Supporting First-responders in Infrastructure-less Environments

Abstract During a large-scale disaster first responders face a number of different challenges. Their ability to communicate with one another is among the most critical challenges they face. If the disaster has wiped out the infrastructure that enables communications, it creates a serious issue for first responders. In such situations, infrastructure-less technology could enable first responders to establish a communications network independent of any existing operational or non-operational infrastructure. Wi- Fi Direct can enable such communication, but it is fraught with a few issues that need to be addressed to make it usable for first responders. We have developed an extension to Wi-Fi Direct that would address these issues. The extended Wi-Fi Direct protocol allows for a persistent communications network that involves zero user interaction. With our extensions, the protocol does not require any infrastructure or any human involvement to establish a communications network. Disclaimer The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government.