Keeping California’s Tribal Communities Connected and Safe
Across California, Tribal Nations are investing in advanced communications technology to ensure the safety and resilience of their communities. The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Enterprise Rancheria, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, California Valley Miwok Tribe, and Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians have each adopted FirstNet – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform built with and for first responders.
Whether it’s supporting emergency response, enhancing communications across departments or ensuring always-on connectivity for day-to-day public safety needs, these Tribal Nations are leveraging FirstNet to better protect the people they serve.
Strengthening Emergency Response on the Rincon Reservation
The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians joined FirstNet to help protect their tribal community. Joining FirstNet in 2023, the Rincon Tribe adopted a comprehensive approach to public safety by bringing reliable, interoperable connectivity to first responders throughout the region.
Through FirstNet, the Rincon Tribes’ Police, Fire, Tribal Council, IT, and other critical departments are connecting with thousands of California agencies that rely on this platform for mission-critical communications. Rincon has nearly 150 devices – smartphones, tablets, hotspots, smart watches and routers – using FirstNet.
“Joining FirstNet has allowed us to ensure our first responders have access to reliable, mission-critical communications – whether they’re patrolling remote areas or responding to an emergency at a moment’s notice,” said Joshua Keliikoa, Public Safety Manager, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians. “This investment reflects our commitment to strengthening community safety for future generations. We are proud to be part of this network.”
Empowering First Responders in San Jacinto Valley
In San Jacinto, the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians is deploying FirstNet across more than 380 connected devices, including smartphones, laptops and in-vehicle connectivity for their emergency vehicle fleet, with plans to expand. This implementation is enhancing capabilities for Tribal public safety and resort security personnel within their jurisdiction.
“We are proud to join the FirstNet network to advance the communications technology we rely on to meet our emergency response needs,” said Isaiah Vivanco, Chairman of Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians. “With dedicated connectivity and priority access during emergencies, our public safety teams and resort security staff can now respond faster, work more cohesively and keep our community safe with greater confidence. This is a powerful step forward in protecting our community.”
San Pasqual Tribe Joins the FirstNet Movement
Following the successful implementation with neighboring Tribes, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians has activated FirstNet on more than 100 devices across their Police, Fire, Education and Public Works departments. Plans are underway to connect their vehicle fleet with FirstNet fleet management and tracking, bringing heightened visibility with location services to improve safety and response coordination across the valley.
“Adopting FirstNet has been instrumental for our community. Whether it’s a wildfire or medical emergency, our Tribal departments now operate with near real-time visibility and better coordination,” said Chairman Stephen W. Cope, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians. “This network is more than just a tool – it’s a lifeline that empowers our first responders with expanded functionality as they work each day to safeguard the well-being of Tribal members and visitors to our land.”
A Connected Future, Together
The adoption of FirstNet by these seven Tribes reflects a growing movement across California’s Tribal Nations to harness technology to protect their communities and empower their public safety to effectively coordinate both within their jurisdictions and with mutual-aid partners. It also demonstrates how collaboration between AT&T, the FirstNet Authority, and Tribal leaders can help to transform public safety communications for tribal first responders.
As FirstNet continues to expand across the state, more Tribal governments are turning to this purpose-built network to ensure that their first responders have access to reliable, life-saving communications every day.
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