AUSTIN, Texas (February 19, 2025) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – RapidDeploy, the leading cloud-native solution provider for public safety, is proud to announce today that Minnesota State Patrol has been honored with the RapidDeploy Superstar Award. This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of the first responder team, including Justin Armstrong, J.P. Lundell, Nick Selness, and Jordan Weidenhaft, whose quick thinking and innovative use of RapidDeploy technology enabled a life-saving cross-border rescue.
RapidDeploy Technology Enables Life-Saving Cross-Border Rescue
On September 30, 2024, Minnesota State Patrol faced a unique challenge—a 911 medical emergency call came in involving a man stranded in the water near a small island close to the U.S. and Canada border. The initial 911 call was routed to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) due to cell tower routing, delaying the transfer of critical information to U.S. authorities. With no location data available, the team at Minnesota State Patrol turned to RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping technology.
Using the platform’s advanced tools, the team entered the caller’s number, and precise coordinates of the caller were automatically populated. This information was shared with local rescue teams, enabling a rapid response that saved the stranded man’s life.
Honoring First Responders for Their Innovation and Impact
The Minnesota State Patrol’s resourcefulness and technical proficiency exemplify the powerful combination of RapidDeploy technology and dedicated telecommunicators. Jordan Weidenhaft reflected, “This incident shows the power of RapidDeploy’s interoperability, demonstrating how the platform not only improves in-state coordination but also supports seamless cross-border collaboration.”
Steve Raucher, CEO and co-founder of RapidDeploy, commented, “The dedication and ingenuity of the Minnesota State Patrol team in leveraging RapidDeploy’s technology to pinpoint this stranded caller is truly remarkable. Their swift actions exemplify the very reason we do what we do—empowering first responders with the tools they need to reduce response times and make a real difference in emergency situations. Seeing our technology in action like this makes me incredibly proud of this team and our mission.”
The Superstar Award reflects RapidDeploy's ongoing commitment to recognize first responders' extraordinary efforts and highlight innovative technology's impact on emergency response. By showcasing real-life examples of heroism and the capabilities of RapidDeploy's Next Generation 911 (NG911) solutions, RapidDeploy aims to inspire and empower first responders with access to critical data to drive faster, more effective emergency responses.
To read more about past award winners, see the Celebrating Our RapidDeploy Superstars blog post.
About RapidDeploy
Founded in 2016, and based in Austin, TX, RapidDeploy is the leading cloud-native platform for public safety. We provide Next Generation 911 solutions that deliver intelligent information throughout the emergency response journey, empowering agencies and first responders to drive better outcomes in mission-critical situations.
With a curated partner network, our platform combines mobile signals, critical datasets, and call information into a single operating system, improving emergency response with location accuracy, situational awareness, modern communications, and actionable insights. Our products improve outcomes and ultimately save lives. In 2025, RapidDeploy celebrated its eighth consecutive year on the GovTech 100 list as a company to watch, earned a spot on Built In's Best Places to Work 2025, and was honored as one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies.
Learn more at www.rapiddeploy.com.
