3 Reasons Your Rural Police Department Should Be Using A Satellite Radio System
Rural areas present numerous challenges to law enforcement officers. The area you're expected to cover can increase response times, and areas with no cellphone or terrestrial radio coverage can render you unable to call for emergency assistance when the need arises. You may also be isolated in the event of a natural disaster that destroys cellphone and landline phone service.
Thankfully, you can improve response times along with officer safety by adding satellite radio capabilities to your police department. You'll also prevent becoming isolated if a natural disaster strikes. Read on for three reasons that rural police departments should be using satellite radios.
1. Keeps Your Officers and Your Population Safe by Eliminating Dead Zones
Dense woods or mountains combined with sparse cell tower and radio repeater coverage make cellphone and terrestrial radio dead zones frequent in rural areas.
These dead zones can be a source of danger for your officers, who will be unable to immediately radio for backup if they are ever attacked by suspects they're investigating. Your officers may not be in a position to get back in their vehicles and drive to an area that has coverage. With satellite phones, these dead zones are not an issue — your officers can radio for emergency assistance at any time.
Satellite phones help keep your residents safe as well. Medical emergencies can be immediately called in to the EMS department — when time is of the essence, this will save lives.
2. Allows You to Ask for Additional Responders During a Natural Disaster
First responders need the ability to communicate during natural disasters, and satellite radios give you that capability. Natural disasters such as severe storms, mudslides or earthquakes can destroy cell towers and terrestrial radio repeaters, leaving your current radio setup silent. This leaves you unable to properly communicate with other departments to coordinate your response to the emergency.
Additionally, you may need to radio outside the immediate area for help dealing with natural disasters. When your current radio system is silent and landlines are down, you won't be able to do this. Satellite radio gives you the ability to reach out to nearby emergency departments to ask for additional responders. When you need additional help responding to a crisis, a satellite radio may be the only thing you can rely on.
3. Easily Integrates With Your Existing Radio System to Eliminate the Need for Retraining
Some satellite radios such as the MSAT G2 integrate with your current terrestrial radio system, making it seamless for your officers to switch between using terrestrial radio in areas that have radio coverage and satellite radio in areas that do not.
The ease with which these satellite radio systems can be used eliminates the need for your officers to undergo extra training. You can combine satellite radio with your current radio system and begin seeing the benefits of using satellite radio immediately.
It's important for officers in rural police departments to have the ability to contact each other no matter where they are in your area. If you're interested in the safety benefits and the reduction in response time that this system provides, a satellite radio provider and ask how you can add satellite radio capabilities to your current system.
