During fast-moving events like hurricanes and floods, local utilities and commercial providers are often racing to assess damage, mobilize repair crews and restore access to destroyed infrastructure. First responders arriving on scene may have to operate independently for days or even weeks. Riggan knows that challenge well. “Initiating a rescue mission during a hurricane is dangerous as is,” he said, “but not having communications during that time really makes the situation that much worse.”

For Riggan’s swiftwater rescue team, FirstNet provides a critical layer of operational resilience. The team carries 10 FirstNet Ready® devices whenever they mobilize. Those devices are used for field data collection, marking victim locations, identifying damaged structures, documenting hazards, and tracking personnel in the field for accountability. They also serve as a vital connection to incident command and partner agencies when local public safety radio systems are offline.

The devices support medical coordination too, allowing specialists in the field to contact physicians at their resource hospital for guidance on difficult patient situations. Riggan says the team can even run its basecamp command center off the phones’ Wi-Fi hotspot capability. And if terrestrial networks are disrupted by widespread power outages, satellite-based SOS capability provides yet another layer of backup.

That redundancy matters. In public safety, backup plans save lives.

As Riggan put it, “FirstNet provides this level of redundancy, and gives us the confidence to venture into the unknown.”

That confidence was put to the test in 2024, when Illinois Water Rescue 1 deployed to western North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene. Conditions were extraordinarily difficult. Public safety radio and cell networks were largely offline due to widespread power outages. Roads were blocked by fallen trees and downed power lines. Yet the mission could not wait.

Riggan contacted FirstNet and requested additional FirstNet connectivity. FirstNet quickly deployed a Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD).  CRD is a portable cell tower that can restore or provide connectivity when fixed infrastructure is damaged or unavailable. It is connected by satellite and doesn’t rely on shore power. These assets can be set up in minutes by just one person, giving first responders greater command and control of their own network.

The deployable was delivered quickly and operationally at the team’s base of operations.

That kind of response is remarkable under any circumstances. In a disaster zone with major access challenges, it is extraordinary.

With the cell and Wi-Fi capabilities the CRD provided, Riggan’s team was able to coordinate rescue operations and track personnel. The local fire department where the team was based also regained the ability to coordinate response to 9-1-1 calls. Just as importantly, firefighters who had been working for days without knowing whether their own families or homes were safe could finally contact loved ones.

That is the human side of connectivity in a disaster. It supports command decisions, operational awareness, and rescue coordination. It also gives exhausted first responders a desperately needed connection home.

Riggan is unequivocal about what purpose-built communications tools mean from a firefighter’s perspective: peace of mind. “It’s a major confidence boost going into the mission knowing we have the best phones running on the best network – period,” he said.

That confidence is not accidental. It is built through experience, preparation, and training. Riggan emphasized that his team’s success depends on training often with realistic rescue scenarios and preparing for virtually every possible communications failure—from loss of device power to outages across cellular or radio networks. His message is one every leader should hear: know your equipment, and train with it often.

Illinois first responders live that commitment every day. They prepare relentlessly so they can respond decisively. They deserve tools designed for their mission and a network built to stand with them when conditions are at their worst.

Congress had the foresight to create the FirstNet Authority in 2012. Now it must act again. Reauthorizing the FirstNet Authority before the 2027 sunset is essential to preserving the momentum, innovation, and partnership that public safety depends on.

Our first responders do not quit until the job is done. We must show the same resolve in supporting them.