Story by Kimberly Spinner March 30, 2022 at 06:45PM More than 150 Federal, state and local first responders attended a joint-agency, critical-incident-communications training and First Responder Network demonstration virtually and in person at Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, North Carolina March 29, 2022 in support of Congress’s vision of a dedicated, interoperable nationwide public safety broadband network. “This was a far-reaching endeavor, said Duane Eastmond, MOTSU telecommunications specialist and one of the event organizers. “We had attendees from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Department of Homeland Security – to include the U.S. Coast Guard, DISA, FBI, and ATF – New Hanover Sherriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sherriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, North Carolina Marine Control, and the Southport Fire Department.” As a result of the communication challenges first responders faced on 9/11, the federal government established an independent federal agency to provide contractual and programmatic oversite to the development and deployment of this network.
