<div ng-controller="mycontroller">
    <strong>Filter:</strong> {{tableParams.filter()|json}}
        <table ng-table="tableParams" show-filter="true" class="table table-striped">
            <tr ng-repeat="obj in mylist">
                <td data-title="'Department'" filter="{ 'name': 'text' }">{{ obj.department }}</td>
                <td data-title="'Lastname'" >{{ obj.lastname }}</td>
                <td data-title="'City'">{{ obj.city }}</td>
            </tr>
        </table>
</div>

app.controller('mycontroller', ["$scope", "$filter", "ngTableParams", "DatabaseRef", "$firebaseArray",
    function ($scope, $filter, ngTableParams, DatabaseRef, $firebaseArray) {

        //get all data from firebase database
        var mydb = DatabaseRef.ref("projects").orderByKey();
        $scope.mylist = $firebaseArray(mydb);

        var data = $scope.mylist;
        data.$loaded().then(function(data) {
            console.log(data.length); // data is loaded here, and the length is 9
            $scope.tableParams = new ngTableParams({
                page: 1, // show first page
                count: 3, // count per page
                filter: {
                    name: '' // initial filter
                }
            }, {
                total: data.length, // length of data
                getData: function ($defer, params) {
                    // use build-in angular filter
                    var orderedData = params.filter() ? $filter('filter')(data, params.filter()) : data;
                    $scope.users = orderedData.slice((params.page() - 1) * params.count(), params.page() * params.count());
                    params.total(orderedData.length);
                    // set total for recalc pagination
                    $defer.resolve($scope.users);
                }
            });
        });
    }]);