Emergency Response
Podcast: Source One MRO discusses delivering essential communications and supplies to the frontlines during COVID-19
Whether it’s the current global COVID pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, or other crises, national emergencies show us who the heroes are. The Last Mile Podcast recently sat down with two heroes, Source One MRO’s Brad Bihun and Keith Cowell, who are providing solutions to help first responders stay safe within the
Top off-grid communications sessions to attend at IWCE Virtual 2020
The International Wireless Communications Expo, also known as IWCE, is an annual conference that brings together professionals from the communications field to discuss critical issues ranging from 911 funding and modernization to spectrum management, interoperability, and more. This year, IWCE is going virtual with 48 online breakout sessions from August
Podcast: LCG Holdings on connecting Puerto Rico
The Last Mile Podcast features in-depth interviews with operators on the front lines of remote and austere missions around the world. Rafael Bobe, owner of LCG Holdings in Puerto Rico, knows the value of reliable and resilient communications networks. He was on the ground during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in
Webinar | Technology for tracking disaster response teams
Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters cause frequent damage to centralized cell, wifi, and RF communications networks. No matter the mission, response teams still need to find a way to communicate and maintain situational awareness in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Watch leading UAS training organization Granite Defense
Puerto Rico and the unique challenges of emergency response in island communities
It’s almost impossible to deny the fact that “100-year storms” are happening almost every disaster season. And now in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, emergency management agencies are all too accustomed to preparing for the worst. But emergency response isn’t the same everywhere. Emergency situations in some geographies and
Can mesh-enabled smartphones solve disaster response communications challenges in the COVID-19 era?
Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate recently published a whitepaper on disaster response communications in the COVID-19 era. During his career at FEMA, Fugate heralded the use of mobile technology and social media as more and more communities — and their first responders — relied on wireless cellular
Podcast: Verizon, SES and goTenna on how COVID-19 and natural disasters present an unprecedented threat to emergency communications
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous strain on the economy, public safety, and the healthcare system. It’s also put a strain on cell networks. Remote workers have been flooding our information gateways en masse. Telehealth, virtual educational classes, and remote meetings on Zoom are all necessary, but also eat
Virtual Demo | goTenna Pro for Emergency Response
Communications are the ultimate lifeline for emergency responders — but mission-critical cell, wifi, radio, and satellite networks are often the first casualty of a natural or man-made disaster. As emergency response teams face potentially record-breaking secondary disasters in addition to the global COVID-19 pandemic, communications capabilities will become even more
Tech Spotlight Series: FireWatch Solutions on building affordable, secure communications networks for global NGOs
In many of the world’s developing nations, there is a vast ecosystem of non-governmental organizations (NGO) working feverishly to help improve the quality of life. Operating in these places can be dangerous, as access to secure communications can be limited or inconsistent. After a career in the U.S. Marine Corps,
What Ebola Couldn’t Prepare Us For: COVID-19’s Strain on Emergency Communications Networks
In 2014, I was serving as the Senior Strategic Homeland Security Planner for the Brazos Valley Region in East Texas, and tasked with coordinating the Ebola response in the 7,320-square-miles surrounding the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area. Acting as a federal liaison between hospitals, public safety, and state government officials, many