Listening, Aligning, and Moving Forward: Reflections from IAFC TSI 2025

At this year's International Association of Fire Chiefs' Technology Summit International (TSI 2025), I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on location-based services for first responders. What stood out most wasn't just the discussion itself, but the clarity and consistency of what we heard from the fire service.

We hear you.
We hear the frustration.
We hear the urgency.
We hear the call for change.

During the panel, I asked a straightforward question: If the digital tools you already rely on were empowered to receive and produce accurate location data, especially indoors and across floors, would that be valuable? The response was immediate and unanimous. Yes.

That answer wasn't theoretical. It reflected daily operational reality.

I was honored to be joined by Chief David Povlitz (Arlington County Fire Department), Chief Dan Munsey (San Bernardino County Fire Protection District), and Battalion Chief and CTO Dale Rolfson (Indianapolis Fire Department). While their agencies may differ geographically, their experiences aligned closely. When responders can't reliably locate people inside buildings, it creates risk, delays decisions, and puts lives in jeopardy.

The good news is this: we have a solution. The technology exists, and the path forward is real.

But no single tool, vendor, or network can solve this alone. Public safety depends on systems of systems - resilient, interoperable capabilities that work together when conditions are at their worst. Location, timing, and navigation must be part of that same resilient framework.

At NextNav, we take this responsibility seriously. We've spent years working alongside public safety partners to address these challenges, particularly indoors and vertically, because responders asked for it. We know GPS alone isn't enough, and we know that accurate, reliable 3D location can change how incidents unfold.

Most importantly, we know this conversation can't stop with one panel or one event.

If you're facing these challenges in your operations, we want to keep listening, keep learning, and keep working solve for the challenges together. Your voice should help shape what comes next in this industry.

Let's keep the conversation going.