Iridium Lauds Introduction of Senate Bill as 1st Responders
Prepare for June 1 Hurricane Season Launch
Iridium Satellite announces its first responder customer
base is today better situated to access Congressional
funding for pre-positioning emergency equipment. Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Senator
Daniel Inouye (D-HI) have introduced Senate Bill S.
2686 -- the "Communications, Consumer's Choice
and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006." In particular,
the "Strategic Technology Reserves Initiative"
section of S. 2686 calls for the pre-positioning or
securing of "communications equipment in advance
for immediate deployment in an emergency or major disaster."
Timing is optimal for this legislation since the U.S.
hurricane season kicks off June 1.
Multiple third party reports have surfaced in the communications
industry confirming that many states that could be affected
by hurricanes this season are still far from being prepared
from a communications perspective. First responder organizations
have been working diligently to pre-position mobile
satellite communications equipment so they are prepared
for this year's hurricane season. However, they lack
the financial resources to put their communications
programs in place before June 1.
"Approving S. 2686 will deliver a strong message
that comprehensive telecommunications reform is the
only way to put the necessary tools in the hands of
our first responders and to protect our citizens,"
said Greg Ewert, executive vice president, Iridium Satellite.
"We commend Chairman Stevens and Co-Chairman Inouye
on their leadership on this issue."
Iridium supports keeping the crucial satellite communications
language in S. 2686 intact. The company also urges House
Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) to include such
provisions in an expected conference committee that
will merge respective pieces of telecom legislation.
Iridium Satellite offers a backup emergency satellite
communications package that first responder organizations
can easily use in the event of an emergency. The Iridium
package includes both voice and data communications
products and services. Going into the 2006 hurricane
season, many first responders are even looking beyond
traditional voice services via satellite phones, and
are concentrating on asset tracking and redirection
of equipment, supplies, vehicles and personnel when
disaster strikes. Iridium also is interoperable with
all other emergency communications systems, including
UHF and VHF radios, as well as others.
"First responders using Iridium tell us time and
again that we're often the only line of communications
they have, particularly during and right after disasters
strike," Ewert said. "When communications
infrastructure goes down, they need to get to the disaster
scene and connect back to headquarters to coordinate
their rescue and relief mission. In that scenario, it's
prudent for first responders to already have equipment,
to be familiar with it, to be trained on it, and to
make sure it is charged and ready for use. This legislation
supports their efforts to do so."
Due to the nature of the Iridium service, it often
is a first responder tool of choice. The Iridium service
is global, mobile, easy to set up, independent of land-based
infrastructure, usable in and out of doors, and interoperable
with all other first responder communications tools.
It usually takes several days for first responders to
set up more permanent, fixed communications services
in a disaster scene. First responders use Iridium to
keep in touch and coordinate rescue missions as they
unfold.
"Iridium applauds the nation's leaders who recognize
our first responder pool must be prepared for the next
set of disasters, be they hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes
or man-made disasters," Ewert said. "Pre-positioning
and securing equipment is a sensible course of action.
Now that the funding may be more easily accessible,
our first responders can be more prepared, in communication
with each other, and more in control of critical relief
efforts."
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25 October 2006
