Partners in preparedness: How Verizon Frontline connected PATRIOT 26

• PATRIOT 26 is a multiday joint-training evolution where the Wisconsin National Guard and 12 other agencies simulated responses to complex disasters like wildfires, infrastructure failures, and solar storms.
• The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team supported the exercise by delivering over 150 mission-critical connectivity and communication solutions, including smartphones, portable satellites, and unmanned aerial systems.
• Team members also filled crucial operational roles to bridge gaps in the command structure, helping agencies simulate authentic multi-agency responses.

In the high-stakes world of public safety, preparation can be as crucial as response and recovery. That is why training exercises like PATRIOT 26, a multiday, joint-training evolution allowing civilian public safety agencies and the National Guard to assess their response capabilities, remain so important.

During this year’s exercise, the Wisconsin National Guard and 12 additional federal, state and local agencies simulated responding to several different complex disaster scenarios including a lightning-induced wildfire, critical infrastructure failures and an unexpected solar storm.

While these scenarios played out, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team focused on enabling the training by delivering mission-critical connectivity and communications capabilities. Across the week-long exercise, the team provided more than 150 solutions to participating agencies. These included smartphones, portable satellite assets and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that were used to provide situational awareness.

To help ensure the exercise’s success, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team also filled several critical operational roles.

By stepping into these roles, the team filled gaps in the command structure, allowing military and civilian agencies to simulate authentic, multi-agency responses. This deep integration helped the team gain real-world experience, ensuring that when the “gray skies" of an actual emergency arrive, they aren’t just there as a service provider, but a battle-tested partner.

The team’s presence at PATRIOT 26 is a cornerstone of Verizon Frontline’s “blue-sky preparedness” strategy. The exercise serves as a proving ground where the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team can sharpen skills, refine real-time response capabilities and break down the communication silos that can hinder emergency efforts.

“We don’t just bring critical network assets; we are your partners in preparedness and response,” said Chris Volz, Director of the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team. “By embedding into the exercise, our team ensures that every participant, from National Guard service members to local first responders, is focused on the mission at hand, supported by a network and a team that is ready to help.”