When Disaster Strikes, Field Technicians Need Rugged Tools

Field service technicians hold the responsibility for restoring power, water and gas systems after hurricanes, wildfires or bad weather cause damage that interrupts service. Identifying and repairing damaged infrastructure can be grueling, often requiring long hours in harsh conditions, with limited access to resources and inconsistent communications. For utility field service technicians, rugged laptops become more than just computers. They become essential tools for enabling faster, more accurate decision making in situations where every second counts.

Utility Technicians Ensure Accurate Assessments in Any Situation

To respond in the most effective and efficient manner possible, utility crews need real-time data about what is damaged and where. Rugged laptops and devices help field technicians stay in touch with leaders for up-to-date instructions and stay connected to critical systems, such as:

• Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software: Water and electric utility crews can add locations for damaged utility poles, substations, pipelines, water systems, or other infrastructure to geospatial maps, allowing leadership to prioritize repairs.
• Proprietary software: Rugged laptops ensure that utility technicians can access any asset management or diagnostic tools used by the utility organization from the field.
• Drone support: In disaster areas, damaged infrastructure assets may not always be easily approachable. Rugged laptops paired with drones or robotics can safely inspect damage without putting personnel at unnecessary risk.
• Assessing water utilities: Water utility technicians may need to track or report data on water main breaks or contamination risks as they work to restore safe drinking water to the community.

Maintaining the connectivity and device functionality necessary to use these tools in virtually any conditions helps to minimize guesswork and support data-driven responses to infrastructure damage.

Keeping Field Technicians Connected When It Counts

When the worst happens, communications are often one of the first systems to fail. Yet, utility field teams require secure and continuous connectivity to ensure they can coordinate operations effectively, whether over large geographic areas or within dense urban settings. Rugged laptops, 2-in-1s and mobile devices help to bridge communication gaps by offering multiple connectivity options, including:

• 4G, 5G and Private LTE: Cellular service through public and private networks can help crews stay in touch with headquarters and each other, which is essential for optimizing recovery efforts and keeping technicians safe in uncertain conditions.
• Wi-Fi: Rugged laptops allow field crews to connect to available Wi-Fi networks. Many rugged models, such as TOUGHBOOK®, can be docked with vehicles and feature pass-through connectors to connect external antennas, thereby boosting signals. 
• GNSS: Location data is an essential part of emergency response, enabling operations managers to see the location of field teams, while also allowing field technicians to report exact locations of damaged assets. 
• First Responder Networks: Field service technicians often get priority access to first responder networks during emergencies, ensuring they can coordinate with emergency response teams and field operations managers even when public networks go down.

In a worst-case scenario, such as a very remote or highly damaged area, rugged laptops can also continue operating offline, collecting critical data to send back to the central system as soon as connections have been restored.

Reliable Functionality Field Technicians Count On

It’s generally a given that emergency response activities take place in tough conditions. Utility field technicians may need to operate in sweltering heat, freezing cold, pouring rain, wind, dust, water and other environmental conditions less-than-ideal for electronics. Where consumer-grade devices will likely fail in these circumstances, rugged devices are built to handle them. For example, TOUGHBOOK® rugged laptops and 2-in-1s feature:

• Military-grade durability, including MIL-STD-810 certification and IP ratings, ensures devices can withstand drops, impacts, vibration, dust, dirt, moisture and more.
• Sunlight-readable displays ensure maps and data are visible even under direct sunlight or bright emergency lighting.
• Hot-swappable batteries that power reliable, continuous operation for the duration of any emergency response operation.
• Modular accessories, including specialized ports, biometric security, additional connectivity options and extra storage.
• Advanced security to protect proprietary information in the event a device is lost or stolen during disaster recovery efforts.

Simply put, TOUGHBOOK rugged laptops are designed to keep working as long as utility technicians do, regardless of operating conditions.

Rugged Technology That Restores Communities

When it comes to disaster recovery efforts, time is rarely on the side of the utility operator. Every minute without gas, electricity or clean water increases the economic and safety impact of the incident. As such, utility crews cannot afford delays caused by unreliable or ineffective field equipment.

Rugged laptops empower utility technicians to rapidly assess infrastructure damage, give and receive critical updates, document and report findings for regulators and insurance companies and continue operating amid harsh conditions. By pairing reliable operation and connectivity with critical work order management software, TOUGHBOOK rugged laptops and tablets provide utility technicians with the tools and data they need to restore essential services.

In the wake of a natural disaster, communities look to first responders to keep them safe. Rugged laptops are an essential component of helping utility field service technicians bring services online as quickly as possible to help communities get back on their feet: power flowing, lights back on, and clean water available again.

Learn more about the devices and essential services Panasonic Connect provides for utilities.