natural disaster
3 communications lessons from Hurricane Ian
In early October, in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Chris Teale, a staff reporter at Government Computer News (GCN), authored an article about the need for communications both during and before natural disasters. In his article, Chris referenced a report by the Federal Communications Commission to illustrate the hurricane’s impact
How federal legislation and new technologies will benefit wildland fire response
In July 2021, California experienced its second-largest wildfire in history – the Dixie fire. It ignited in the dense forest of Plumas County, and in the weeks and months that followed, it burned through more than 963,000 acres across five counties, destroying 1,300 structures and leveling the town of Greenville.
Why the first 15 minutes after a disaster are the most critical
Whether an 18-wheeler containing hundreds of pounds of hazardous material crashes on a highway or a category 4 hurricane hits a coastal town leaving a trail of devastation in its wake, the first 15 minutes after a disaster are by far the most critical in any response operation. While each
When Disaster Strikes Pt. II – How mobile mesh and ATAK serve as force multipliers for first responders
In our last article on The Last Mile, we sat down with Greg Albrecht – medic and goTenna Public Safety Technical Consultant – to discuss the conditions and impacts lack of communications and connectivity have on first responders in natural disaster environments. This week, Greg returns to discuss the critical
When Disaster Strikes Pt. I – The impact of lost comms during emergency response operations
In natural disasters and other emergency response situations where the existing communications infrastructure may be compromised, degraded, or destroyed, it is critical that first responders dispatched to the scene have a means of communicating and sharing locations with one another. If not, the success of the mission and the lives