When it comes to building safer communities, it usually starts with the people who know those communities best.
For WatchTowers Networks, that’s where partners like Adaptive RF Solutions come in. Based in Wagga Wagga, Adaptive RF is a telecommunications specialist servicing the Riverina. They work across tower climbing, radio network maintenance and data connectivity - from installing base antennas and microwave dishes to expanding WiFi networks and Starlink connections.
This small team with a big reach has been busy climbing towers, installing cameras and connecting sites for us across the Riverina and Snowy Valleys. Their work helps bring our technology to life, turning designs on paper into real infrastructure that protects lives and property.
For Adaptive’s founder and director Braden Peel, this work is also personal.
“My hometown of Batlow was hit hard by the 2019 fires, so when I’m installing cameras on a hill, I know exactly why it matters,” he says.
The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 were among the most intense and destructive on record in Australia, sweeping from central Queensland all the way down to Victoria. They left a lasting mark on many small communities like Batlow. They also sparked the creation of WatchTowers Networks, born from a determination to help people detect and respond to fires faster. (Read more about that journey in Rising from the Ashes: The Birth of WatchTowers Networks.)
Nestled on the edge of the south-west slopes of the Great Dividing Range near Tumut, Batlow is best known for its apple orchards. During the fires, the town suffered widespread damage to homes, farms and local infrastructure, including the loss of orchards that had stood for generations. For locals like Braden, the experience left a clear sense of purpose - to help make sure their region is better protected next time.
Climbing towers, building trust
The WatchTowers and Adaptive RF partnership started through another partner in our ecosystem - the ACT Rural Fire Service (RFS). The ACT RFS have been central to how WatchTowers technology has evolved, helping us test and co-develop our systems in the field (read more about our partnership with the ACT RFS in Beyond the Fire Tower).
Word of mouth travels fast in regional Australia, and soon Braden and WatchTowers Networks founder Matthew Connolly were working together on their first installation at Mount Galore. It was the start of a partnership built on trust, safety and shared purpose.
Since then, Adaptive RF Tech has helped install several WatchTowers Sentinel Stations across southern NSW, including the site at Mt Flakney. Each tower involves careful planning, licensed rigging and strict safety checks.
“Every site is different,” says Braden. “You have to work out how to mount the cameras safely, tower positioning, be aware of other critical communications infrastructure and make sure everything will hold steady in the wind. It’s not just climbing a tower - it’s making sure it’s built to last.”
That technical skill is what makes Adaptive RF stand out. While other installation crews focus on just putting equipment in place, Braden and his team also plan and design how each camera and antenna will be safely mounted and connected on site. From setting up radio links to integrating the AI-enabled fire detection cameras that feed into WatchTowers CentralWatch, every detail counts.
Locals protecting locals
For Braden, there’s a lot of pride in seeing the WatchTowers he’s helped bring online become part of something bigger.
“I can log in to CentralWatch and see the sites we’ve worked on,” he says. “It’s an incredible view from up there, but what really hits home is knowing those cameras could help spot the next fire early.”
That sense of purpose is shared across the WatchTowers network. Right from the start, our approach has been about working with local partners, not just hiring them. It’s the same co-development mindset that shaped WatchTowers Command with the ACT Rural Fire Service - solutions built with, not for, the people who rely on them.
A partnership with purpose
The WatchTowers x Adaptive RF partnership shows what happens when big-picture vision meets local expertise. Every Sentinel Station or Mobile WatchTower that deploys across the region strengthens the WatchTowers Infrastructure network - an important step toward safer, more resilient communities.
And there’s much more to come in the months ahead. Together, we’re expanding the network of connected cameras that feed into CentralWatch and WatchTowers Command.
For Braden and the Adaptive RF team, it’s a future to be proud of.
“With WatchTowers, we’re doing something that matters. We’re helping people sleep a bit easier when the next fire season comes around,” he says.
From where we’re standing, that’s exactly what partnership should look like. Locals helping locals, technology working hand-in-hand with experience, and a shared belief that every WatchTower makes our stronger.
To find out more about Adaptive RF Solutions, visit www.adaptiverfs.com.
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