Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network Was Not Always Available to First Responders During the Catastrophic 2023 Maui Wildfires

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Date Issued

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Submitting OIG

Department of Commerce OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Department of Commerce

Components

First Responder Network Authority

Report Number

OIG-25-004-A

Report Description

Our audit objective was to assess the First Responder Network Authority’s Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network services in response to the devastating wildfires that broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023. We focused on AT&T’s operational response, FirstNet Authority’s oversight of AT&T from a program and contract perspective, and the extent the network was a reliable means of communicating for public safety agencies during the wildfire response.

We found that FirstNet Authority’s network services were not effective in supporting the public safety response to the Maui wildfires. Specifically, FirstNet Authority did not ensure that (I) timely, adequate network services were provided to support public safety’s response, (II) a sufficient plan for business continuity and disaster recovery was developed before the wildfires, and (III) network service response efforts were accurately reported afterward.

Report Type

Audit

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Report updated under NDAA 5274

External Link

https://www.oig.doc.gov/reports/?entry=15808

Open Recommendations

This report has 11 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1.	Yes	$0	$0
1. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to ensure that special hardening measures are implemented for the unique threats faced in the Maui region, as required by the contract.
2.	Yes	$0	$0
2. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to hold AT&T accountable for meeting service restoration and recovery time objectives for disaster response, as required by the contract.
3.	Yes	$0	$0
3. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to reevaluate the RTO metric to ensure that it aligns with the NPSBN’s operational purpose of being available during disasters.
4.	Yes	$0	$0
4. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to modify the contract to clearly define the requirements for dispatching emergent deployable assets, including defining deployment types and specifying how to calculate RTO for restoring network coverage and improving existing coverage.
5.	Yes	$0	$0
5. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to take the necessary steps to ensure that FirstNet Authority has access to real-time network data and the ability to actively monitor network services and deployed assets.
6.	Yes	$0	$0
6. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to strengthen disaster recovery oversight by developing and implementing formal processes for: a. actively monitoring AT&T’s disaster response efforts until complete network restoration is confirmed; and b. using FirstNet Authority’s incident response teams to conduct contract surveillance activities with public safety to determine the sufficiency of AT&T’s performance.
7.	Yes	$0	$0
7. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to revoke acceptance of AT&T’s Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Plan and require AT&T to submit a plan that meets all NPSBN contract requirements. The plan should include: a demonstrated capability to provide uninterrupted access to the NPSBN during the disaster within the RTOs; specific protocols for responding to disasters in rural areas and outside the continental United States (including Hawaii and Alaska); a process for pre-positioning deployables with varying capabilities in isolated and rural regions, as determined necessary; logistics for timely transportation and setup of deployables; and a process for proactively launching deployables to restore service.
8.	Yes	$0	$0
8. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to develop and implement a system for verifying the accuracy and reliability of data in the D-29 Deployable Units and Temporary Coverage Solutions report before accepting it.
9.	Yes	$0	$0
9. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to require AT&T to self-certify the D-29 Deployable Units and Temporary Coverage Solutions report going forward.
10.	Yes	$0	$0
10. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to ensure that AT&T’s after-action reports are accurate and sufficiently documented, with detailed lessons learned and process and protocol improvements to be implemented, before accepting them.
11.	Yes	$0	$0
11. We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator direct FirstNet Authority’s Chief Executive Officer to ensure that AAR briefing meeting minutes are documented and maintained in the contract file.