Supporting public safety
Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Transforms First Responder Communications With FirstNet
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski’s FirstNet Story: “Reliable Communication is the Difference Between Life and Death”
Supporting public safety
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski’s FirstNet Story: “Reliable Communication is the Difference Between Life and Death”
February 17, 2026
February 17, 2026
Key insights
01
For Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, a fourth-generation firefighter, reliable communication is just as vital to his crew’s safety and success as air and water.
02
During a massive flooding event in southeastern Wisconsin, FirstNet kept the Milwaukee Fire Department connected without a single point of failure, even when physical resources were exhausted.
03
For Chief Lipski, the value of FirstNet is clear, and the alternative is unthinkable: "Without FirstNet, our ability to coordinate and command a response to a crisis would be at risk."
For Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, the fire service is more than a profession: it’s a legacy. As a fourth-generation firefighter, Lipski traces his roots back to his great-grandfather, who would have relied on horse-drawn steamers and bugles to respond to and communicate in the face of emergencies. While technology has certainly evolved, the imperative to protect his community and bring his crew home safely remains.
To achieve this imperative, reliable connectivity is essential. “We work in a pretty fast paced environment, and the public expects us to respond quickly,” Chief Lipski says. “We’re in very dynamic circumstances….Information has to move as fast as my firefighters and paramedics.”
A dedicated platform for public safety
To help that information flow seamlessly, the Milwaukee Fire Department relies on FirstNet®, Built with AT&T, a dedicated communications platform for public safety built with and for first responders. “In our line of work, reliable communication is the difference between life and death,” Chief Lipski explains. “Lives truly do depend upon the ability of [information] to be moved rapidly and reliably.” The Department’s adoption of FirstNet in 2021 has enabled Chief Lipski and his team to better coordinate and command responses during critical moments.
Proven in crisis
Chief Lipski and his department put FirstNet resilience to the test in August of 2025 while responding to a massive flooding event in southeastern Wisconsin – likely the largest in the area’s recorded history. “We ran out of fire engines, ladder trucks, paramedic units….We ran out of everything within probably the first hour,” Lipski recalls.
With every unit deployed and heavy network traffic, a communication breakdown could have been catastrophic. Instead, the system held firm. “We had no failure points, and I have to credit FirstNet with that,” Lipski says. “Our system didn’t fail.”
Seamless operations
FirstNet has also solved daily operational headaches for the Chief’s team. Previously, fire crews would experience a potentially dangerous lapse in connectivity when leaving the station, as their onboard terminals struggled to switch from station Wi-Fi to commercial cellular networks.
“When we switched to FirstNet, our communications became seamless,” Lipski notes. Now, whether responding to a routine call or a major emergency, Chief Lipski trusts that his firefighters are never cut off from the critical data they need to stay safe.
The risk of losing connection without FirstNet
With the majority of first responders subscribed nationwide, FirstNet is the trusted communications network for public safety in every state and territory. But the existence of a network exclusive to public safety is not a luxury. For Chief Lipski, the value of FirstNet is clear, and the alternative is unthinkable: “Without FirstNet, our ability to coordinate and command a response to a crisis would be at risk.”
~31,000
public safety agencies and organizations harnessing the network
~3M
square miles covered
99%+
of America’s first responders covered
By equipping first responders with the critical tools they need to communicate when it matters most, AT&T and FirstNet are helping to keep public safety’s focus where it belongs: on saving lives.
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
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