The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T recently launched a developer program aimed at encouraging public safety innovation to equip first responders with state-of-the-art communication tools.
FirstNet said the initiative would also bring public safety professionals closer to having their own app store where they can find new solutions purpose-built for their needs.
“This program will tap into the expertise and creativity of the developer community to drive innovation for public safety,” FirstNet CEO Mike Poth said. “It will also connect first responders with developers to create apps that will help them stay safe and save lives.”
To assist developers, FirstNet launched a specialized portal to house resources needed for coders to successfully build, test, deploy, and maintain public safety-related applications, including programming tools such as application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits.
Specifically, the organization stated it was seeking solutions in the areas of situational awareness, in-building mapping, field reporting and record management, wearable devices and telemetry solutions, and forensic intelligence.
Upon submission, both FirstNet and AT&T will evaluate the performance, service-level agreements, and source codes for vulnerabilities of each app; provide a certified rating depending on the application’s uptime availability, resiliency and scalability for simultaneous users; and publish certified applications in its app store.
“The developer program establishes a clear line of sight between public safety and app developers, Chris Sambar, senior vice president of AT&T—FirstNet said. “It will help ensure the apps developed truly meet first responders’ field needs. It’s a really important thing that was missing from the market. Until now.”