In November 2016, fires ravaged the town and tourist haven of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The fires killed 14 people, hurt hundreds more, and destroyed thousands of buildings.

As the disaster unfolded, communication channels—including those used by first responders and their agencies—went down, hampering response efforts.

In early 2018, the family of a 14-year-old boy filed a $5 million claim against an Arizona city following an incident during which an officer mistook their son, who has autism, for someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

With natural disasters seeming to dominate headlines and with community-police tensions running high in many areas, the need for good communication is much more than metaphorical.

These are very different, but equally relevant, examples of the dangers today’s police forces face when they operate with suboptimal communications equipment. With natural disasters seeming to dominate headlines and with community-police tensions running high in many areas, the need for good communication is much more than metaphorical.

From car radios to smartphone apps, various vendors offer a range of communications equipment designed to help.

Hardware

For all first responders in the Gatlinburg area, the aftermath of the fire meant a full assessment of communications capabilities. As they rebuilt, they underwent changes and upgrades, with agencies bolstering their communications infrastructure with RadioSAFE, which was developed by Zeeland, Michigan-based Information Station Specialists.

“Towers get overwhelmed, batteries die. But every cop has a radio in their car,” said company founder Bill Baker. “If you have RadioSAFE, you can always use the vehicle to get the message out there when other options go down and begin to cascade.”

As cell towers go dark and batteries run low, RadioSAFE bridges the gap until service is restored. The small radio antenna can be used to communicate for extended periods of time up to a 20-mile radius.

RadioSAFE uses the in-vehicle radio as a broadcasting system, transmitting through 911 and emergency operation centers, which are automatically constructed to maintain power and operations during extended outage periods. The system also allows users to stage multiple messages for different scenarios.

The company’s newest product, the HPR.0990 Antenna, is 32 feet long and weighs 30 pounds when assembled. The antenna can be mounted on a pole or tower in the yard of a public safety center.

When first responders inevitably leave the vehicle, it can be a challenge to keep in touch with colleagues and the public—not to mention do police work—with phones where batteries are dead or operations are limited. But that’s one of the solutions provided by Iridium, the satellite communications giant headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

Several Iridium solutions could fit the bill for law enforcement. One of these is the GSatMicro, a handheld satellite terminal meant for use in harsh and challenging climates, including those out of reach of conventional communications systems.

The system’s durability and security could make it attractive to law enforcement agencies.

The company’s website states, “The GSatMicro brings together powerful electronics with an intelligent core to create an extremely versatile unit that can detect and communicate the behavior of assets in the field. In its handheld form factor, the GSatMicro is the world’s smallest and lightest self-contained Iridium satellite communications terminal… Within the ruggedized case resides a programmable intelligence capable of letting you know more than just the location of an asset—but the behavior of the asset and how the world around it is affecting it.”

Each GSatMicro comes with a rechargeable battery, an antenna, I/O ports, and Bluetooth and GSM modules.

For phones, there is the Iridium Extreme, a satellite phone designed to withstand austere conditions. Services available on the phone include customizable GPS, online tracking, emergency SOS with notification and two-way global coverage, and it has a military-grade design to withstand water, shock, and dust.

Software

Incidents like the one that occurred in Arizona are not unfamiliar to many in law enforcement, and those types of incidents may be attracting more public scrutiny than ever.

But there is a way for officers to become informed and aware of encounters that carry a higher risk of such incidents—before they can ever take place. A smartphone app allows people to digitally identify themselves ahead of time, with police professionals receiving advance notification when the two parties approach.

This is possible through Vitals, a Bluetooth-based app designed to facilitate real-time recognition and communication between people with various conditions and disabilities, first responders, and other groups.

“It’s the only technology out there that allows the public to communicate directly with first responders,” said Janee Harteu, president and CEO of the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company that developed Vitals and the retired chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. “It can be hard to connect your cops to the community, at least outside of an active incident or crisis. This is a digital introduction to people on your beat.”

The service automatically activates when an officer and a civilian user are within 80 feet of each other. The two parties become aware of each other’s presence and basic information, including a photograph, and can provide information that officers can use to prepare accordingly for any encounter.

“Once you download it, you don’t have to think about it again,” Harteau said. “When an officer gets information on their phone that this person has certain limitations, they may not use force. They may not understand that a person has autism or posttraumatic stress disorder or can’t properly communicate. There can be a cost to not understanding, be it in a lawsuit or in community trust. It’s about having information on a person in front of you. This is a way to take a lot of guesswork out of police work.”

A different kind of phone app aims to be a one-stop shop for law enforcement communications. EnforceNet, created by Austin, Texas-based DigitalBlue Software, is a smartphone- and tablet-based solution designed to improve safety and communication for all public safety professionals.

“EnforceNet automatically creates a single agency and mutual aid network of agencies, all on a common, secure, CJIS-compliant platform,” said Herbert Severin, president of DigitalBlue Software. “It provides robust location, communication, and alerting functionality out of the box with a simple app download.”

The app integrates mapping and allows users quick access to communicate with other public safety users and to search for units, resources, agencies, and locations. You can easily communicate with anyone from your agency or any unit that is sharing its information from anywhere they are shown in the app.

“Public safety rises and falls on the quality of communication,” Severin said. “The scope of that communication doesn’t stop with people, but it includes the coordination of equipment and the delivery of situational awareness, incident notification, and command-and-control information at the right time and to the right person.” d

Please cite as

Scott Harris, “During a Disaster of Routine Interaction, Communication Equipment Is Key,” Product Feature, Police Chief 86, no. 12 (December 2019): 70–72.