AT&T Government Solutions is slated to become the primary wireless provider to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after being awarded three contracts worth a total of $50 million. The contracts are the largest AT&T holds with the Department of Homeland Security, of which FEMA is a component.

Under the terms of the contracts, AT&T will provide a combination of LaptopConnect wireless cards, BlackBerry 8820 smartphones and the 3G LG CU405 unit, which has push-to-talk capability, a vital feature for the agency’s first responders.

FEMA has 6,600 employees, many of whom will receive devices under the terms of the contracts, according to a representative from AT&T. The contracts each have a one-year base with four one-year options.

“A secure wireless communications infrastructure is critical for first responders and their emergency management operations… AT&T Government Solutions can help FEMA employees access the information they need for real-time decision making in the field while ensuring they can collect, access and transmit this information in a secure environment at all times, regardless of location,” said Don Herring, senior vice president, AT&T Government Solutions, in a statement today.

The laptop cards and smartphones will have Wi-Fi connections for more than 17,000 hot spots nationwide.

AT&T Government Solutions already provides voice and data services to several DHS agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.