In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), emergency communications planning begins with a simple reality: help is far away.
“We are geographically isolated. We are a chain of islands out in the Western Pacific, and we’re so far away from external help,” said Joey C. DelaCruz, Emergency Operations Center Manager and Statewide Interoperability Coordinator for the CNMI.
That isolation defines how the territory prepares for disasters — the CNMI has over 20 potential tsunami-hazard sources and is in one of the most earthquake-prone areas of the world.1
“We have to be able to be self-resilient, at least for the first 72 hours before any help comes over,” DelaCruz said. “That’s why we really rely on communications resilience.”
Pre-landfall planning with the FirstNet Authority
Communications is foundational to public safety operations.
As DelaCruz says, “Communications is just as important as the gun of a police officer or the hose of a firefighter. Without communications you will not be able to properly respond and react.”
In CNMI, communications resilience is built through collaboration — across agencies, among leaders, and with federal partners like the FirstNet Authority.
“The partnership with the FirstNet Authority is very critical and something we take very close to our hearts. The right training and the right support is huge, so we can ensure that we are ready for pre-landfall and not when the storm is already hitting,” DelaCruz said.
Planning means identifying gaps, coordinating resources, and strengthening systems before they are used. The FirstNet Authority team has visited the islands to help local agencies learn about devices like mini Compact Rapid Deployables and High-Powered User Equipment (HPUE) and demonstrate their benefits. Armed with this knowledge, local agencies can determine how to best incorporate broadband technology into their operations. Geographic isolation reinforces the need for redundancy, expertise, on-island assets, and trained personnel ready to act when disaster strikes.
“The FirstNet Authority has invested a lot in the CNMI and it’s paying huge dividends right now. It has changed the way we think, respond, [and] prepare,” said DelaCruz.
A community-wide approach to public safety
But no single partnership stands alone. CNMI’s approach depends on coordination across the entire public safety ecosystem.
“Communications is everyone’s business. If everyone is aligned and synchronized, our missions and response will be a lot better,” DelaCruz said.
To support that alignment, CNMI is building local expertise and strengthening ground support within the islands.
“Building local capacity right now at that level is critical for us to ensure that we can hold ourselves until assistance comes over. One of the missions that we’re doing back home is trying to build a team of local experts to represent their agency.” he said.
This whole-community mindset ensures communications planning is embedded across CNMI — from leadership to boots on the ground.
By strengthening partnerships, investing in local expertise, and planning ahead, CNMI is ensuring its communications systems are ready when they are needed most.
