The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bonded-IP technology to complement radio voice communications with real-time video intelligence across active emergency operations.
Delivered through Czech partner Smart Informatics, the deployment integrates LU-REQON1 and LU800 units with drone operators, thermal field cameras, and stationary PTZ cameras across incident sites. All signals are routed in real time to the National Operational Center, where they are managed centrally and redistributed simultaneously to on-site commanders and senior officers. For national disasters and other major incidents requiring public communication, the LiveU Matrix IP distribution platform enables the rescue service to push live video directly to public television.
The capability was tested at scale during a major wildfire in Bohemian Switzerland National Park, where more than ten units were deployed simultaneously as part of a response involving 2,581 firefighters, 356 pieces of specialist equipment, including vehicles and drones, and up to eight helicopters using Bambi buckets for aerial firefighting. Drone operators with thermal cameras tracked fire spread from above, while stationary PTZ thermal cameras located hidden hotspots through the night. The fire was brought under control in ten days, and the rescue service credited real-time video intelligence as a direct factor in that outcome.
The same area was devastated by a far larger fire in 2022, an incident that exposed a critical operational gap and directly prompted the Fire Rescue Service to seek a technical solution. When they approached Smart Informatics with a requirement for high-quality video transmission from remote terrain with poor mobile network coverage, the response was to build a system that allows units to bond multiple connectivity types simultaneously, including 5G, LTE, WiFi, and Starlink satellite. This maintains continuous video transmission even when individual networks drop out or become congested in remote terrain, flowing live feeds from field units to the National Operational Center, back down to on-site commanders, and outward to senior officers via mobile phones, tablets, or desktops.
Col. Jiří Studnička, Head of the Communications Department, General Directorate of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic, said, “Before LiveU, commanders in the operational center made decisions based only on voice communication over radio. Now they see exactly what we see, in real time, from every point of the incident. That change in situational awareness has made us faster, more precise, and more effective – and in a wildfire, every minute we save matters. The system is also remarkably simple to use under field conditions – our crews activate it in seconds with no technical setup at the scene. When you are responding to an emergency, you need technology that works without getting in the way.”
Roni Weinberg, VP Public Safety, LiveU, commented, “First responders cannot afford uncertainty. When a commander at an operations center makes a split-second decision, the difference between a voice description and live video from the scene is the difference between reacting and truly knowing. The Czech Fire Rescue Service is a strong example of what broadcast-grade reliability means when applied to mission-critical field operations – and the measurable impact on firefighting duration they have seen proves it. Across the world, public safety agencies are reaching the same conclusion: real-time situational awareness is no longer optional. It is operational infrastructure.”
Tomáš Veselý, Managing Director, Smart Informatics, said, “I have spent my career in broadcasting. When we moved into public safety, I underestimated very quickly that this is completely different. In broadcasting, if something goes wrong, you lose the picture. In emergency response, you can lose a life. This is the first time I have felt, with real certainty, that the technology I work with can directly affect whether people come home safely.”
Dariusz Grudzień, CEE Sales Director, LiveU, added, “Reliable connectivity is no longer a convenience for emergency services, it is a critical operational capability. Following the lessons learned from the 2022 Hřensko wildfire, this project demonstrates how resilient multi-network video transmission can give commanders continuous visibility, even in the most challenging environments. Together with Smart Informatics, we have delivered a solution that enables first responders to share real-time intelligence from anywhere, helping teams make faster decisions, coordinate resources more effectively, and better protect lives and communities.”
