San Francisco upgrades emergency comms infrastructure

The network is a critical component of the city’s efforts to modernise and upgrade the technology utilised by the 911 emergency response system, including the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. The fibre network will allow SFFD to receive audio and video files and other emergency communications reliably, without delay.

“Reliable connectivity is critical to public safety. Completing fibre internet at every San Francisco fire station strengthens our response times, improves coordination with dispatch, and gives our crews the tools they need to protect this city,” said SFFD chief Dean Crispen. “I want to thank the Mayor’s Office and our technology partners for investing in infrastructure that helps firefighters do their jobs more safely and efficiently.”

The fibre network includes redundancies to give SFFD a more secure and resilient communications network. Built-in backup connections minimise the risk of outages during emergencies, keeping stations connected when firefighters need to respond quickly. The upgraded network is built with the capacity to support future technology and the growing data demands of modern emergency response.  

“Our administration is working every day to make our city safer, and to keep San Franciscans safe, we must provide our first responders with the tools and resources they need to be successful”

“I want to congratulate and thank the entire fibre team – our technicians, network engineers, and line installers – who work tirelessly behind the scenes to secure our vital communications infrastructure. Their work is such a critical part of our ability to respond to emergencies, yet is often unseen and unrecognised,” said city administrator Carmen Chu.

“This project, initiated and led by the Department of Technology, delivers reliable and secure connections while increasing bandwidth and speed so that our first responders have the information they need to protect and save lives.”

Mike Makstman, Department of Technology executive director and city chief information officer. “Our emergency responders need a digital highway that is fast, resilient, and ready for modern emergency communications.

“Thanks to the work of our fibre and network engineers, our fire stations now have the high-capacity network needed to support the next generation of emergency response technologies.”