The Problem with Today's Emergency Paging
After interviewing over 100 firefighters, medical responders, and emergency services IT departments, we identified serious limitations in current emergency communication systems. Today's analog paging technology suffers from unreliable coverage, lack of secure data transmission, and minimal interoperability between neighboring jurisdictions—all of which compromise responder safety and effectiveness.
My colleague and co-founder, Bob Witter, experienced these limitations firsthand as an emergency responder for a rural fire company in North Carolina. Responding to a call about an elderly woman who had fallen at home, Bob entered what he thought was the correct address based on his pager information. Only after searching an empty house did he discover he was in the wrong location—his analog pager had failed to receive an address update. While fortunately no one was injured in this instance, the situation highlights how outdated technology can create dangerous scenarios for both responders and the public.
A Next-Generation Solution
Our ATSC 3.0-based emergency digital paging system addresses these critical issues with several key improvements:
Enhanced Coverage: By utilizing public broadcasting infrastructure like PBS North Carolina, which covers nearly 100% of the state, we eliminate the spotty geographic coverage that plagues current systems.
Reduced Latency: Our testing shows message delivery in under 10 seconds from dispatch to receipt—a dramatic improvement over the 30-40 second delays common with existing systems.
Secure Data Transmission: Unlike analog voice paging, our system encrypts all data, ensuring sensitive information remains protected.
Improved Situational Awareness: Responders receive comprehensive digital information including location data, images, pre-plans, and other critical details—not just basic voice messages.
Regional Interoperability: The system enables seamless communication across jurisdictions without the expensive coordination currently required.
Current Development Status
We've successfully completed initial prototype designs for both a standalone digital pager with display and a low-cost ATSC 3.0 receiver that pairs with smartphones. Laboratory testing with PBS North Carolina has validated our approach, and we're beginning field tests with local fire companies in the coming months.
Despite global supply chain challenges, we've secured components for our prototypes and a second production run later this year. We anticipate commercial availability by mid-2023.
Beyond Emergency Services
While our initial focus is emergency paging, the technology has promising applications in distance learning, training manual distribution, device firmware updates, and numerous other fields requiring reliable broadcast of digital information. We welcome discussions with organizations seeking reliable digital communication solutions in areas where traditional cellular networks may be unreliable or unavailable.
As we move forward with testing and development, we're actively seeking feedback on device usability and performance. Our team is committed to refining this technology to meet the needs of emergency responders and exploring additional applications that can benefit from this revolutionary communication platform.
Want to hear more about this groundbreaking technology? Watch Tony Sammarco, our Director of Technology Strategy, deliver a commanding presentation on this work at the DHS SBIR Showcase: