Verizon has long provided support to public safety agencies and their missions, and now, with Frontline - a network and technology designed for first responders - they continue doing just that.
To address emergencies quickly and ensure network accessibility during events, an organization needs a comprehensive crisis response team with priority network access and deployable devices such as WiFi hotspots and charging stations. Backup generators and fiber network diversification are also necessary for maintaining connectivity during such occasions.
Reliability
Crisis response requires more than the skill of first responders alone - it requires the reliability of devices and networks as well. A survey from Lexipol and Verizon Frontline indicates this fact by showing network reliability being at the top of public safety agencies' and frontline personnel's wish lists.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents prioritized having a reliable and resilient network for emergency preparedness and response, as well as their personal wireless devices. Verizon Wireless took notice, working year round to make its network ready to respond to natural disasters or crises with strategies including backup generators, fiber network diversification and cell sites on wheels (COWs). COWs help maintain connectivity even if other infrastructure is disrupted, helping keep people connected even if other resources become scarce.
Verizon Crisis Response Team provides devices and support during emergencies. Their fleet of deployables includes a high-tech police cruiser with 5G capabilities as well as smaller rapid response connectivity units for rapid deployment. Furthermore, this team can set up portable cell sites or Wi-Fi hotspots as well as powering them when necessary.
Recently, Crisis Response Team supported an Indiana National Guard training exercise at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center with over 500 participants - Homeland Defender 23. To support the mission successfully, our team set up and supported multiple Verizon Frontline solutions on-site such as multiple satellite picocell trailers on trailers for Verizon Frontline Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response Vehicle and Rapid Response Connectivity Unit solutions from Verizon Frontline.
This summer, Verizon Crisis Response Team members were out in force supporting first responders battling wildfires in Colorado. Through its news brief, it reported on efforts to provide technology solutions for first responders fighting Muddy Slide, West and Sylvan fires from remote locations. Big Red (its 53-foot mobile communications command center) can easily be identified along the road with "Verizon Response" prominently displayed on its side.
Resilience
Verizon employees have become experts at responding quickly and appropriately to crises, from hurricanes to tornadoes, floods, and wildfires - thanks to the training and work they perform throughout the year - particularly during National Preparedness Month in September in the U.S.
Emergency responders depend on reliable networks during an emergency situation in the field or on the frontlines; one study revealed that almost three quarters of survey participants identified resilient networks as their number one tech requirement for their agency.
Verizon Frontline understands the critical nature of public safety agencies and organizations' need for emergency connectivity solutions, and provides satellite picocells on trailers, THOR vehicles and more to public safety organizations across the nation for rapid deployment in emergencies. Our emergency connectivity solutions support mission-critical communications between first responders during emergencies.
Verizon Frontline crisis response teams are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist government agencies and first responders when they require support at no cost to themselves. Their teams can set up portable cell sites, WiFi hotspots and free charging stations that keep devices operational during a crisis situation.
Verizon's MERIT hazmat team stands ready to protect thousands of miles of infrastructure and networks from disasters or hazardous material incidents, with 30 members trained in hazmat operations who conduct regular drills.
Verizon also maintains an on-the-move communications command center known as Big Red. This 53-foot trailer with the words "Verizon Response" printed across it serves to restore service and provide crucial communication requirements during an event.
Verizon provides support to both communities and businesses through its community investment programs, with one such being the Climate Resilience Prize which recognizes innovative solutions to mitigate climate change's adverse effects on vulnerable groups. Winners include Raincoat, Sesame Solar and 10Power -- solutions which promote climate resilience through energy generation and storage solutions; another winner was Perimeter which makes sharing and managing information during crises easier by creating a shared database for information management purposes.
Deployables
Staying connected during an emergency response situation is of utmost importance, which is why Verizon Emergency Response offers deployables as a solution for augmenting networks. Deployables provide extra coverage and situational awareness in areas traditional devices can't reach, including satellite solutions that fit inside a vehicle and portable units designed specifically to fit inside. They are great solutions for disaster response, rural connectivity and even special events such as fairs or concerts.
Verizon Emergency Response teams provided critical communications support during a training exercise at Home Land Defense 23 in Illinois. Utilizing various deployables - such as Satellite Picocells on Trailers (SPOT), which provide network connectivity and situational awareness in remote theater locations; along with their Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response Vehicle, also known as THOR; they provided crucial communications support for public safety agencies taking part.
THOR provides high-quality communications in almost any environment thanks to its multiple onboard capabilities. Equipped with mobile, private 5G UWB, satellite, commercial drone and commercial drone options - managed from an easy tablet-based platform - and backhaul data through dedicated satellite links so first responders remain connected regardless of location or device used, this vehicle ensures high-quality communications no matter their surroundings or device used.
As Hurricane Ian devastated Florida in 2021, tethered drones equipped with cellular nodes helped restore communication among hard-hit communities. A Verizon tethered drone assisted search and rescue operations on Sanibel Island.
This year, our team deployed over 5,500 network augmentation and deployables - part of our ongoing commitment to first responders and their communities.
Verizon Frontline is an advanced network and technology tailored specifically for first responders - developed through three decades of collaboration between officials and agencies on the frontlines and Verizon. Frontline was designed for real interoperability by offering encrypted connections from any app/network to another; providing priority/preemption across carriers while giving one easy interface for everyday and mission-critical apps/networks.
Support
Public safety agencies often respond quickly and seamlessly when natural disaster strikes, so Verizon Emergency Response offers mobile network solutions designed to give first responders speed, coverage and security for mission readiness.
At any hour of any day or night, 365 days per year, there is a dedicated crisis response team on call to provide first responders with support in times of need - 24-7-365! Comprised of former first responders and military personnel who focus solely on public safety customers receiving what they require; including setting up portable cell sites and Wi-Fi hotspots as well as offering priority network access free-of-cost during emergencies - in 2022 alone this crisis response team assisted over 750 public safety agencies nationwide!
At a time when communities across the nation were struggling with hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other natural disasters, Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team stood ready to assist communities. Comprised of former first responders and military veterans from California through Arizona to New Mexico as well as Alaska and Florida - over 120 locations benefited from this assistance provided by this team of volunteers spanning across America.
At each deployment site, a team from Verizon Frontline deployed nearly 2,000 devices and solutions, such as repeaters, mobile hotspots, routers, smart devices and drones, plus many Satellite Picocells on Trailers (SPOTs). Furthermore, they assisted firefighters battling wildfires with mobile connectivity solutions.
The team teamed up with the Department of Veteran Affairs on an expansion of their existing partnership that will bring VA healthcare facilities and medical centers more network infrastructure to support their missions in the field. Through this expanded agreement, they'll gain access to Verizon Frontline -- a comprehensive network designed specifically for public safety -- mobile edge computing capabilities and software-defined wide area networking features.
Join Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team members on an informative webinar today, to gain more insight into how they are supporting public safety during disasters. Register today.
https://verizonbusinesslogin.com/verizon-frontline-is-mission-ready/
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