Three U.S. Department of Commerce agencies, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), announced the awardee of the Accelerate R2 Network (R2 Network) Challenge. The R2 Network Challenge is an interagency program that connects stakeholders in the response and resilience (R2) industries, accelerating the speed at which startups and other organizations can bring innovations to the public safety market, create new businesses and jobs, and support community resilience.
The three agencies selected a public-private partnership to establish and operate the R2 Network, consisting of the following entrepreneurs, early stage investors, local government and public safety stakeholders: RapidSOS, ResponderCorp, Orleans Parish Communication District, and
the Western Fire Chiefs Association.