When disaster strikes, first responders answer the call, but what happens when the rescuers themselves are in danger?
During Hurricane Helene, a swiftwater rescue team in Cocke County, TN, found itself stranded in floodwaters with no cell service and no way to call for help—except for one thing: the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN).
Mission turns into a crisis
As floodwaters surged through communities, Capt. Claude Thompson of the Morristown, TN, Rescue Squad and Lt. Gary Underwood of the Morristown Fire Department led a team into Cocke County, where homes were washing off foundations and people were reported missing. What started as a mission to save others quickly turned into a battle for the team members’ own survival.
“Sheriff Ball called,” Thomspon recalls. “The river had come up significantly.” Several people were unaccounted for, and active rescues were going on. “We gathered up some guys here that are part of our swiftwater team and took off,” Thompson says.
With fast-moving water that was filled with debris, members who were in a rescue boat were pushed into dangerous currents. Then, the worst happened: Their jet drive motor became clogged, and they lost power. Suddenly, the rescuers were at the mercy of the floodwaters.
“The water was very murky and dirty and had a lot of debris in it,” Underwood explains. “The jet drive motor doesn’t perform well in situations where debris gets in the intake. If you’re in fast-moving water and you lose propulsion, that’s going to be a pretty significant problem,” he adds.
The call that located them
With no cell service and no way to communicate through traditional channels, the members in the rescue boat turned to their last remaining option: TACN.
“No cellular signal, no communications of any sort except for the radio,” Underwood says. “[The rescue team] radioed out a mayday, and I heard that on our radios and then thought, well, these guys are in some serious situation here.”
The call was picked up not by Cocke County’s 9-1-1 center, which had trouble receiving the signal, but by dispatchers who were miles away in Hamblen County. TACN’s wide-area coverage allowed for seamless communication across jurisdictions, ensuring that the distress call was heard.
“They were unable to raise the 9-1-1 center in Cocke County, but they were able to reach our 9-1-1 center here in Hamblen County, who got ahold of me,” Thompson says. “Then we were able to use the GPS location and the radio to figure out where they were and get that information to a helicopter.”
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long says this is exactly why the state made strengthening its emergency communication system a priority. “Investing in a statewide, reliable radio network ensures that first responders have the tools they need when it matters most,” Long says. “TACN has already proven its value in situations like this, and we remain committed to supporting the men and women who rely on it to save lives.”
Technology meets lifesaving action
The TACN system provided precise GPS coordinates, which allowed the Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter team to lock onto the rescue team boat’s location despite the chaotic conditions.
Without TACN’s network reliability, it could have taken hours to locate the stranded rescuers, time that they might not have had. In emergency situations, minutes matter, and in this case, TACN ensured that those minutes weren’t wasted.
“In floodwaters, hours can be the difference between life and death,” Thompson emphasizes. “That radio system saved them. No question about it.”
Backbone of emergency response
TACN is built for situations exactly like this: when cell towers are down, when disaster is widespread and when every second counts. Designed to be resilient in the face of emergencies, the system provides statewide interoperability, connecting agencies regardless of jurisdiction.
“You don’t realize you don’t have what you need until you need it,” Underwood says. “Now, we know we can communicate anywhere, anytime.”
Jeff Gray, who is the director of TACN, says the network was designed with these kinds of emergencies in mind. “When disaster strikes, responders need to communicate instantly across agencies and jurisdictions,” he notes. “That’s exactly what TACN allows them to do. This incident shows how a reliable, statewide system can mean the difference between life and death.”
As Hurricane Helene left devastation in its wake, one thing became clear: Reliable communication is just as critical as boats, helicopters and personnel. When even the rescuers need rescuing, it all comes down to one radio call, one signal and one system that never fails.
For emergency responders, TACN isn’t just a tool; it’s a lifeline. For more information on TACN, visit tn.gov/safety/tacn.
