Technology adoption in public safety moves quickly, as the tools agencies regularly rely on can change within just a few years. Smartphones and laptops are the norm for police, fire and EMS professionals, with emerging devices helping improve efficiency and safety in ways that at one time were unimaginable.
First responders have their eyes set on a range of tech tools in the coming years, as data from a 2026 Lexipol Media Group survey, sponsored by Verizon Frontline, highlights. While 83% of the over 1,000 public safety respondents noted they expect to use smartphones on a daily basis three years from now, 42% indicated drones and robots will also be part of their regular technology lineup. Just over 44% of survey respondents also anticipate integrating connected vehicles into their operations, and 56% believe artificial intelligence tools will be used frequently as well.
Given this expected increase in technology use, it’s important for agencies to ensure they have a reliable way to connect said devices to gain the most benefits from them and serve their communities to the best of their ability. The need for a resilient network is clear, as 78% of first responders rank network reliability as very important to their daily operations. Just over 57% also note that a reliable and resilient communications network is a priority during emergency response scenarios, while 23% count on fast communication speeds during critical situations.
Yet a gap remains between adopting new technology tools and being ready to use them when a disaster strikes. Over half of survey respondents said their agency is only somewhat prepared to respond to a natural disaster or crisis and 19% are somewhat or very unprepared for a technology-dependent emergency response. When it comes to communication with the public, only 45% believe their efforts during a disaster are sufficient.
Prepared on paper, uncertain on scene
For many agencies, unpreparedness during a disaster isn’t due to a single missing piece of equipment — it’s a series of small gaps that often stay hidden until a crisis occurs. A command post is set up in an area where coverage was never strong. Hundreds of residents try to reach family and officials at once, and the connection that worked during a routine shift slows to a crawl.
Because each gap is small, an agency can have a response plan, trained personnel and modern equipment and still discover a weakness only when the plan is put to use. In many cases, networks are tested under typical daily demand rather than the surge of a major incident, so an agency that considers itself prepared may have little evidence of how its connection will hold up when it matters most.
Making connectivity part of the response plan
Closing the readiness gap starts with treating the network as part of the response plan rather than something that exists in the background. For a growing number of agencies, that means planning for the possibility that coverage will be damaged, overloaded or simply unavailable where it’s needed most.
Among survey respondents, 37% said they already count on deployable network assets such as cell towers on wheels during emergency response, a sign that many see the value in bringing connectivity to the incident instead of waiting for permanent service to return. Approximately 33% also rely on drones, indicating a pattern of increased advanced technology use during complex situations.
Mobile command centers play a similar role on the coordination side. When a wildfire, flood or large-scale event pulls in multiple agencies, a command post with its own communications equipment can help keep information moving between crews, dispatch and incident leadership, even if the surrounding infrastructure is compromised.
Still, equipment alone doesn’t solve the problem. A deployable asset that arrives late, or one that no one at the agency knows how to request, offers limited help. Agencies typically get the most from these tools when they’ve decided in advance who authorizes a deployment, where assets are likely to be staged and how crews will work with the equipment once it’s on scene. Practicing that process before an emergency can reveal gaps while there’s still time to fix them.
Agencies should keep in mind that deployable assets are one layer of redundancy, not the whole strategy. They work best alongside backup communication methods and clear procedures for what happens if the primary connection fails. Departments that have built those layers offer a useful look at what readiness can look like in practice.
Pairing innovation with infrastructure
While the survey data shows agencies looking toward AI, drones, robotics and connected vehicles, it also illustrates how little margin there is when the network fails. These aren’t competing priorities. Every new tool adds to the amount of data an agency depends on, and every added dependency raises the cost of a dropped connection.
The path forward isn’t choosing between emerging technology and resilient infrastructure. Agencies that want to serve their communities when it matters most must invest in both — and plan for the moment when the network is the only thing standing between a coordinated response and a scramble.
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