Closing the Gaps: Why Connection is the Missing Link in Disaster Management

It’s no secret that the past few years have been tough. A turbulent economy, rising inflation, volatile markets, and the relentless impact of natural disasters have pushed communities and responders to their limits.

As someone deeply involved in the emergency management space, I’ve observed a critical weakness that continues to hold us back: a lack of connection.

This isn’t about individual teams struggling to communicate internally—most do a great job within their own groups as they operate within line of sight. The problem lies in how these teams, agencies, and organizations interact with one another when they meet at a common disaster event. Connection in this context revolves around three critical elements that appear repeatedly in After-Action Reports (AARs):

1. Communications
2. Situational Awareness
3. Visibility of Personnel and Assets

A Fragmented Approach

Disaster preparation and response today is marked by silos. Municipal fire departments, provincial agencies, search-and-rescue teams, and private contractors all use their own systems, tools, and processes. Although they commonly abide by ICS governance, the tactical 2 way connection and communication link between groups and individuals on the ground is missing. Each group operates within its budget, often procuring technologies tailored to their specific needs.

While this might work during routine operations, it creates major issues in disaster zones where collaboration and speed are critical. I’ve witnessed this firsthand during events like the 2013 Calgary floods and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires while also seeing the reports of indigenous and remote communities being given 45 minutes notice and not enough time to react before fires displaced their people and ravaged their communities. Despite the heroic efforts of responders and command elements, inefficiencies caused by disjointed systems often put lives and property at greater risk.

Lessons from the Battlefield

During my time in the Canadian Forces, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2008, I experienced the power of connection. Multiple militaries and special units worked seamlessly toward a shared mission, drawing from a single network of communications and real-time situational awareness. All drawn from a complete back end logistical monster of a machine that operated the aircraft to provide aerial surveillance, maintained communication infrastructure, and marked the troops on the ground for track and traceability. All who carried out the mission relied on this operating system for mere survival during day and night operations.

It wasn’t perfect—some equipment was outdated—but the unified system enabled effective decision-making, improved safety, and ultimately saved lives. The continuous flow of information between frontline troops and command was the backbone of every operation.

When I transitioned to the civilian workforce and into the disaster management space, I was stunned by the lack of this kind of connectivity. While technology has evolved dramatically—bringing us drones, self-healing mesh communication networks, and advanced sensors—the absence of integration across teams and organizations remains a significant challenge.

A Personal Wake-Up Call

The McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, BC, brought this issue home for me. My family and I were among thousands forced to evacuate with little notice. Frustration quickly set in as I struggled to find reliable information.

The responders on the frontlines faced even greater challenges: Firefighters trapped behind the lines with communications breakdowns, no real-time fire location data, and limited to no visibility of personnel or resources. These are gaps that can—and must—be closed. The incredible work these firefighters and disaster response units did was nothing short of remarkable even with the limitations they faced. The outcome could always be far worse.

A Universal Solution

Today’s responders—whether municipal teams, Indigenous communities, disaster contractors, or provincial agencies—deserve the best tools and technologies to operate effectively. The need for unbroken communication, real-time situational awareness, and full visibility of personnel and assets has never been clearer.

This isn’t about throwing individual tools and SaaS (Subscription as a Service) models thus overwhelming the end user, It’s about delivering a common operating system that integrates the most cutting-edge battlefield tested technologies into one solution based system on behalf of the end user, therefore connecting everyone in the disaster zone, from aerial firefighters to ground crews.

Introducing DISASTERFIELD

At VEXSL, we’re addressing this challenge head-on. In 2025, we will launch DISASTERFIELD, a common operating system designed to unify disaster preparation and response efforts.

Imagine:

• Smart geo-fencing around communities and businesses to better alert when threats are present
• Real-time visibility for every responder, contractor or support worker, ensuring safety and accountability.
• Seamless communications throughout, with unlimited range
• Situational awareness and change detection form the frontlines to command to community that empowers faster, smarter decision-making.

Our support team includes subject matter experts with decades of battlefield and disaster response experience. We know the stakes, and we are committed to equipping responders with cutting-edge solutions they can trust.

Moving Forward Together

As the year comes to a close, I encourage everyone in this space to take time to reflect and prepare. The next disaster will come, but together, with the right tools and systems, we can ensure that our teams are safer, better connected, and more effective to save lives and protect our communities.

Let’s redefine what it means to be ready.

Fight Forward