We’re at the start of what promises to be a very busy hurricane and wildfire season. With severe drought conditions on both the east and west coasts and very warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, the odds of at least one state having to manage a disaster response effort while managing the COVID-19 pandemic is very real. Regardless, government agencies tasked with managing disaster response efforts will still need to respond effectively and in a timely, coordinated fashion. To accomplish this, they’ll need tools that enable communication and situational awareness.

Recently, experts from Verizon, SES Government Solutions, and goTenna sat down with Ryan Schradin to discuss the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic could make this upcoming hurricane and wildfire season one of the most challenging ever for emergency responders. According to Verizon’s John Harris the challenge not only comes from the conditions first responders might find themselves in, but also from increased use by citizens. “This pandemic has changed our communications needs. For example, we’re seeing over a baseline period about a 9 or 10 percent increase in wireless data consumption…and we’re seeing about 9 billion text messages per day over the norm.”

During this two part virtual panel discussion, they explained the role that communications networks play in enabling a coordinated, effective emergency response, and how technologies like SATCOM and mobile mesh networking can help ensure communications even when multiple emergencies are raging simultaneously.

Click the play button below to hear their entire discussion.