EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — First responders in Hudspeth County are turning to Starlink satellites to fix communication gaps due to poor internet, cellular, and radio coverage in the northwest part of the county.
“Radio communications out here are really spotty. For first responders, there is nothing more aggravating than trying to call in additional resources in a very rural part of the county, like on the north side, and not having radio communications or not having cellular communications,” said Hudspeth County Constable for Precinct 3 Jamil Moutran.
Moutran secured a partnership with Trusted Driver – a web-based platform that provides a real-time data and analytics dashboard, and an electronic citation system for law enforcement – which provided him with a free Starlink satellite system to gain access to their services.
The satellite is mounted on the roof of Moutran’s patrol vehicle, which provides him with Internet service throughout most of the “dead” zones in the region he patrols.
“It’s really been a game changer for us in terms of communications. It’s going to be a great benefit to the community because we’re able to provide better service, to call in additional resources, and be able to respond quicker,” Moutran said.
Moutran took office in January of this year, knowing well the lack of communication infrastructure had caused slow emergency response times in the area, and placed law enforcement officers in dangerous situations.
Moutran said first responders in the region often cannot communicate with dispatch to request assistance in an emergency. They can’t access critical mapping software – like Google Maps – to locate address information, and they can’t access public safety databases for records checks, he added.
“We’re the third largest county in Texas and with (a small population). We are limited in funding and to cover a county of this size in terms of radio communications and infrastructure, it takes a lot of funding, and we just don’t have it,” Moutran said.
Moutran said that Starlink will not only help him. He will also be able to extend the satellite’s service to people he is assisting in an emergency situation or other first responders.
“It not just (helps) the officer that’s in the patrol vehicle. When that patrol vehicle arrives on scene, all first responders on scene now have access to the Internet because it acts as a hotspot for everybody on scene,” Moutran said.
Moutran said he is now working with the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office, and other first responder agencies in neighboring rural areas to help them secure the Starlink systems through Trusted Driver.
“This system is great for rural communities, like ours, where we have very limited resources and service in a lot of areas,” Moutran said.
Sgt. Carlos Barajas, with the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office, said they’re working to secure eight Starlink satellites for deputies who patrol in the northwest region of the county.
He said he is confident this will help them alleviate the challenges first responders in the region have faced for decades
About a month ago, Barajas said he had a call near Desert Haven. He called into dispatch saying he was pursuing a subject on foot.
After that, he wasn’t able to get through again and he was without ability to communicate with dispatch for 30 to 45 minutes.
That resulted in several other law-enforcement agencies and fire departments being dispatched to go search for him.
Barajas said the situation did not develop into anything serious, and that he eventually regained cellular connection to inform his colleagues that he was OK.
“Luckily, this time it ended up OK. Other times, it may not,” Barajas said.
Read: Read More