Cell on Wheels (COWs): Crucial in Emergencies

Application Notes | News

flooded houses after Hurricane Katrina In 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, devastating the city of New Orleans and the surrounding area. Long after the Category 5 hurricane passed, its effects continued to be felt because it had destroyed communication infrastructure.

Without cell service, survivors were stranded in their homes and could not call for help. Many resorted to writing SOS on their roofs. Emergency response agencies also struggled. They could not cooperate and organize disaster relief without interoperable radio communication systems.

The Port of South Louisiana sought to solve the problem. They needed to quickly re-establish cell service across a wide area to support emergency and ship communications. The port chose Tower Solutions for our towers’ ease of use and robust design.

Tower Solutions quickly supplied the Port of South Louisiana with seven PTM-100 towers equipped with generators, high-wattage lights, and cell service equipment. Then, the Port of South Louisiana strategically located the PTM-100 towers based on geography in order to re-establish cell service across Southern Louisiana following any devastating hurricane event. With this system of towers in place, people could update their loved ones, and emergency response agencies could coordinate relief efforts much more efficiently than before.

The port continues to use its PTM-100s today. When Hurricane Ike hit Louisiana in 2008 and decimated cell infrastructure, the Port of South Louisiana enacted their plan for emergency communication systems. The cell towers allowed them to re-establish communications in 30 minutes and accelerate recovery efforts in the area.

Work with Tower Solutions for your next tower.

Cell on Wheels (COWs) are Essential for Emergency Management

Disasters of all kinds can destroy communication infrastructure. Without it, more lives are threatened, relief and recovery efforts take longer, and companies lose billions of dollars.

Many municipalities and emergency management agencies have started proactively acquiring emergency communication systems called Cell on Wheels (COWs) or Cell on Light Trucks (COLTS). COWs and COLTs are built for mobility, durability, and speed. They can quickly self-erect and re-establish radio and cell communication channels in disaster-stricken areas. Cell providers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T have fleets just for these purposes, having now assembled their own disaster relief teams and COLTs to rapidly restore cell networks after a disaster.

As a growing solution to communication blackouts, cell towers on wheels save lives. And when not re-establishing cell networks, COWs can be easily stored or used to increase cell capacity at local events.

Tower Solutions COW Capabilities

We design and engineer towers for COW applications. Several Tower Solutions towers across the US are cell towers on wheels. For instance, Ohio Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS) utilizes several Tower Solution PTM-100 COWs for disaster relief and local events. If you are in Ohio, you can even request a MARCS COW.

Rapid Deployment: They are quick and easy to deploy. Just push a button and re-establish comms within 30 minutes of a disaster. Learn more about the rapid deployment of Tower Solutions towers.
Stability: They can withstand extreme weather conditions like sustained winds after a hurricane. Learn more about the stability of Tower Solutions towers.
Portability: They are easy to transport and store with a compact, patented mast design and built-in trailer. Learn more about the portability of Tower Solutions towers.
Customization: They can be customized for your specific application. Choose to include options like fully integrated cell equipment, generators, and/or lighting. Learn more about the customization of Tower Solutions towers.

Tower Solutions COW Product Options

Whether for disaster relief and recovery or private cell networks, we work with you to engineer COWs for your exact needs.

The PTX-100 is deployable up to 120 ft in 8 minutes and can lift 2,000 lbs. It is designed with patented integrated outriggers and guy-wire connections to withstand winds over 100 mph.

The PTM-130 is deployable to 80 ft in 5 minutes and can lift 2,000 lbs. It has a compact trailer for portability, easy towing, quick setup, and stability.

Both tower products can be customized with generators, alternative power sources, emergency lowering systems, and other features to improve emergency response efforts. You can also rent a tower to use as a COW for a temporary event or emergency.

Let’s design a tower product for your specific communication needs.