AT&T Supports Public Safety Response to Hurricane Irma

More Than 15,000 First Responders Equipped with Priority Communications

Following Hurricane Irma’s devastation, AT&T* is working hand-in-hand with public safety to support their response and recovery efforts. 

To meet public safety’s needs, AT&T is:

• Prioritizing communications for first responders. More than 15,000 public safety personnel responding to Irma who use AT&T’s mobility services were equipped with AT&T Dynamic Traffic Management at no additional charge.
• Deploying our people, resources and expertise where public safety needs them most. We have employees trained in incident response on the ground at Florida’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Tallahassee to quickly and fully address needs coming in from the state.
• Delivering charging accessories and car chargers to first responders.
• Providing hundreds of devices to first responders to support search and rescue.

In addition to the thousands of pieces of local network equipment, the AT&T Network Disaster Recovery team has dispatched more than 20 pieces of recovery equipment in Florida. This includes portable cell sites, mobile command centers, hazmat response vehicles and charging stations.

One portable cell site is stationed at the state EOC, 2 are positioned in Naples to specifically support public safety and another 4 of the portable cell sites have been deployed to the Florida Keys. Network assets are also being staged at a local EOC in Miami-Dade.

"AT&T's Network Disaster Recovery team arrived in the Florida Keys as soon as the roadway was deemed passable,” said Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson and president, Florida Sheriffs Association. “Not only were they able to quickly restore basic communications via deployable satellite systems, but they arrived with hundreds of rugged public safety handsets and their own fuel truck.” 

“Deputies and other public safety officials were quickly provided with communications capabilities soon after Hurricane Irma devastated the area. AT&T’s quick and comprehensive response goes a long way in proving that their choice as the Federal First Responder Network Authority's partner responsible for deploying public safety's nationwide FirstNet network was the right one," Sheriff Adkinson added.  

Significant progress has been made in restoring services to areas of Florida affected by the storm. AT&T is deploying a fleet of drones to assist with damage assessment and recovery in some of the hardest hit areas including the Florida Keys. And a portable cell site has been deployed on St. Thomas to support recovery efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“At AT&T, our people have worked through the preparation and recovery of countless storms and hurricanes. We know what to do to help our customers stay connected with loved ones and emergency responders,” said Joe York, AT&T Florida State President. “The recovery process is just beginning. We’ll continue to collaborate with public safety across the region and country to bring the latest technology to the teams working to rebuild these communities.”