How Coleman Environmental Engineering Keeps Approximately 200 Field Employees Connected Beyond Coverage
Introduction
Coleman Environmental Engineering operates across California, Washington, and beyond—supporting utility partners with vegetation management and field operations in some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the western United States.
With approximately 200 field employees working daily in rural and mountainous regions, reliable communication was a crucial safety and compliance requirement.
From wildfire-prone zones to steep cliffs, wildlife encounters, and isolated utility corridors, crews regularly operate beyond cellular coverage.
We had an inspector in a remote mountain area without cellular coverage who injured his leg. He was able to use the device to notify us, and we sent employees out to assist him off the mountain so he could seek medical attention.
Charles Nix
Senior Vegetation Management Inspector
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Connect with an ExpertChallenge
Before adopting ZOLEO, Coleman Environmental Engineering field teams frequently worked in areas with little to no cellular service. This created serious operational and safety gaps.
Key Challenges:
- Remote mountainous terrain with steep cliffs and hazardous wildlife
- Rural areas where cellular coverage is limited or nonexistent
- Compliance requirements from utility partners for GPS tracking and communication
- Difficulty evacuating teams quickly during emergencies, such as wildfire events
In 2021, during a wildfire in Redding, crews had to be evacuated without reliable satellite communication, making it difficult to confirm everyone’s safety quickly. Without dependable off-grid communication, reaching every employee in time-sensitive situations was a major challenge.
Solution
Coleman Environmental Engineering deployed ZOLEO devices across its field workforce, equipping approximately 200 employees with daily satellite communication and GPS capability.
- Two-Way Satellite Messaging
Field staff can send and receive messages outside of cellular coverage, allowing supervisors to coordinate in real time, from routine updates to urgent assistance. When one inspector injured his leg in a remote mountain area, he used ZOLEO to alert his team, enabling a rapid response and safe extraction.
- Daily Check-Ins & Field Visibility
Supervisors receive check-ins at the beginning, middle, and end of shifts — ensuring teams are accounted for even in zero-coverage zones.
- Emergency Preparedness
In future wildfire or evacuation scenarios, leadership can now send rapid two-way messages to crews and pull them from the field far faster than before.
- Simple Rollout at Scale
ZOLEO proved easy to onboard across diverse teams. Field managers can train employees in minutes, and back-office staff can easily assign, suspend, and reassign devices as needed. Devices are built to withstand daily field use, including drops, while continuing to function reliably.
Outcome
With ZOLEO deployed company-wide, Coleman Environmental Engineering now operates with stronger safety oversight, improved compliance, and faster response capability.
- Crews are reachable at all times while in the field
- The company meets and exceeds client safety and GPS tracking requirements
- Supervisors gain real-time awareness of team status through daily check-ins
- Minor issues can be resolved quickly, such as coordinating fuel delivery to a stranded employee in a no-service area
From wildfire evacuations to routine rural patrols, Coleman Environmental Engineering now has continuous communication across 200 field employees, no matter how remote the job site is.
Now that we have ZOLEO, we are able to meet and exceed the safety requirements that our clients and we set for ourselves—being reachable at all times while in the field.
Eliott Bouquet
Program Manager, Field Operations
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