Corona Fire Department uses Doodle Labs mesh radio MANET for TAK in search and rescue simulation

• In February 2024, members of the Corona Fire Department and mesh networking company Doodle Labs gathered near the Skyline Drive Trailhead in Corona, California, just east of Anaheim.

• The groups set out to perform a simulated search and rescue mission in the mountainous area, which is a popular area for hikers but has rugged terrain and very spotty LTE coverage.

• To stay connected, coordinate a response and locate a hidden mannequin standing in as a distressed hiker who has called in to 911 but has since gone unresponsive, the Corona FD team deployed ground teams, a mobile UTV and a drone, all connected through a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) powered by Doodle Labs mesh radios and supporting the use of situational awareness tool ATAK.

• Using TAK and thanks to connectivity provided by Doodle Labs mesh radios in-hand and mounted to the department's vehicles on the scene, the group was able to share location data, send voice comms, videos and photos and broadcast a drone video feed across the entire team on their own Samsung devices without utilizing LTE. Using Doodle Labs' Network Extension feature, they were then able to backhaul into a Starlink unit on a response vehicle at the base of the foothills and further share all the data into their cloud-based TAK server.

• In the end, Doodle Labs' mesh MANET sped up the coordinated search and rescue response and led to a positive outcome even in an otherwise disconnected environment.

For more on Doodle Labs' solutions for connected teams, visit https://doodlelabs.com/public-safety/