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Whether you’re connecting to commercial mobile networks or dedicated public safety networks such as FirstNet®, IoT is transforming the applications first responders and law enforcement professionals need to do their jobs while improving health and safety in their communities.
Officers can now receive relevant information en route to a call—individuals involved, previous calls at the address, even real-time video surveillance feeds to better assess and respond. Connected police vehicles keep officers linked to state and federal criminal databases, police and courthouse applications, license plate recognition systems and much more.
Paramedics can securely access electronic patient care records (EPCR) to understand a patient’s medical history and conditions when responding to an emergency. They can transmit vital signs from the field, and communicate back to hospitals for guidance or to prep emergency services—all of which can shave critical minutes off response times, and save lives.
Firefighters can access extensive information from the vehicle when responding to fires. They can identify sites with hazardous materials and access building plans to determine the best method of access, and better protect emergency personnel and citizens.
AirLink® Routers and Gateways provide persistent broadband communications, location tracking and remote monitoring for mobile responder fleets. The AirLink RV55 delivers secure, highly reliable connectivity in a rugged solution that has been designed to military specifications and proven in the field by first responders. The AirLink MP70 is a high performance vehicle router developed specifically for mobile mission critical applications in public safety, transit and field services. The AirLink® MG90 and MG90 5G are multi-network vehicle routers, purpose built to provide secure, always-on connectivity for mission critical applications. The AirLink XR90 and XR80 are 5G/Wi-Fi 6 routers that deliver the highest performance, flexibility and intelligence.
Police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) protect the health and safety of citizens. Initiatives such as FirstNet, which bring public safety systems into the Internet of Things (IoT), puts new tools in the hands of these professionals, so they can act faster and more effectively.
In the past, connected applications relied on laptops or separate wireless connections. Today, a single, secure and highly reliable wireless broadband connection can support multiple applications, empowering first responders in the field, helping agencies manage fleets and resources, or law enforcement teams to monitor offenders more cost-effectively.
Semtech (formerly Sierra Wireless) has more than 20 years of experience helping public safety organizations deploy reliable and cost-effective wireless solutions. We provide complete router and management solutions and are industry’s first vendor to deliver a FirstNet Ready™ in-vehicle router for First Responders that supports the new Band 14 spectrum.
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Public safety vehicles are full of valuable assets that need to be available for first responders to save lives and prevent crime. You need to know in real-time if any of these assets and first responders are in life-critical situations. Let’s look at an example.
Officer Morrison is patrolling the highway leading out of the city and tries to call in a routine traffic stop, but the signal from his radio is blocked. Thankfully, when the cruiser left town the vehicle’s router automatically switched to the best available network. As Officer Morrison exits his vehicle several things happen: an alert shows up on the dispatcher’s dashboard, a Bluetooth tag in his police badge indicates he is within 30 feet of the cruiser, and the vehicle router directs the dash mounted video camera to stream a feed to the dispatcher. The dispatcher runs the license plate and puts other units on alert. As Officer Morrison approaches the vehicle, chaos breaks out as a passenger jumps out of the vehicle and runs for the bushes. The driver of the vehicle peels out. Morrison unclips his sidearm which triggers a signal to the vehicle router. All available officers are directed to the scene. Ten minutes later, Officer Morrison has the suspect in handcuffs and a duffel bag containing narcotics. Two miles away the suspect’s vehicle is pulled over by an officer who had received the vehicle information. In the trunk, more narcotics are found.
The review of the incident is aided by the data collected via the vehicle router, with a clear timeline and all weapons and other assets accounted for. The book is closed on a successful arrest. The arrest scenario may seem futuristic, but all this technology exists today and a purpose-built vehicle networking solution is required to tie it all together. In the world of Public Safety, mobile assets need to be controlled and managed, not simply tracked.
