Congresswoman Kat Cammack Joins First Responders, AT&T to Launch New FirstNet Coverage Site in Horseshoe Beach

HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. — Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) today joined AT&T, the FirstNet Authority, and local first responders to cut the ribbon on a new FirstNet coverage site in Horseshoe Beach, expanding dedicated public safety communications to a Dixie County community hit by three hurricanes in just over a year.

"When Helene hit, the men and women protecting Horseshoe Beach couldn't get a signal. In a storm, that's the difference between a rescue and a recovery. I took the problem to AT&T and FirstNet, and today this new site goes on the air," said Congresswoman Kat Cammack. "This town has rebuilt twice in three years. Nobody here quits, and neither will we. This site is the start, and we are going to keep building until every first responder on this coast can count on a signal."

Horseshoe Beach took direct hits from Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, Hurricane Debby in August 2024, and Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm with storm surge estimated at more than 15 feet across the Big Bend. Between Idalia and Helene alone, the town lost roughly 175 of its 365 homes, according to Mayor Jeff Williams.

Congresswoman Cammack worked directly with AT&T FirstNet and the town of Horseshoe Beach to bring the new coverage site to the community after emergency communications failures during those storms left first responders without reliable connectivity when they needed it most.

The new site connects Horseshoe Beach to FirstNet, America's public safety network, built by AT&T in partnership with the FirstNet Authority. FirstNet gives police, fire, and EMS priority and preemption on the network, meaning first responder traffic goes through even when commercial networks are overloaded during a disaster. Nearly 30,600 public safety agencies and organizations nationwide use FirstNet, according to AT&T's January 2026 congressional testimony.

The Horseshoe Beach site is part of a nationwide FirstNet expansion. In January 2026, the FirstNet Authority directed AT&T to deploy more than 135 new cell sites targeting rural coverage gaps identified by public safety agencies, a deployment backed by more than $2 billion in coverage enhancement investment.

Congresswoman Cammack serves on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which holds jurisdiction over FirstNet. The subcommittee held a hearing on FirstNet performance and reauthorization in February 2026, and the House passed FirstNet Authority reauthorization legislation in April 2026 ahead of the program's February 2027 sunset.
 

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Congresswoman Kat Cammack proudly serves Florida's Third Congressional District, covering 12 counties in North Central Florida. She serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Agriculture.