RF search support
Low-signal and multipath environments. Same RF pedigree as WestNet’s city Wi‑Fi and A‑OFDM work — useful when a phone is weak, not “magically on when powered off.”
WestNet · Calgary · Humanitarian Services
Missing persons field deployment
Our 2004 Ford E350 command van, RF search support, and optional heartbeat / life-sign gear — for agencies and SAR when minutes matter. Built by Abdou Traya from real Calgary Wi‑Fi ops, not a slide deck.
1998–WestNet in Calgary
E350 vanMast · rack · EV6010
Life-sign optionRF heartbeat package
westnet.ngoHumanitarian path
What we bring
The van, the radios, and the people who run them
When someone is missing, teams need coverage, RF sense, and a place to work from. This is WestNet’s actual field kit — not software-only tracking.
- E350 on site — 50ft mast, rack, Honda EV6010, portable Wi‑Fi / command.
- Weak-signal reality — parkades, concrete, fringe coverage; Wi‑Fi multipath experience from city ops.
- Life-sign option — RF micro-motion (heartbeat / breathing) when you cannot see the person.
- Humanitarian path — public-interest cases can route via westnet.ngo.
On the truck
What you can request
Straight inventory — say what you need on the form.
Heartbeat / life-sign
Optional RF sensing for micro-motion through walls or cover. Operator-run. Does not replace 9‑1‑1 or certified SAR.
2004 Ford E350
Wolf Coach high-top: 50ft mast, PTZ, dual stations, rack, EV6010 generator bay, shore power, strobes.
Shared map / timeline
Keep last-known and pings in one place so multi-agency handoffs do not depend on scattered texts.
Who we work with
Police, RCMP, SAR, fire/EMS, municipal EOC, NGOs, and family liaisons — deploy or brief.
Humanitarian path
Resource-gap or public-interest cases: westnet.ngo with WestNet Wireless ops.
Photos
The same E350 in the field
Night profile, mast, generator bay, rain deploy, City Wi‑Fi job — from the fleet listing.
Fleet listing: 2004 Ford E350 News Van ENG Wi‑Fi Conversion
Wireless heritage
From Calgary’s first community Wi‑Fi to A‑OFDM
This program sits on twenty-five years of building and operating real radios on real streets — not a slide deck alone.
Abdou Traya — Wi‑Fi pioneer
Founded WestNet in Calgary (1998). Built Albert Park / Radisson Heights community Wi‑Fi (2001), then city-scale commercial wireless with W‑OFDM lineage. Field experience in parkades, stairwells, floods, and multi-tenant RF is the foundation for this search capability.
W‑OFDM → A‑OFDM relevance
Calgary’s original W‑OFDM math powered clean, efficient OFDM wireless that “just worked.” Abdou Traya’s A‑OFDM advances multipath cooperation, dense control pulses, and low-latency access — the same physics problems search teams face in concrete, foliage, basements, and urban canyons.
WestNet is not promising magic GPS through a powered-off brick. We offer RF-literate field deployment, mobile connectivity, and coordination tools so investigators spend less time fighting signal unknowns.
Funded / supported by WestNet Humanitarian Services — a UN-registered NGO supplier path for public-interest and humanitarian deployments. Learn more at www.WestNet.ngo. Operational wireless remains WestNet N.A. / WestNet Wireless Communications.
Why WestNet
Field program vs. generic “tracker” software
Clarity for procurement, chiefs, and SAR coordinators evaluating options under pressure.
| Dimension | WestNet Missing Persons program | Generic tracking apps |
|---|---|---|
| Core strength | RF + mobile infrastructure + ops coordination | Software UI only; depends on perfect device state |
| Field hardware | 2004 Ford E350 command van, 50ft mast, rack, generator, portable coverage | Usually none |
| Life-sign option | Optional RF heartbeat / breathing micro-motion detection package | Rarely offered with wireless deploy kits |
| Wireless pedigree | Calgary Wi‑Fi pioneer (Traya / W‑OFDM / A‑OFDM lineage) | Commodity cloud stack |
| Local support | Calgary-based — phone and on-site path | Offshore ticket queues |
| Humanitarian lane | WestNet.ngo for public-interest cases | Commercial licence only |
| First-responder training | Links to WestNet First Responders learning titles | Rarely tied to clinical / field education |
First responders
Train the humans who show up first
Technology helps — trained observers save lives. Pair deployment with WestNet Medical Publications resources.
WestNet First Responders
Co-published with WestNet Humanitarian Services. Dignity-first field guidance for EMS, fire, police, and allied responders. Free Calgary edition available to read online — use it alongside search-and-rescue deployments.
Deploy / brief
Request a deployment or agency briefing
Use the form for active cases, procurement planning, SAR partnerships, or media/liaison coordination. Prefer voice? Call the ops line below — tell us you are calling about missing-persons deployment.
Start deployment request
Active cases first. Fill what you can — a WestNet advisor will call back. For life-threatening emergencies dial 9-1-1, then us at (403) 774-7470.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 first. This form does not replace emergency services.