Best tech upgrade for first responders

Being a first responder is hard enough. You have to be ready at a moment’s notice for anything that may happen. You may also have to deal with long stretches of waiting. Whether you’re a medical professional, police officer, firefighter, or some other community safety pro, you know that it’s the toughest position to be in.

You have to be prepared for every eventuality. And that means staying connected at all costs.

Your station probably has some sort of backup for power. What about internet? Internet connection isn’t just about looking for cat videos. It’s a critical part of what you do. Your phone system may depend on a good internet connection. You may get critical alerts through a web server. You need to be protected.

A generator isn’t enough, though.

Just making sure there’s power won’t protect your internet. Most of us don’t think of the internet as a physical thing but it is. It’s made up of wires and strands of fiber that connect all of us to central servers. There are dozens of ways that system can fail us just when we need it most. For everyday folks, that’s an inconvenience. For first responders, that can mean lives lost.

Give yourself a backup internet system

The gotW3 internet system connects your network to the internet using cell phone signals. It’s designed to give you fast speeds without wires. If you have electrical power, you can have internet. It can connect to your wired network or just function over Wi-Fi, however you need it. It’s more than just a toy, it’s an essential part of your toolkit.

How to install gotW3

The gotW3 system arrives activated and ready to go. When you purchase, a Signal Connect representative will help you get signed up for monthly service so all you need to do is plug it in and get started.

First responders may choose to install an external antenna to the gotW3 system that will ensure even better service. It’s an easy upgrade and there’s a tutorial here that explains everything.

If your network equipment supports a “failover” device, you can connect your gotW3 system permanently. “Failover” means that you can have two internet connections and one is only used if the other fails. It’s like an automatic generator, but for your internet connection.

Even if your networking equipment doesn’t support failover, it’s just a matter of disconnecting the regular cable company router and connecting the gotW3 device. Generally your network will reconfigure itself to work with the new device automatically. If it doesn’t, your regular network professional can configure things so they work more easily. The gotW3 device is easily modified to work with most networks.

Get yours today

Signal Connect has a CAGE number so government organizations can purchase easily. We also have a team of professionals ready to help in our Novi, Michigan call center. We’re here during East Coast business hours and only a phone call away. Call Signal Connect at 888-233-7563 or, if it’s after hours — because emergencies happen all times of the day or night — fill out the form below and an expert will get back to you.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.