In 2017, California experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons in recent years.
A report from late July cited a threefold increase in acres of land scorched in summer 2017 vs. summer 2016. The Alamo Fire in Santa Barbara alone burned more than 28,000 acres and required 2,218 personnel to battle the wildfire at its peak. Connecting that many first responders, combined with the remote locations of wildfires and the potential service outages caused by damage, can be a serious challenge for emergency workers and the agencies that support them.
It’s therefore crucial for fire departments and emergency responders to establish protocols ahead of time for keeping first responders, dispatchers, and databases connected. Whereas emergency response teams typically depend on existing solutions such as 911 systems and two-way radios, more advanced technologies such as smartphones, sensors, and mobile data terminals have the ability to better connect the individuals and teams battling these blazes.
Keeping Firefighters—and Communities—Connected During a Wildfire
Keeping the lines of communication open and clear during a wildfire is vital as emergency responders work to reduce damage and, ultimately, save lives. The mercurial nature of these fires—known for rapidly switching directions based on wind and other environmental factors—makes access to strong, reliable communications networks paramount. By maintaining contact between firefighters out battling the blaze and those back at command centers, responders are able to more clearly plan their response tactics and react to changes in the path of the flames.
It’s also essential to have a robust network in place that is flexible and reliable enough to handle high traffic demands during an emergency. The network must be able to balance the need to maintain critical firefighter communications while also providing local citizens impacted by wildfires with a way to send and receive information. Emergency situations tend to flood communications networks, which can potentially impede critical incoming and outgoing information and decrease response time. Keeping voice and high-speed data networks up and running during a wildfire allows the public to connect with public safety agencies and quickly receive life-saving information, such as evacuation routes and wildfire locations.
Communicating Through Advanced Technologies and Mobile Solutions
To help prepare areas regularly impacted by wildfires, response agencies and network providers are working together to develop and test the latest solutions to ensure readiness for the next major event. Just last year, Verizon worked with firefighters on the West Coast to establish and enhance network coverage in crucial areas through the use of various high-tech solutions, including the following:
■ In Utah, a Cell on Wheels (COW), or mobile cell site capable of processing thousands of calls and data transitions simultaneously, was deployed to the Brian’s Head Fire base camp. The COW provided additional capacity for emergency crews accessing the Internet, sending text and video messages, and making phone calls during disaster response efforts.
■ In Arizona, Verizon deployed multiple network repeaters, which picked up a network signal, amplified it, and pointed it to areas with weaker or no signal to support both first responders and