
Sgt. Jennifer “Wavelength” Smith on keeping the Army connected
Considering the importance of digital, network-connected devices to our daily lives as civilians, it should come as no surprise that U.S. Army warfighters are increasingly dependent on digital solutions when deployed. But who keeps those networks operating and the warfighters connected? That’s the job of the U.S. Army’s Signal Corps,

Can wearables overcome the basic human limitations of warfighters?
About a decade ago, wearables were an incredibly hot topic in the consumer electronics industry. When the Apple Watch was introduced, many people were skeptical about the functionality of a watch that looked like it was something right out of the Inspector Gadget Saturday morning cartoon. In fact, early reviews

How the Dingell Act is making progress possible in wildland firefighting
Progress isn’t always observable. With 2020’s disastrous wildfire season, we saw the record-breaking loss of land and the loss of far too many lives. Knowing that wildland firefighting improvements were made in the face of such tragedy could be welcome. Confronting disaster is what wildland firefighters do. And seeking better

Podcast: Mystery Ranch’s Lucas Mayfield discusses the tools needed to keep hotshot crews safe
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, one of the biggest stories of 2020 is at risk of being forgotten. 2020 was the year of the wildland fire, and not just in the United States. The year began with the “Black Summer” bushfires burning across New

Podcast: Sonim discusses bringing new capabilities to emergency response
When first responders and emergency response personnel respond to natural disasters, we want them to be as prepared as possible. But, historically, disaster and emergency response personnel deployed with just a traditional voice radio. This gave them the ability to communicate and collaborate via voice only. And even that capability

Four considerations for scaling mesh networks on the fireline
This year has been one of the worst on record for wildfire response operations and crews around the globe. It started in Australia at the very beginning of the year, with brushfires that were so devastating and destructive that they were headline news on every continent, burnt approximately 46 million

CivTAK brings military-grade situational awareness to any professional team — here’s how to take CivTAK off the grid
The civilian version of the U.S. military’s situational awareness application, ATAK, is officially released so any team around the world can take advantage of its leading tools for teamwide command and control — completely free of charge. The Team Awareness Kit for Android (often referred to as CivTAK or TAK-CIV)

Off-Grid Operator Series: Beyond the Edge Institute prepares for emergency rescues
Going off the grid takes a combination of courage, planning, and training. Even in the best of situations with the most prepared teams, things can often go from adventure to danger. Fortunately, there are organizations that are prepared to respond to crises in the last mile at a moment’s notice.

Tech Spotlight Series: Veterans improve disaster readiness and make a better “bad day” for communities
Fix it in post! That’s often heard in the film industry. But industry professionals know that any work done after the fact is far more expensive than good planning and preparedness. When it comes to disaster readiness, professionals likely know the same is true. Well-informed training, solid planning with local

Maintaining situational awareness off the grid a hot topic at IWCE 2020
When disasters damage or destroy terrestrial communications networks, first responders need rapidly deployable equipment to maintain situational awareness and communications. This was one of the central discussions during the 2020 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE 2020), a virtual event that brought together critical communications technology providers, practitioners, and other industry