Craig Martinez never expected to trade in his police badge for a magenta one. But after nearly three decades in law enforcement and the military, the calling that had defined his life — to protect, to serve, to help those in need — found a new uniform at T-Mobile.
Today, Martinez leads public safety strategy for T-Mobile’s emergency response teams, ensuring that first responders across the country have the connectivity and technology they need when every second counts. And earlier this year, Martinez drew on his firsthand understanding of emergency operations to help launch T-Mobile’s T-Priority — a cutting-edge 5G solution built specifically for first responders. For him, the work is still about answering the call, but on a scale he never imagined.
“This opportunity meant I still get to help first responders and communities not only where I live but across the country,” Martinez said.
That spirit of service is also at the heart of T-Mobile’s annual holiday time Giving Season, the company’s celebration of how employees show up for their communities and each other. Funded by the T-Mobile Foundation, which aims to make a difference by mobilizing its brand, technology and people for social good, the company encourages all employees to give back throughout the year in big and small ways, volunteering time or donating to charities they are passionate about. In 2025, the spotlight shines on first responders: the firefighters, EMTs and officers who run toward danger so the rest of us can stay safe.
Starting on National First Responders Day, Oct. 28, the T-Mobile Foundation will provide employees a $25 donation credit to put toward an organization of their choice during its Giving Season, which runs through Nov. 21. Additionally, the T-Mobile Foundation will provide a 2:1 match on employee donations to selected first responder causes that include Tunnel to Towers, American Red Cross, First Responder Children’s Foundation and American Heart Association.
The company is also empowering its customers to take part in charitable efforts on a national scale through T-Mobile Tuesdays via the T-Life app. On National First Responders Day, customers are encouraged to click to have T-Mobile donate up to $250,000 to Tunnel to Towers, supporting the families of fallen first responders. On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, people can click to donate to First Responders Children’s Foundation, with T-Mobile matching and donating up to $200,000 in total.
Since 2020, T-Mobile has given $43 million and volunteered more than 134,000 hours to support over 20,000 nonprofits across the U.S. during Giving Season.
For Martinez, it’s personal.
“I always said if I decided to retire after 27 years of being in law enforcement and the military, I need to do something that I love because I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” Martinez said.
A marine fresh out of high school who rose to the rank of police chief in Utah, Martinez’s extensive background in roles such as patrol, investigations and public information officer has equipped him with a unique set of skills to lead T-Mobile’s public safety teams.
“At T-Mobile we have almost 50 retired police officers on our public safety teams with almost 1,400 years of combined experience,” he explained. “To me that says something. It’s a huge benefit not only for my first responder brothers and sisters but for the company as a whole, because when I talk to police leaders about why T-Mobile is such a powerhouse, we know we are the best choice. We understand their needs and are always in their corner to make sure they have the tools and connectivity in any type of setting.”
For half a decade, Martinez says he and members of T-Mobile’s emergency response teams across the country have been a constant partner with agencies and its responders — advising them on connectivity needs and community support. From natural disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, to more recent events this year such as wildfires in California and floods in Texas, he has been involved in every stage of preparing and responding to support first responders and the communities they serve no matter where they are or the circumstance.
“We’re ready today for the event that may happen tomorrow,” he said. “The way I love to look at it is you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.”
Martinez says his team has more tools than ever at their disposal, like 5G-powered drones and AI and automation-driven technology that monitors performance and makes real-time adjustments to cell towers. He’s also constantly assessing how to best use T-Priority to provide connectivity in places that are experiencing extreme network congestion during emergencies or without traditional cell coverage.
“What I really love about our teams is the fact we are coordinating across all of T-Mobile all the time to support first responders and the community as a whole,” Martinez said.
Through T-Priority, T-Mobile delivers an evolving suite of technologies designed specifically for public safety and emergency response. This program combines a dedicated 5G network slice — providing lower latency, faster speeds and the highest priority access across all 5G bands on its network — with new tools that extend connectivity even further.
And T-Priority also continues to grow through new collaborations with organizations such as Airgain, Cellhub/TriCascade, Global Telecom, Sonim and Siyata Mobile. These organizations are equipping first responders and public safety agencies with an even wider range of connected devices — from rugged smartphones and in-vehicle routers to fleet management and situational awareness tools — all capable of supporting real-time video, data and voice communication in the field.
T-Mobile launched T-Satellite with Starlink as part of the broader T-Priority ecosystem. It’s the first direct-to-cell satellite service in the country that enables life-saving emergency texts where no cell tower could reach. The company most recently announced the technology is also powering data on popular apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps and AllTrails on most smartphones from the last four years. That means essential tools like app-based voice and video chat, mapping, weather and social media sharing are also now part of the T-Satellite experience.
“Ultimately the way I look at connectivity and the solutions and services that we provide is the ability to affect lives,” Martinez said. “In law enforcement and firefighting, time saves lives. The speed and reliability of secure communications can save lives. Things like T-Priority and T-Satellite can save lives. We already have quantified data that shows that these solutions have affected lifesaving efforts. The proof is there.”
It’s another reason why T-Mobile’s Giving Season is focusing on first responders this year — because behind every emergency response are men and women whose quiet heroics keep communities safe, often without recognition.
“I love the support that T-Mobile and our senior leaders are giving to first responders because honestly, we’re doing the right thing,” Martinez said. “I just flew back from New York, attending events with members of Tunnel to Towers. I watched the CEO Frank Siller stand on a stage with hundreds of people in attendance and specifically shout out T-Mobile for what we’re doing to give back to our first responders. It made me emotional.”
The emotion and pride that washed over Martinez that day is not just as a T-Mobile employee, but as someone who spent his life in the same shoes as the first responders being honored. He says Giving Season is just another way for him to keep answering the call. For all of T-Mobile and its employees, it’s a chance to stand with him — and with every first responder who shows up when it matters most.
Learn more here about the many tools and advanced technological solutions Martinez and the T-Mobile Emergency Response teams use to help support first responders and keep communities connected when it’s most important. And don’t forget to visit T-Mobile Tuesdays via the T-Life app on National Responders Day, Oct. 28, and Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, where you can click to donate to Tunnel to Towers and First Responders Children’s Foundation respectively.
