Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Frances Twitty

I recently wrote an article for Jupitermedia's Wi-Fi Planet on the use of municipal Wireless Networks for public safety - despite the recent challenges facing public Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi for first responders is flourishing.

Michael Dillon, vice president of business development for municipal networks at Firetide, says his company's wireless networks allow first responders in disparate locations to connect directly, just as if they were in the same location. At SuperBowl XLII in Phoenix, Arizona, Dillon says, "we were able to connect two command centers together over a 3.1-mile shot, and allow them to share data, video, and voice across that network."

And with the addition of tri-band (2.4, 2.9 and 5 GHz) functionality to APs, all teams don't have to be using the same technology. "One of the things you can't do is predict who's going to show up for an emergency-you'll have people who have 4.9, but you might have other agencies who only have 2.4, so you tend to find that both on-ramps are in use in that type of situation," says Dave Park, vice president of product marketing at BelAir Networks. "We have QoS features that ensure that you can prioritize emergency personnel over the general population."

More here.