Verizon survey reveals top priorities for first responders

Verizon Frontline has released the results of its annual survey of nearly 2000 public safety professionals, revealing the value first responders place on network reliability, the evolution of mobility and the increasing impact of 5G.

Now in its third year, the Verizon Frontline Public Safety Communications Survey, conducted by Lexipol, was answered by first responders from fire and police departments, emergency medical services and emergency management agencies, as well as representatives from public safety answering points (PSAPs) and emergency call centres (ECCs). Respondents were asked about their current and future technology use, emergency preparedness and outlook on how 5G and advances in communications technology may impact their work in the field.

Reliability still reigns

Network reliability remains the chief priority for first responders. More than half of survey respondents (51%) cited a reliable and resilient network as the most important factor in their day-to-day professional communications. Additionally, almost half of all first responders (48%) said reliability and speed were the most important factors when choosing a public safety communications provider, in line with last year’s results.

“The results of our third annual public safety communications survey once again underscore how important network reliability is to first responders,” said Maggie Hallbach, Senior Vice President, Verizon Public Sector and President, Verizon Frontline.

Reliability as a priority is even more pronounced within the areas of emergency preparedness and response. Almost three-quarters of respondents (72%) stated that a reliable and resilient network was among the three most crucial communications considerations during emergencies, with 74% believing their agency is either somewhat or very prepared for an emergency.

Mobility is evolving

The devices most used on a daily basis by first responders in the field are smartphones (88%), land mobile radios (80%) and laptops (71%), though the survey revealed that fewer respondents expect to use these devices on a daily basis in five years, with only 84% saying they’d use smartphones daily, 69% saying they’d use land mobile radios daily and 67% saying they’d use laptops daily.

By comparison, the devices less likely to be used on a daily basis by first responders today are more likely to be used on a daily basis in five years. Less than half of respondents (49%) said they used tablets on a daily basis today, but almost two-thirds of them (65%) believed they would use tablets on a daily basis in five years. 43% use internet-connected vehicles on a daily basis, but 62% believed they would use them daily in five years. Other technologies more likely to be used daily in five years are wearables, drones/robots, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).

5G is a must-have

As the prevalence of 5G continues to grow, so does awareness of 5G capabilities among first responders. In this year’s survey, more than three-quarters of respondents (77%) considered 5G to be either an important or a top priority for the future of public safety. Overall, the number of first responders who viewed 5G as a top priority increased by five percentage points (from 18% last year to 23% this year). More and more, first responders see technology enabled by 5G connectivity as critical to public safety.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• 65% of first responders said they would like a stronger connection in the field, up from 60% last year. This desire for a stronger connection lines up with one of the main concerns of 67% of respondents — having an unreliable network.
• Smartphones are the devices most used by first responders today, with 88% of respondents saying they use smartphones on a daily basis, but that number is declining. Last year, 92% of respondents said they used smartphones daily. Also, only 84% of this year’s respondents said they anticipate using smartphones daily in five years.
• 43% of first responders feel unprepared for cyber attacks.
• 43% of first responders expect to use robots on a daily basis in five years (compared to 13% now).

The full survey results can be viewed at https://www.verizon.com/about/news/frontline-public-safety-communications-2023.

Image credit: iStock.com/Hirurg