When search and rescue teams are up against the clock in harsh conditions and unpredictable terrain, the decisions they make and the tools they rely on have a direct impact on their ability to save lives.
Technology plays an increasingly important role in modern search and rescue operations, but not all technologies are equal. Consumer laptops, tablets, and cell phones often fail under the strain of harsh conditions, and the critical nature of rescue operations means that personnel simply cannot risk avoidable equipment failure at the wrong moment.
The consequences of a device failure in the field extend far beyond inconvenience. They can directly cost lives. According to the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), average search operations span multiple operational periods lasting 12 hours or more, placing extreme demands on device endurance and reliability. Purpose-built rugged solutions from TOUGHBOOK and Honeywell are engineered specifically for these high-stakes, extended deployments.
Rescue workers should have rugged laptops, rugged tablets, and rugged mobile handhelds that are resilient and committed to the task as they are.
Rugged Laptops and Tablets: Built for Real-World Search and Rescue Conditions
The term “rugged” is more than just a label. It is a standard of engineering and manufacturing that applies to the entire device. While many consumer- and business-grade laptops have rugged cases available, those cases cannot match the quality and durability of a fully rugged mobility solution that has been designed from the ground up for operation in unforgiving conditions.
Search and rescue operations may expose devices to any number of challenges that consumer laptops were never meant to withstand, such as:
- Extreme heat and smoke
- Heavy rain, floodwater, and high humidity
- Dust, dirt, and airborne particulates
- Drops and impacts
- Vibration from vehicles and equipment
Rugged devices can operate reliably under all these conditions and more thanks to features such as sealed ports, reinforced chassis, and robust temperature management systems. For search and rescue teams in the field, having reliable, rugged devices translates directly into more effective searches.
Additionally, rugged, waterproof tablets, laptops, and handhelds are often equipped with features by default that are friendly to emergency operations, including:
- Displays that are readable in direct sunlight
- Touchscreens that respond even when the user is wearing gloves
- Long battery life and hot-swappable batteries
- Compatibility with secure vehicle docking mounts
- Rapid boot-up capabilities
- Strong, built-in antenna for better connectivity
Having access to these types of features allows search and rescue teams to update search grids in real time and run computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems from the field, while also reducing downtime caused by replacing batteries or waiting for devices to reboot.
For personnel on foot who need a more compact form factor, Honeywell rugged mobile computers such as the CT47, add push-to-talk voice communications, barcode scanning for equipment tracking, and durability in a handheld device. This creates a layered, role-appropriate technology stack: TOUGHBOOK laptops and tablets at command and vehicle levels and Honeywell handhelds at the individual responder level.
Boosting Situational Awareness with Improved Connectivity
Difficulty maintaining connectivity is an unfortunate reality of search and rescue work, especially since teams rely on information to get the job done as much as they do on their equipment or fellow team members. With real-time data, rescue teams can coordinate their efforts, deploy resources in the most optimal way, and respond rapidly when weather or other search conditions change.
TOUGHBOOK® rugged laptops help teams stay connected even in environments where traditional infrastructure may be limited, damaged, or otherwise unavailable. With support and compatibility available for LTE, 4G, and 5G networks, multi-carrier capabilities, certified on priority and pre-emption networks for public safety, and high-gain antennas, teams can stay in touch with each other, dispatch, and incident command when it matters most. Field-proven platforms such as the TOUGHBOOK 33 and TOUGHBOOK G2, fully rugged 2-in-1 deliver these connectivity capabilities in form factors optimized for vehicle-mounted and on-foot SAR (Search and Rescue) deployments respectively.
Reliable connectivity also boosts search and rescue operations as a whole by ensuring more reliable access to:
- Geographic information system (GIS) maps
- Live GPS location tracking of other field teams
- Up-to-the-minute weather data
- Optimized evacuation route data
This data allows teams to avoid duplicating efforts and mitigates the risks associated with delayed response times, ensuring that the people that rescue teams are trying to find and help get the care they need when every second counts.
Integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems into Search and Rescue at the Edge
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, as they are more commonly known, have expanded what is possible in the search and rescue domain. Drones allow teams to cover broad areas quickly and search in dangerous or inaccessible terrain without posing undue risk to emergency responders.
More advanced UAS equipment includes thermal drones for search and rescue, which can detect heat signatures from missing persons, even in low-visibility conditions. A search and rescue drone with night vision allows search operations to move forward after dark, as well, which can dramatically increase the success rate of missions.
Rugged tablets, laptops, and handhelds play a critical role in optimizing the benefits of UAS in field conditions. Teams can control drones at the edge, gaining access to:
- Patient data and histories
- Live search grid updates
- Team collaboration tools and software
- Live drone camera feeds
- The ability to update maps and grids in real time
- Sharing capabilities to update incident command centers
- Quicker response when search parameters get updated
As one example, a drone in a flood response or wildfire effort can survey impacted areas while emergency response teams monitor feeds on a rugged tablet from a safe location nearby. When stranded victims are found, rescue efforts can launch immediately based on real-time data about the conditions surrounding the individuals in need of help.
As drone and artificial intelligence technologies continue to evolve, rugged laptops and tablets in the field will play an increasingly crucial role in providing the necessary situational awareness and intelligence to keep teams as safe as possible.
Solutions such as TOUGHCommand™ from Panasonic Connect provide the command-and-control infrastructure to manage UAS feeds, personnel tracking, and incident data from a single rugged platform bridging the gap between edge devices in the field and incident command centers in real time.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership for Search and Rescue Agencies
Procurement teams sometimes opt for consumer-grade devices because they cost less upfront. However, these devices have a much higher risk of failure from the first mission, which means costly replacements and repairs. Rugged equipment, such as TOUGHBOOK rugged laptops and tablets or Honeywell rugged handheld devices, boasts lifecycles of three-to-five years or more, significantly reducing long-term costs. For example, Honeywell’s CT47 and CT70 rugged mobile computers are purpose-built for field workers who need barcode scanning, push-to-talk communications, and durable handheld computing in a single device, reducing the number of tools a responder must carry while lowering per-unit replacement costs compared to consumer smartphones.
Ultimately, rugged solutions deliver a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) over the full lifecycle of the equipment, which helps IT leaders and mission commanders minimize long-term operational costs. This lower TCO is especially important for agencies that struggle with budget limitations or operate based on grant funding.
For these organizations, Panasonic Connect can also assist with finding public and private grant support. TOUGHBOOK also offers TOUGHBOOK-as-a-Service, which helps organizations turn upfront expenditures into affordable fixed costs from the operations budget over a period of time..
Panasonic Connect: Maximizing Search and Rescue Success via Rugged Technology
Search and rescue teams already have to contend with the most challenging operating conditions imaginable on a regular basis. Minimizing the burden of equipment failures is essential to ensure these teams have what they need to perform reliably under pressure in every scenario.
With rugged tablets, laptops, and handhelds from TOUGHBOOK, teams have the device durability, connectivity, and integration capabilities they need to boost mission success rates. When lives are on the line, heroes in the field need technology that works as hard as they do. Complemented by Honeywell rugged handheld devices for personnel tracking and field communications, the combined TOUGHBOOK and Honeywell portfolio from Panasonic Connect delivers an end-to-end rugged technology ecosystem built specifically for the demands of search and rescue.
Learn how TOUGHBOOK from Panasonic Connect can help elevate search and rescue operations.