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Bluff signs up for FirstNet authorization; council to consider subsidizing lines for first responders
Summary
Town staff registered Bluff with FirstNet (AT&T’s public‑safety network) so local first responders can access prioritized cellular service. Staff said there is no immediate cost to the town to authorize users, but the council could later decide to subsidize phone lines as an incentive.
Town Manager Erin Nelson told the council she has enrolled the town with FirstNet, the AT&T‑hosted public‑safety cellular network, to authorize local first responders to receive priority service.
Nelson described FirstNet as a dedicated priority service that operates on AT&T infrastructure under a long‑term federal contract and is designed to provide prioritized calling and deployable network assets during major incidents. She said the town’s registration is informational and carries no immediate cost to Bluff. "I did sign up the town of Bluff," Nelson said, describing the enrollment step to authorize local emergency personnel.
Nelson explained the program’s typical commercial plans (AT&T plans that include priority access) and said the town could consider paying a discounted per‑line fee later as an incentive. She said one quoted option would be roughly $25 per line for a minimum block of 10 lines if the town chose to provide lines directly to responders. Nelson said the county currently provides FirstNet coverage at a high level but has not rolled it out to individual first responders in all jurisdictions.
Councilmembers asked technical and operational questions, including how FirstNet interacts with GETS/WPS apps and landlines and whether priority persists if cellular towers fail. Staff described FirstNet’s deployable network assets used for large events (for example, the Eclipse was discussed as a historical example) and cautioned that, because FirstNet runs on AT&T infrastructure, coverage in any given spot still depends on towers and satellite fallback.
No formal action was taken; staff will share enrollment materials with local first responders and council members and the council may later consider subsidized plans or town‑provided devices.
