Amid summer vacations, barbecues, and outdoor fun, it’s crucial to take a closer look at PSAP preparedness for the fire season. These sunny days also mean peak season for forest fires. As temperatures rise and conditions become drier, the risk of forest fires increases dramatically. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported 56,580 wildfires in 2023, and we must brace ourselves for 2024. My home town of Las Vegas reached a scorching 120 degrees Fahrenheit last week making the heat crisis very personal for me.
Emergency communications centers are on the frontlines when disasters strike, but many still rely on outdated copper wire technology that is vulnerable to service interruptions when fires rage. According to congressional research published in April 2024, only seven states have fully adapted to ESINet, while most states still rely on technology dependent on copper wires and traditional data centers.
The Risks
Fires and other natural disasters destroy fiber optic cables, phone towers, and other infrastructure leaving legacy technology PSAPs in the dark. Copper lines can be damaged by high temperatures, falling trees, and other fire-related hazards. When these lines go down, so does the ability of the PSAP to receive and manage emergency calls, potentially leaving those in dire need of assistance without help.
Legacy systems are not just vulnerable to physical damage; they also struggle with the increased call volumes that often accompany large-scale emergencies. The limitations of these older technologies can lead to overwhelmed systems, dropped calls, and delayed response times—issues that can have catastrophic consequences during a forest fire.
With climate change fueling fiercer fire seasons, and according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, this decade is the warmest on record, 9-1-1 centers cannot gamble public safety on outdated infrastructure. By implementing cloud-based call handling, agencies gain the redundancy needed to operate through outages and disasters. With lives on the line, public safety leadership must bring communication technology into the next generation. Legacy lines in flames simply will not allow emergency call handling to operate.
PSAPs need reliable connectivity during emergencies now more than ever, but legacy analog networks are prone to fail. This growing threat underscores the critical importance of PSAPs being fully operational and prepared to handle emergency calls without interruption.
The Solution is in the Cloud
Cloud-native call-handling solutions provide more resilient, modern technology that ensures continuity and reliability, regardless of external factors. When infrastructure is damaged by a fire, 9-1-1 operations can continue seamlessly and call takers can tackle the high volumes of calls that can be expected more efficiently. Without downtime or disruption to current operations, PSAPs can deploy quicker to handle emergencies effectively, regardless of external challenges.
Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Upgrade your technology to face any emergency head-on. Reach out to us to learn more.