Photo by Tim Dennert

Originally Posted On: How Telescopic Masts Aid Search and Rescue Efforts — Telescopic Masts For Mobile Video Surveillance & More | The RATT

A successful search and rescue mission takes sophisticated coordination and the right tools. Below we will discuss how telescopic masts can aid your efforts.

During search and rescue missions, there will be times when you need the right equipment in the right place at the right time. Ensuring you can elevate necessary equipment rapidly, and without hassle, is imperative to saving as many lives as possible. What better way to do that than with a telescopic mast?

This article will address some of the many different ways a telescopic mast can assist you as a part of search and rescue missions. You can then focus on more important matters, such as the rescue effort itself.

Search and Rescue

While using a drone for search and rescue is becoming more common, there are still many limitations as to when you can deploy it. Incidents with rain, snow, windy conditions, at night without a waiver, and over crowds of people all affect how a drone can operate.

In these situations, having an elevated tool designed for outdoor operations like The RATT telescopic mast allows you to safely deploy it on any vehicle with a 2×2″ hitch receiver, or mount it freestanding on a tripod.

The RATT masts are also rated for MIL-STD-810 and can withstand extreme weather conditions such as winds of over 20 MPH, heavy rain, snow, and blowing sand. Additionally, some masts have internal cables that coil up when the device is not in use. This allows you to connect the mast to a power source without trailing wires that could become a hazard.

Lighting

Elevated lighting platforms are one of the more common uses for a telescopic mast. They can assist in search and rescue missions by elevating spotlights so they can target locations far away and over obstacles.

These lighting solutions not only point far away, but can also light up locations close to home. An elevated mast can light your headquarters or temporary site operations for a search and rescue mission. These lights can also act as a beacon for people trying to find their way home.

In situations where you are at the scene of an accident or critical incident at night, you may need to light up the area in a way that is fast and safe. The speed and ease of elevating a telescopic mast in this situation is imperative and will allow you to focus on the situation at hand.

Firefighting

When faced with a fire in an elevated and dangerous area, you want to have visibility of the situation from a position of safety. Using a mast with an attached camera allows you to view the hazard from a safe distance, keeping you and your team safe. A telescopic mast gives you the advantage of assessing and reporting danger safely, allowing you to make calls that save lives.

Anyone with minimal training can raise the mast themselves. While they elevate the mast in under 2 minutes, other personnel can focus on containing and suppressing the fire.

Temporary Antenna Mast

Depending on the location of the search and rescue effort, you may be in a position where you do not have a strong cellular connection. You need quick communication and access to data during a crisis situation, so the ability to improve signal is imperative.

If you are performing a search and rescue mission in a remote location, there may not be a cell tower close enough to provide a strong signal. This problem can be solved by elevating a cellular signal booster antenna using a telescopic mast. If the cell tower is close enough to get a signal, the booster will help improve your connectivity and data speeds.

CCTV Video Surveillance

There may be times when you need to respond to dangerous situations such as looting or rioting. In these circumstances, having a portable video surveillance tower with a camera that records the area is very important.

In specific situations, you can boost this capability through the use of thermal imaging. When searching a large area of debris, being able to see heat sources can mean the difference between life and death for some of the victims.

A thermal camera can even see through smoke and find areas where the ground is unnaturally warm. It will display unseen hazards that will ultimately keep the search and rescue team safe.

The RATT telescopic mast can even hold multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously. You can easily attach both a surveillance camera and a radio antenna atop the 30-50′ tower. This will multiply the usefulness of your equipment in the field.

Telescopic Masts and You

This article showed how you can use a telescopic mast in a search and rescue operation. To discuss The RATT and how it can assist you and your team, please contact us.