Posted on June 27, 2024
For the '24 installment of Safer Buildings Coalition's In-Building Wireless Tech & Policy Summit, more than 250 individuals from across our field congregated at Washington, DC's National Housing Center for a full day of education & networking. Panel discussions & keynotes put the spotlight on school safety and featured heated discussions and eye-opening insights on the current state of the wireless industry, Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) workforce development & competency. Plus, the Coalition introduced a bold call-to-action.
This year's event featured more sponsors and exhibitors than the inaugural '23 installment and increased attendance by approximately 20 percent.
Panel Sessions
School Safety and the Critical Role of Wireless Connectivity
The Summit put special focus on School Safety in general and the role of in-building wireless technology in making the nation's schools safer for our children in particular. We were honored to have Lori Alhadeff, Co-Founder and President of Make our Schools Safe (MOSS) share the tragic loss of her daughter in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre and her organization's tireless efforts to make our schools safe through Alyssa's Law. Following Lori's keynote, Safer Buildings Coalition Past President Eric Toenjes led a panel discussion on school safety with a focus on state and federal legislation (such as Alyssa's Law, which requires panic buttons in classrooms) that offer help to schools to ensure that critical communications are always available inside school buildings during emergencies.
Speakers:
In addition to the School Safety keynote and panel, the Summit included four expert panels and two keynotes in the form of Fireside Chats.
Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) Tech and Policy Urgently in Need of Improvement
ERCES plays a critical role in eliminating wireless "dead zones," which hamper public safety communication and put first responders and the public they serve at risk. Chief Perdue and panelists from industry and public safety zeroed in on the current state of these systems and explored urgently needed changes to ERCES technology and policy. The speakers covered critical issues like codes and code enforcement, noise, system installation and competency within the industry's workforces.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: A View from the Top: In-Building Wireless
Moderated by Urgent Communications Senior Editor Donny Jackson, this panel of executive thought leaders explored the current state and future outlook of the wireless sector, with special insights on In-Building Wireless Connectivity. In what proved to be a spirited discussion, Jeff Johnson, President, Western Fire Chiefs, didn't hold back as he shared front-line experiences about firefighters struggling to communicate while responding to emergencies, bluntly exposing the shortcomings of current in-building wireless technology. First responders in the room — all too familiar with these issues — nodded, knowingly. Executives from Google, Wireless Infrastructure Association and APCO — major organizations whose technology, knowledge and influence can actually make a difference — discussed what the wireless industry is doing to fix these problems to ensure that critical communications always work and which new/emerging technologies might improve wireless connectivity to ensure that — one day — first responders can communicate all the time — and that the public can always call - or text — 9-1-1 inside, outside, everywhere!
Speakers:
9-1-1 Inside: A Call to Action
The FCC estimates that a one-minute improvement in 9-1-1 response time would save 10,000 lives in the US. Time is Life. This session zeroed in on SBC's new rallying cry: 9-1-1 Inside, which sets the expectation that calls and texts to emergency services initiated from inside buildings should always get through, with clarity and accurate location. In this discussion, Safer Buildings Coalition Founder Seth Buechley explained what inspired this bold call to action and why 9-1-1 Inside is central to what he dubbed "SBC 3.0." The panelists, who represent government and industry organizations building innovative solutions that address in-building wireless connectivity problem, delved into how and how soon the 9-1-1 Inside objectives will become reality.
Building the Wireless Workforce
And, before a pleasant networking reception in the Exhibit Hall, Ken Clark - Founder & CEO, Engineering Wireless Services hosted a discussion on the critical issue of building a competent workforce capable of fulfilling the objective of eliminating in-building wireless "Dead Zones." The numbers are sobering: SBC estimates that there are more than one-million commercial buildings in the US that have inadequate in-building wireless coverage for cellular or public safety communications (or both). If we were to deploy in-building wireless infrastructure inside 10,000 buildings per year, it would still take us 100 years to address this lack of coverage. This panel, featuring speakers with extensive, hands-on experience building and running training programs, zeroed in on training, certification, apprenticeship programs, offering real solutions to the gaps in competency, policy, and funding that must be solved.
Speakers:
Keynotes
SBC Founder and Cathedral Consulting CEO Seth Buechley interviewed Jim Bugel, President, FirstNet and Public Safety, AT&T covering the present and future of FirstNet.
Make Our Schools Safe Co-Founder Lori Alhadeff, who lost her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa, in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in 2018, shared her grief and set the stage for a panel discussion about School Safety and her non-profit organization's key initiative: Alyssa's Law.
And in the afternoon, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez joined SBC Managing Director John Foley on stage.
From all of us at the Safer Buildings Coalition: Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024 In-Building Wireless Tech & Policy Summit. See you next year!
Stay tuned for a Special Summit Edition of the SBC newsletter, featuring video content and many more images from our event.
FURTHER READING:
School Safety Headlines SBC Summit
Thank You to Our Summit Sponsors & Exhibitors
