Security Solutions Featured Article

SkyTerra Facilitates Interoperable Communications in Shelby County

By Anuradha Shukla, TMCnet Contributor

Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) has announced it is deploying push-to-talk satellite services via SkyTerra (News - Alert). The deployment will help them provide a network for interoperable contingency communications for emergency operations throughout their six county Homeland Security region.

 

The Memphis/Shelby County UASI has been granted funds from UASI that provides monetary assistance to areas that are considered high-risk for natural or man-made events. The funds are provided to areas located within one of the specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated urban areas, such as Memphis.

 

The Memphis/Shelby County UASI has decided to use a portion of its UASI grants funding designated for one of its Interoperable Communications Projects to buy more than 250 MSAT-G2 (News - Alert) satellite radios and service subscriptions.

 

According to officials, SkyTerra and Central Communications, worked with the Shelby County Office of Preparedness to develop the required documentation for grant funding approval. The county commissioners then approved the purchase and the UASI-wide distribution plan for the MSAT-G2s.

 

Bob Nations Jr. director, Shelby County Office of Preparedness HLS/EMA (News - Alert) sees this as a great example of partnership between the public and private sectors that joined hands to develop a solution for a public safety requirement.

 

He believes that this example can be followed by other businesses and agencies around the nation to craft solutions for their local security and public service needs.      

 

Matthew Foosaner, vice president of government sales for SkyTerra said that they will aid their agency partners in planning and implementing push-to-talk satellite communications that meet the interoperability and redundancy requirements of many of the federal grant programs available.

 

Under the initiative, more than 230 mobile units in hardened travel cases with power adaptors will be placed with emergency response agencies throughout the Memphis/Shelby UASI region. These units can be readily deployed during emergencies.

Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anuradha’s article, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefania Viscusi