Broadband Connectivity Among Rural First Responders in Pennsylvania

This report details the experiences of rural first responders in Pennsylvania working with information communication technologies (ICTs) and digital networks. Through a series of focus groups and interviews with law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical service providers, and 911 center representatives, along with county officials and other local stakeholders, we explore the challenges and opportunities brought by digital communication technologies for the work of rural first responders. In rural Pennsylvania, mobile communication and high-speed data networks (“broadband”) are not universal, leading to dropped calls and dead zones for first responders and the public alike. Even when they are available, networks have performed sub-optimally. This report demonstrates how current communication networks fail rural Pennsylvania first responders in three ways: (1) technology, including access to communication networks and infrastructure; (2) labor, such as the extent to which first responders have to work harder to ensure connectivity or in moments without connectivity; and (3) resources, such as the necessary funding to access standard technologies. To unpack these dynamics, we explain four themes that arose from our interviews and focus groups: (1) technology availability and use; (2) interoperability and interconnection; (3) ingenuity; and (4) funding. Gaps in communication networks, affordability, and devices mean delays in service, delays in response, and ultimately, the compromise of the safety of the public and our first responders. To improve this situation, this report concludes with key recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to improve communication access for rural first responders.