## 2 Hardware Components  
Considering the system requirements presented in the introduction, the necessary hardware equipment has been selected and assembled in a field deployable solution depicted in Figure 1. The components comprising the solution are listed here and are, with the exception of the antenna mast, color-coded for easy recognition:  
* LoRaWAN concentrator (purple);
* Point to Point radio (yellow);
* Satellite Communication terminal (green);
* Power supply (generator + portable battery power station) (cyan);
* 4G antenna (red);
* WiFi 6 AP (orange);
* Central Communication Node (blue);
* Antenna mast. In what follows, we describe each component in detail along with the rationale behind our choice. _Antenna mast._ We begin the presentation of the proposed communications solution for the First Responders (FRs) with the antenna mast. It might not be the most high-tech component included in our kit but it is a rather important one. A significant factor affecting the covered area of a wireless communication system is antenna height. Its effect is discussed in the ITU-R P.1411 recommendation [13], where a relation between antenna height and communication range is established with the introduction of a communication distance break point, further from which the signal attenuation increases rapidly. Additionally, the antenna clearance of the surrounding environment determines the particular path loss model that best predicts the communication range. Models that are applicable to antenna heights greater than those of the surrounding obstacles are more forgiving in terms of attenuation. However, higher is not always better since a communication range greater than necessary leads to susceptibility for interference. It becomes evident that providing the means to alter the antenna height is essential for a successful system deployment. For this to be accomplished, a foldable antenna mast comprised of multiple identical sections is selected, which provides the ability to adjust the antenna height, giving the opportunity to adapt to the topological situation encountered on the ground by dynamically selecting the correct height. The main requirements are that the mast should be rated for a weight of up to 6 kg at the top, can be erected to a height of up to 6 meters, is deployed without much effort, and occupies little space when packaged. Furthermore, it should provide the means to mount the rest of the equipment on its base. We use the ST-R [14] antenna mast from Trival Antene. It is a foldable antenna mast with sections made out of glass-reinforced polyester material and an overall weight of 8.95 kg, making it suitable for single person carry. Its three-leg stay is designed for very quick elevation of the mast even on inclined ground and is accompanied by a guying set which can be used to fix the antenna mast firmly in place. _Satellite communication terminal._ Satellite communication has traditionally been a high-cost service with limited bandwidth and a transmission latency in the range of seconds due to signal delay caused by the long round trip from the earth to the satellite. However, it has global coverage and high availability and is thus one of the most resilient communication methods, making it a necessity for a communications solution targeting first responders. The Cobham Explorer 540 satellite terminal [15] is included here. It is a small (20 cm \(\times\) 20 cm ) and lightweight (1.6 kg) rugged IP66 design, offers up to 464 kbps of data rate, and can be installed in a timely manner due to its audio-assisted satellite alignment functionality. Figure 1: The INGENIOUS communications toolkit deployed in the field with the major components marked with color circles. LoRaWAN concentrator.On the top of the antenna mast, in the purple circle, is a LoRaWAN concentrator. LoRaWAN is a Low Power, Wide Area (LPWA) networking protocol usually associated with the Internet of Things (IoT) devices.