“Wildfire season” no longer exists.
Once considered a seasonal threat, wildfires now take place year-round, fueled by rising temperatures and drier environments.
In 2024 alone, Verizon Frontline delivered almost 2,000 solutions to fire camps in 13 states to provide federal, state and local public safety agencies with mission-critical voice and data service as they battled wildfires.
As severe weather events increase in frequency across the country, the importance of public-private partnerships and the use of advanced technology built to keep first responders connected during disaster response operations is critical.
Suboptimal network connectivity can hinder first responders’ ability to do their jobs properly.
The progression of the wildfire, staying abreast of weather conditions, and assessing the evolving danger posed to property and human life requires constant communication.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the majority of first responders – 64% (up 13 percentage points from last year) – value access to a reliable and resilient network above all else for their emergency response communications, according to the 2024 Verizon Frontline Public Safety Communications Survey.
Verizon Frontline’s fourth annual Public Safety Communications Survey reveals how first responders perceive the impact of connectivity and technology on their profession now and in the future.
Commissioned by Verizon Frontline, Lexipol surveyed nearly 1,700 public safety professionals from emergency medical services, fire and police departments, emergency management agencies, and emergency call centers.
The survey focused on the technology used by first responders, network connectivity and 5G, emergency preparedness, and anticipated future use of technology in public safety.
Reliable connectivity remains essential, with network reliability as the top priority for public safety professionals.
This year, 65% of respondents said a reliable and resilient network is the most important factor in day-to-day communications, up from 51% last year.
For emergency response communications, 64% view a reliable network as most important, an increase from 51% previously.
The importance of 5G is also growing; 28% consider it a top priority, up from 23% last year, and 66% highly value 5G connectivity.
Disaster and cyberattack preparedness remains a concern.
Only 60% feel somewhat or very prepared technology-wise for a natural disaster or crisis, down from 69% two years ago.
More than a third (34%) are neutral or feel unprepared.
Less than half (45%) believe their agency is prepared for a cyberattack.
Fire departments expressed the greatest concern, with 21% stating they are not prepared and 18% feeling only somewhat prepared.
Deployable network assets like portable satellite assets or cells on wheels are increasingly valued; 66% state these assets will be important or a top priority in the future.
While only 14% currently use AI or smart solutions, 75% believe these technologies will be important in the future.
The top anticipated benefits include optimizing resource allocation (24%), enhancing situational awareness (23%), and improving early warning systems (20%).
When asked about important future technologies for public safety, 39% cited 5G, followed by deployable assets (22%) and AI/smart solutions (18%).
Additional findings include a 22% decrease in the use of Land Mobile Radios compared to two years ago.
Unreliable networks are cited as the primary concern by 64% of respondents.
Nearly half (49%) view expanding network coverage during emergencies as the most important benefit of deployable assets.
Verizon donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter to support local relief efforts in light of the Davis Fire impacting Washoe County, Nevada.
Verizon’s cell sites remained operational across the county.
We are committed to keeping customers connected during emergencies with redundancy measures and backup power solutions across critical sites.
Our fleet of over 550 mobile assets, including drone and aerial technologies, is ready to deploy essential connectivity.
Verizon’s use of nearly 300 satellite-based assets ensures reliable communication even when traditional infrastructures are compromised.
The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team continues its support of first responders in Nevada and nationwide.
This year, our team has delivered nearly 2,000 Verizon Frontline solutions to fire camps in 13 states, including Nevada, providing public safety agencies with mission-critical voice and data services as they battled wildfires.
These solutions have been provided in response to more than 200 requests from over 60 agencies dealing with nearly 100 different named wildfires.
It can be difficult to fully evaluate a wildfire when they occur in remote and sometimes rugged environments, such as mountainous or densely wooded areas where connectivity can be challenging.
This is where deployables can play a role, like Verizon’s Satellite Picocell on a Trailer (SPOT), to assist public safety agencies battling and provide mission-critical cellular and Wi-Fi coverage in remote locations.
First responders are increasingly seeing the benefit of these kinds of deployables too, as 66% think they will become a top priority for public safety in the future.
The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team was deployed to support over 6,800 first responders battling 15 wildfires in Oregon and Washington.
The team delivered a Satellite Picocell on a Trailer (SPOT) and multiple other Verizon Frontline solutions to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Department in Oregon to provide critical voice and data service.
SPOTs were also deployed to wildfires in the Eugene, Oregon, and Spokane, Washington areas.
These units offer wireless network coverage in remote areas where connectivity is challenging, like mountainous and densely wooded terrain, by providing cellular and Wi-Fi coverage with satellite backhaul.
In addition to SPOT trailers, the team provided on-scene public safety agencies across Oregon and Washington with nearly 200 additional Verizon Frontline solutions.
They are also supporting first responders battling the Durkee Fire in Baker and Malheur Counties in Oregon, currently the largest wildfire in the contiguous 48 states at over 288,000 acres.
It’s become clear that as weather events become increasingly severe, local and state officials cannot work in a silo to mitigate these disasters.
And this is not only limited to wildfires.
In the first nine months of 2024, the team has responded to over 1,000 such requests from more than 500 agencies in 46 states, offering on-demand emergency assistance at no cost to the supported agencies in support of public safety agencies dealing with wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters.
Our team offers on-demand emergency assistance during crisis situations to government agencies and emergency responders on a 24/7 basis at no cost to the supported agencies.
A big part of the support first responders need is connectivity; they need to be able to communicate – with each other and other agencies and organizations – amid inhospitable conditions.
Communication is key to saving lives, but weather events come with innumerable variables that complicate communication.
We can help limit the variables by supplying first responders with robust solutions, smarter technologies, and increasingly rugged devices.
The impact of extreme weather may be unpredictable, but communication doesn’t need to be.