Sprint Emergency Response Team Provides Industry-Leading Critical Communications During Emergencies and High-Profile Planned Events
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- 2009 was another active year for the Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT), providing secure and reliable communications with wireless equipment, infrastructure and operational support to more than 850 events, including the 56th presidential inauguration, the Red River floods and the shooting massacre in Fort Hood, Texas.
With more than 3,800 deployments since the team was created in 2002, this team is prepared daily with dedicated and experienced personnel with backgrounds in military, public safety and business continuity; a fleet of voice and data infrastructure; and more than 25,000 handsets and mobile broadband devices. The deep expertise of Sprint ERT ensures quick and thorough operations support in any type of situation and during rapidly changing conditions.
A sample of key 2009 deployments and initiatives for Sprint ERT:
* January - The 56th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
* February - Arkansas ice storms
As ice storms moved through Arkansas and Kentucky, Sprint ERT provided additional communications to law enforcement and responders working to mitigate the hazards that the ice storms brought to their regions.
* February - Palatka, Fla., missing child situation
The team provided a SatCOLT (Satellite Cell on Light Truck) to provide coverage in a remote area in Florida to help law enforcement and search and rescue personnel communicate during the search for a missing five-year-old girl.
* March - Red River Floods
* August - First hurricane and tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season
* September - Southern California Wildfires
* November - Fort Hood shootings
Sprint ERT provided handsets, mobile broadband devices and satellite Internet connectivity to the military and responding agencies to assist with communications immediately following the shootings at Fort Hood.
* November - Child missing in Volusia County, Fla.
Volusia County sheriff's department contacted Sprint ERT to provide a SatCOLT to assist in the search of a five-year-old boy who wandered into a wooded area near his home. Fortunately, the child was found unharmed several hours later.
* December - Toys for Tots (USMC)
Sprint ERT donated 250 units for 60 days and $262,500 in services to Toys for Tots and Salvation Army.
"Sprint ERT was first in the industry to provide critical voice and data communications during disasters, emergencies, field training exercises and agency specific events," said Tim Donahue, vice president of Industry Solutions, Sprint. "We're very proud of our history. We have deep relationships with public safety officials across the country, and we're often the first call they make when they need communications support during an emergency or planned event."
Sprint ERT provides short-term communications (voice and data) for all public sector, general business and enterprise clients, including:
* Rapid deployment solutions to ensure continuous communications with 24x7 support. Using SatCOLTs and SatIP assets, cellular and IP-based communications are quickly restored and temporary phones provide immediate communications, situational awareness and location-based services.
* Establishing a field operations emergency center or mobile office, even in remote or dangerous environments. Sprint deploys SatCOLTs to instantly relay vital information over Sprint's secure networks.
* ERT Go-Kits, which provide a cache of handsets, mobile broadband devices and critical accessories that can be stored in strategic locations and activated quickly during emergencies, preparedness drills or pre-planned events.
* Supplying additional phones needed during disasters, pre-planned events or field training exercises. The ERT has an inventory of more than 25,000 mobile phones available for short-term rental.
2010 activities already under way
Sprint ERT is already scheduled to participate in several activities in early 2010, including the "Interoperable Communications Summit 2010, Operation Radar" hosted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding, Fla., during the week of Jan. 25. The purpose of the event is to bring key members of the emergency communications sector to address tactical interoperability, finalize regional, state and federal communications plans, as well as field testing regional and local communications systems for interoperability.
Sprint ERT and Emergency Management magazine are also planning a Resilient Communications event for the first week of March in Las Vegas. This event will highlight the need for resilient communications and bring a focus to solutions that are available. The event is free for all government employees, and more details will be communicated soon.
For more information about Sprint ERT, visit http://www.sprint.com/ERT or the organization's blog at http://www.sprintert.com.
With more than 3,800 deployments since the team was created in 2002, this team is prepared daily with dedicated and experienced personnel with backgrounds in military, public safety and business continuity; a fleet of voice and data infrastructure; and more than 25,000 handsets and mobile broadband devices. The deep expertise of Sprint ERT ensures quick and thorough operations support in any type of situation and during rapidly changing conditions.
A sample of key 2009 deployments and initiatives for Sprint ERT:
* January - The 56th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
* February - Arkansas ice storms
As ice storms moved through Arkansas and Kentucky, Sprint ERT provided additional communications to law enforcement and responders working to mitigate the hazards that the ice storms brought to their regions.
* February - Palatka, Fla., missing child situation
The team provided a SatCOLT (Satellite Cell on Light Truck) to provide coverage in a remote area in Florida to help law enforcement and search and rescue personnel communicate during the search for a missing five-year-old girl.
* March - Red River Floods
* August - First hurricane and tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season
* September - Southern California Wildfires
* November - Fort Hood shootings
Sprint ERT provided handsets, mobile broadband devices and satellite Internet connectivity to the military and responding agencies to assist with communications immediately following the shootings at Fort Hood.
* November - Child missing in Volusia County, Fla.
Volusia County sheriff's department contacted Sprint ERT to provide a SatCOLT to assist in the search of a five-year-old boy who wandered into a wooded area near his home. Fortunately, the child was found unharmed several hours later.
* December - Toys for Tots (USMC)
Sprint ERT donated 250 units for 60 days and $262,500 in services to Toys for Tots and Salvation Army.
"Sprint ERT was first in the industry to provide critical voice and data communications during disasters, emergencies, field training exercises and agency specific events," said Tim Donahue, vice president of Industry Solutions, Sprint. "We're very proud of our history. We have deep relationships with public safety officials across the country, and we're often the first call they make when they need communications support during an emergency or planned event."
Sprint ERT provides short-term communications (voice and data) for all public sector, general business and enterprise clients, including:
* Rapid deployment solutions to ensure continuous communications with 24x7 support. Using SatCOLTs and SatIP assets, cellular and IP-based communications are quickly restored and temporary phones provide immediate communications, situational awareness and location-based services.
* Establishing a field operations emergency center or mobile office, even in remote or dangerous environments. Sprint deploys SatCOLTs to instantly relay vital information over Sprint's secure networks.
* ERT Go-Kits, which provide a cache of handsets, mobile broadband devices and critical accessories that can be stored in strategic locations and activated quickly during emergencies, preparedness drills or pre-planned events.
* Supplying additional phones needed during disasters, pre-planned events or field training exercises. The ERT has an inventory of more than 25,000 mobile phones available for short-term rental.
2010 activities already under way
Sprint ERT is already scheduled to participate in several activities in early 2010, including the "Interoperable Communications Summit 2010, Operation Radar" hosted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding, Fla., during the week of Jan. 25. The purpose of the event is to bring key members of the emergency communications sector to address tactical interoperability, finalize regional, state and federal communications plans, as well as field testing regional and local communications systems for interoperability.
Sprint ERT and Emergency Management magazine are also planning a Resilient Communications event for the first week of March in Las Vegas. This event will highlight the need for resilient communications and bring a focus to solutions that are available. The event is free for all government employees, and more details will be communicated soon.
For more information about Sprint ERT, visit http://www.sprint.com/ERT or the organization's blog at http://www.sprintert.com.
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