RAPID CITY, S.D. – From Main Street Square to Memorial Park, 40,000 spectators are expected to gather in the Rapid City area for one of the largest patriotic celebrations in the region’s history. The Real America Birthday Bash and America 250 festivities, scheduled from July 1st through July 5th, will bring a massive influx of visitors to the area.

Rapid City Pennington County Emergency Management Director Dustin Willett provided an inside look at the state-of-the-art technology the agency is deploying to keep residents and visitors safe during the historic events.

At the foundational level, public safety agencies are leveraging FirstNet, a nationwide wireless broadband network built specifically for first responders through a close partnership with AT&T. Unlike commercial networks that can become overloaded during major public gatherings, FirstNet provides dedicated, prioritized bandwidth for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services.

“It is so much more than just voice and text these days,” Willett said. “It is the entire app ecosystem and all of the mapping and all the accountability and all the tracking, all of the video. I mean, so much goes through our mobile devices.”

To enhance connectivity in remote areas and crowded locations, emergency personnel are using high power user equipment, known as HPUE. These devices utilize federal Federal Communications Commission exemptions to transmit at higher power levels, allowing responders to maintain connections with cellular towers from much further away than standard consumer equipment.

The agency is also utilizing mobile cell sites, commonly referred to as deployables. FirstNet garages one of these satellite-backhauled mobile sites directly in Rapid City, allowing it to be deployed and operational within a few hours to any location in the hills or prairie.

“The nice thing about the mobile sites, the mobile facility, we call them deployables, is it just adds bandwidth,” Willett said, noting that large events like the Sturgis Rally or the upcoming Mount Rushmore fireworks can cause severe network congestion. “The idea being that, that we will never, never get throttled, we will never run out of bandwidth. We will always be able to communicate. We will always be able to coordinate.”

The emergency management umbrella is preparing for a variety of scenarios. Top hazards in the threat matrix include severe weather, flash flooding, vehicle accidents on narrow roads, and wildland fires. Willett noted that officials are also preparing for the possibility of civil disturbances due to the high-profile nature of the event, media coverage, and expected dignitaries.

With a red flag warning active and wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph, Willett emphasized the critical need for fire safety and situational awareness. He offered three main pieces of advice for those attending the festivities in the Rapid City region: practice patience, remain proactive with ignition sources, and prepare for long hours in the sun to avoid medical emergencies.

“Exercising grace and patience will go a long way to, to keeping everybody safe and sound,” Willett said.