Strengthening public safety collaboration with AWS Wickr and the Android Team Awareness Kit

For public safety agencies, secure collaboration and situational awareness are essential to preparedness and response. First responders need secure, uninterrupted communication to help them get oriented quickly and support complex coordination efforts.

This post highlights how Amazon Web Services (AWS) secure communication service AWS Wickr integrates with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) to enhance the efficiency of emergency response with a user-friendly, map-based solution that expands the common operating picture and strengthens cross-team collaboration.

Combined capabilities

ATAK is a geospatial infrastructure and situational awareness application that provides a real time common operating picture of people and assets within a map-based view. ATAK users, referred to as operators, can view the location of other operators and potential hazards—a major advantage over relying on hand-held radio transmissions. While ATAK was initially designed for use in combat zones, the technology has been adapted to fit the missions of a variety of agencies.

Wickr is an end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration service with features designed to help keep communications secure, private, and compliant. The Wickr ATAK Plugin incorporates the secure collaboration and federation capabilities of Wickr into the ATAK environment, allowing secure, map-based collaboration without the need to change between applications. This allows operators to securely communicate in a single user interface and maintain a common operating picture when responding to, facilitating, or training for large-scale events.

With Wickr and ATAK, first responders gain access to a comprehensive suite of secure communication tools that combines messaging, calling, file sharing, map-based collaboration, and the collation of geospatial asset data.

Secure, real-time communication

Emergencies demand swift and secure coordination among responders. The end-to-end encrypted messaging, calling, and file-sharing capabilities Wickr provides within ATAK helps ensure sensitive information remains confidential and is shared only with authorized personnel. This level of security is critical in dangerous situations, when disclosing operational information could compromise the safety of personnel and the public.

Enhanced situational awareness

Together, Wickr and ATAK enhance situational awareness by providing flexible, interactive, map-based collaboration within a common operating picture. First responders can access and share real-time data—including the location of personnel, vehicles, and citizens in distress—alongside secure Wickr communication channels, without toggling between applications. This consolidated view supports informed decision-making and efficient resource allocation during natural and man-made emergencies, when teams need to quickly assess the situation and coordinate activities.

Emergency alerts and notifications

The Wickr ATAK Plugin facilitates customized emergency alerts and notifications tailored to specific security groups for swift and informed action in critical situations. Alerts with supporting imagery can be rapidly distributed to first responders, providing critical real-time insight into the nature and location of incidents.

Cross-agency collaboration

In multi-jurisdictional emergencies, effective collaboration between agencies is critical to operational and public safety. Agencies can use Wickr to federate networks and enable seamless and secure communication and information sharing among various agencies. This fosters cohesive emergency response, which is vital for successfully responding to complex incidents.

Larger common operating picture

Wickr and ATAK offer a unique solution that provides seamless and secure communication between Wickr and ATAK users. Additionally, Wickr provides the ability to use the Wickr Broadcast Bot for sending mass notification messages and requesting acknowledgments and locations from Wickr users, which can be visualized in ATAK. This allows first responders to communicate with ATAK users outside of ATAK (such as sending messages, sharing locations, and sending distress alerts).

Training and adaptation

Wickr and ATAK offer avenues for training and adaptation. First responder training can simulate emergency scenarios while using Wickr and ATAK for communication, information sharing, and coordination across multiple jurisdictions. This proactive approach ensures that emergency personnel are familiar with the system, facilitating its effective use during real emergencies.

Compliance and accountability

The secure logging and tracking features of Wickr within ATAK provide a means for post-incident analysis, compliance checks, and accountability assessments, which are essential for continuous improvement and adherence to legal and procedural standards.

For more information about the Wickr ATAK Plugin, email wickr-interest@amazon.com, visit the AWS Wickr webpage, or contact us.