FirstNet bolsters Mississippi ambulance coverage

A Mississippi-based ambulance company is espousing the benefits of partnering with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to enhance communication and coverage.

AAA Ambulance Service in Hattiesburg, Miss., subscribed to FirstNet to aid in connecting its 24-hour emergency and non-emergency medical transport service, seamlessly bolstering communications while serving 1.2 million residents living across 16 counties in southern Mississippi.

“What’s important to me and my crew members is the ease of accessing FirstNet,” Andy Geske, chief of Information Technology for AAA Ambulance Service, said. “FirstNet can put everybody on the same page where that response is best for the patient.”

The ambulance service relies heavily on communication to share life-saving information with dispatch, EMS units, hospitals and other medical providers in rural settings, which often face communications challenges, Geske said.

Authorities said with the advent of FirstNet, integrating telemedicine capabilities is a real possibility for Geske and his team, allowing AAA Ambulance Service to swiftly and efficiently deliver care to its patients in rural Mississippi.

FirstNet, chartered in 2012, is an independent authority possessing the mission of ensuring the building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect communities.