How Tech Supports the Emergency Response to the LA County WildfiresHow Tech Supports the Emergency Response to the LA County Wildfires

Satellite-based communication helped clear up some of the smoke and confusion that arose from the LA County wildfires that tore into Southern California.

Firefighters, who came from across the country, Canada, and Mexico, contained a number of the devastating fires that began the first week of 2025 but some of the largest patches of flame continue to burn. [Originally published Jan. 16, 2025 on InformationWeek. See California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for up-to-date fire containment status.]

Rescue and recovery efforts require cohesive communication, for individuals and emergency responders, in such a widespread disaster. So far, the infernos across the region consumed collectively more than 40,000 acres of land, destroyed entire communities, and claimed at least 24 lives.

Companies such as Intrado and Cisco offer resources that can help ensure clear lines of communication remain available during disasters that might disrupt standard means of staying connected.  

“What happens in these disaster situations is traditional networks may have impacts to them because of the nature of hurricanes or fires and knocks out the traditional communication what we’re all used to,” says Josh Burch, vice president of product operations at Intrado. Read the full story at InformationWeek.

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