VIDEO: As the 2025 wildfire season begins with above-average risk across the West, fire crews are deploying a new tool designed in Boise that could make a major difference in how teams respond and stay safe.
Developed at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the Radio Interoperability and Communications System, or RICS kit, allows firefighters to communicate more reliably in remote, rugged terrain where traditional radios often fail.
The National Interagency Incident Communications Division created the kits, part of a multi-agency effort to solve long-standing communication gaps during wildland fire incidents. Unlike traditional radios, the RICS kits are designed to work across multiple frequencies and systems, even in areas with no cell coverage or internet access.
In the field, firefighters from different federal, state or local agencies can coordinate in real time without carrying multiple radios or losing signal in mountainous or smoke-heavy environments.
