The Department of Public Safety (DSP) has acquired 74 new portable communications devices known as miniCRDs, made by FirstNet, to strengthen emergency communications, according to DSP Secretary General Arturo Garffer. He said the equipment cost over $3 million and is designed to be easily transported and deployed to support municipalities, agencies, and first responders with mobile, autonomous, rapid-deployment connectivity.
Speaking at the weekly press conference "Asunto Semanal," Garffer said the units would be used in vulnerable, rural, or hard-to-reach areas, including strategic locations like Vieques and Culebra, as well as in search-and-rescue operations where connectivity is critical. He noted the devices can be moved by vehicle or helicopter and activated quickly at emergency sites, reducing response times and strengthening communication.
The units were already tested during a recent exercise in Culebra, where the equipment was transported off the main island to evaluate system performance, redundancy, and communication vulnerabilities across the island. Garffer emphasized the importance of redundancy in communications systems, saying reliance on a single system limits response capability during emergencies. He said Puerto Rico now joins other U.S. jurisdictions that have implemented deployable connectivity solutions for disaster preparedness and large-scale emergency response.