FirstNet to Steam Ahead During President, Governor Transitions

Trump and more than 10 new governors must learn about FirstNet soon after taking office in January. In less than a year from then, the governors will decide whether to opt out. Eleven or 12 governors will be new in 2017, depending on the too-close-to-call election in North Carolina, where Democratic challenger Roy Cooper declared victory but incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory has yet to concede (see 1611090024). In eight races the incumbent didn’t seek re-election, and Republicans took Democratic seats in Missouri, Vermont and New Hampshire. FirstNet said last month it worked closely with states and plans to continue communications with incoming state executives (see 1610050026), and some of the network's single points of contact in states with new incoming governors said they’re ready to educate new governors (see 1610110014).

“I don’t think this will be that much of a bump in the road at all,” said DVA Consulting Principal Dominick Arcuri, who has worked with states to prepare for FirstNet. “FirstNet has a lot of momentum. There’s a lot of people throughout the public safety community dedicated to this." Rivada Head-Business Development Chris Moore said he didn’t think “it’s going to be that much of a change." While there will be a new president and new leadership at NTIA, the FCC and some state capitals, a “core group” of career staff working on the system will remain in the states and within federal agencies, he said. “I don’t think anyone expected this turn of events,” he added, but “here we are.”

New Hampshire SPOC John Stevens said he’s already spoken to Gov.-elect Chris Sununu. The Republican “is very familiar with FirstNet,” Stevens said. “We will continue to have those conversations going forward.” Sununu previously served on the state’s Executive Council and heard a FirstNet presentation during a council meeting, the SPOC said. Stevens said Sununu's transition team has set up shop in the same building as his office: “It will be walking across the hall and informing them of FirstNet.”

Fire chiefs met with the campaigns for Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the weeks leading up to the election, the International Association of Fire Chiefs said in an emailed statement. “We made clear that the ability of a single communication network to dispatch [emergency management services] and fire personnel, a medical helicopter and other emergency responders from different jurisdictions all at the same time while enabling video, text and data communications at broadband speeds will save critical minutes when it matters most and save lives. The IAFC is fully committed to continuing to communicate the importance of FirstNet to the incoming administration and members of Congress. We will continue to work through our regional divisions and state chiefs’ associations to reach governors and state legislatures to ensure they understand that FirstNet is a high priority of the IAFC and the entire fire and emergency service.”

Opting Out?

While New Hampshire is developing an alternative plan with Rivada, it hasn’t decided to opt out, Stevens said on the panel. "Nothing could be further from the case. We have never said that we are opting out of FirstNet.” Rather, Stevens wanted to provide another "option” for the governor and felt he “would be remiss in [his] responsibilities” if he didn’t do so, he said. The state plans to complete an alternative plan by the summer, he said.

By statute, governors will have 90 days to accept or opt out after FirstNet delivers plans to states, then 180 days to submit an alternative plan for FCC approval. But it would have been “impractical” for New Hampshire to start and finish a request for proposal in that short time frame, Stevens said. That would be “extremely challenging” for most states, Arcuri said. State procurement regulations and process would make it “very difficult if not impossible for the states to develop an RFP [request for proposals], issue that, receive responses, evaluate them and actually have an alternative plan developed to present for evaluation within a six-month period,” the consultant said.

Other states that issued RFPs or requests for information include Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Alabama and Arizona, Arcuri said. Colorado said it received 10 responses earlier this year and plans to decide on opting in or out before FirstNet submits its state plan (see 1608080035). “We are still working through our next steps for the alternative plan process,” Colorado SPOC Brian Shepherd emailed Wednesday. “We hope to finalize our plans soon.” FirstNet opened a testing lab this week at its technical headquarters in Boulder, Colorado (see 1611090019). FirstNet’s delay in choosing a vendor held up RFPs in Arizona and Alabama (see 1611010055). Arizona rescheduled the due date in its request for proposals to Nov. 30 from Oct. 31, while Alabama rescheduled its RFP deadline to 15 business days after FirstNet announces a vendor. Alabama said multiple vendors won't bid until FirstNet announces a decision. Rivada was one vendor that said it would wait (see 1610130032).

It’s good practice to develop an alternative plan even for states not intending to opt out, said Arcuri, because it will help them better understand what they want from the network. That knowledge will sharpen their evaluation of FirstNet plans, he said. While representing Rivada, Moore said he’s “not advocating here today for opt out” but rather that states should “be prepared to make a choice.” The company applied for the federal FirstNet RFP in addition to state requests.