdon to offer free and open 2.4 GHz WiFi access to citizens and tourists alike.
The broadband wireless public safety network, which was provided by Federal Signal, assures citizens of making reliable communication connections with first responders at key locations throughout the town. This includes the downtown business and tourism district, the popular Barter Theater neighborhood and other high-traffic areas.
Floyd Bailey, Abingdon's Director of Information Technology, emphasizes that the high-performance mesh network provides access to the Abingdon Police Department's CAD (computer-aided dispatch) system, which allows officers and other first responders to interact directly with citizens calling 911. The end result: Significantly enhanced transmission of voice, data and video for faster, more effective response to rapidly unfolding emergency situations. Elaborating, Bailey credits the network for giving emergency responders the ability to, "...instantly synchronize key public safety databases...transport video surveillance data...manage incident scene communications...and communicate with seamless interoperability."
