AT&T’s public safety network knows which floor first responders are on

Safety agencies can also buy their own Cells on Wheels (COWs) to quickly connect to FirstNet by satellite in cases where a conventional link isn’t available, such as during a natural disaster.

Not all of this is available nationwide. Vertical GPS, for instance, is limited to 40 markets that include cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. However, these improvements could be vital if they save time during rescues or keep emergency crews in touch when they’d otherwise be left in the dark.