Techniques are described for wireless communication. A first method includes determining that a first node associated with a first operator in a deployment of operators has emergency data to transmit over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band and transmitting, by the first node, a signal over the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band. The signal may indicate that the first node has emergency data to transmit. A second method includes receiving, at a first base station associated with a first operator in a deployment of operators, an uplink transmission from a user equipment (UE) indicating that the UE has emergency uplink data to transmit over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band and transmitting, by the first base station, an indication to a second base station that the UE has emergency uplink data to transmit over the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.