Inside the TOC:
How AZCRT Uses Radios and ATAK for Emergency Response
When emergencies strike, communication is everything—and that’s where our Tactical Operations Centers (TOCs) come into play. Whether we’re supporting a planned training event or responding to a real-world incident, the AZCRT TOC acts as the hub for coordination, information flow, and field team support.
Our volunteers rely on dependable tools to stay connected in the chaos. That’s why we equip our teams with powerful, field-tested radios such as:
📸 Anytone D878 Handheld
Compact, rugged, and versatile, the D878 is our go-to field radio. With dual-band analog and DMR capability, GPS tracking, and long battery life, it keeps our members in touch during missions, trainings, and deployments.
📸 Anytone D578 Mobile
The D578 brings the DMR power of the D878 into a mobile form factor, ideal for vehicles and command posts. With its cross-band repeater capability and crystal-clear digital voice, it’s a crucial link between handhelds in the field and the TOC.
📸 Yaesu FTM-300DR
This dual-band analog/digital radio shines in our mobile TOC units. With APRS support, GPS tracking, and rock-solid performance, it provides wide-area comms support and integrates seamlessly with our incident maps and tracking tools.
But radios are just part of the system.
We also leverage ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit)—a powerful, military-grade mapping and coordination platform. ATAK allows our teams to:
- Share real-time positions
- Track assets
- Exchange mission-critical updates
- Mark hazards, objectives, and points of interest
Whether it’s a routine training or an emergency deployment, ATAK transforms our communications infrastructure into a fully integrated operational network.
Why It Matters
In emergencies, time is short and information is limited. With the right tools, training, and coordination, AZCRT can respond faster, communicate clearer, and support our communities more effectively.
Stay tuned as we continue building out our communications capabilities—and don’t miss our upcoming field training on mobile TOC setups and radio/ATAK integration.
