In any natural disaster, the first 48 hours are the most critical — and this is often when communications breakdowns occur. When disaster strikes, two things happen simultaneously: communications go down, and at the same time, people need to communicate – fast.  This is when chaos ensues. The need for a coordinated and quick response is critical, and communication is imperative to enable a decisive response. 

The Southeast United States was recently struck with two major hurricanes, leaving disaster in their wake. Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through North Carolina and Florida, displacing entire communities and destroying infrastructure. These types of extreme weather events are getting increasingly frequent, and reaching parts of our country that typically only see disasters like this once a century. There is no way to stop these disasters. All we can do is ensure preparedness in situations like these is top of mind at a community, state, and national level.   

The importance of a flexible, interoperable, communications solution arises only after infrastructure is already destroyed. The main issue facing response teams in these scenarios is that when infrastructure is down, cell phones and landlines become useless, denying local fire and police, EMTs, and relief agencies like FEMA and the Red Cross from a unified communications network.  

This is where REDCOM can help. REDCOM Sigma and Sigma XRI-400 are the ideal communication solutions in times of disaster. The Sigma XRI-400 is an integrated platform that has the ability to rapidly connect disparate radio systems used by public safety organizations, relief organizations, and government agencies. By leveraging existing radio assets, Sigma XRI-400 enables these organizations to seamlessly connect to each other, regardless of radio network, endpoint, or frequency used. The XRI-400 has low size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements, can boot up within minutes, and be quickly deployed in any environment.   

With the XRI-400, emergency responders can maintain reliable communications within, and beyond, the initial 48 hours, allowing more resources to be dedicated to rescuing civilians. 

Once the initial response is coordinated and underway, REDCOM technology can assist the relief efforts. With numerous organizations working to restore and rebuild communities, the XRI-400 can provide a convenient method of communication that does not sacrifice workers to dedicated correspondence roles or require a separate network.  

When disaster strikes, immediate, interoperable communication is imperative for a swift response. The first 48 hours are critical, and the weeks and months after are just as important in restoring these communities. With a solution like REDCOM Sigma, enabling incident response to command, control, and communicate efficiently at the site of a disaster becomes achievable.  

REDCOM’s capabilities are expeditionary — they can be moved and transported easily, configured quickly, and integrated seamlessly, allowing you to establish and maintain critical communications, even in the most demanding environments. For more information on REDCOM’s solutions for disaster response communications, please reach out to sales@redcom.com.