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The Emergency Response Team from Sprint Nextel reportedly is all set to demonstrate the deployment of communications and other infrastructure for catastrophic events to first respondents in Oklahoma.

 

The over-the-air tactical exercise will address catastrophic incident response, emergency preparedness and response as well as disaster recovery. Rapid deployment of IP and wireless communications systems will also be demonstrated in this live show.

 

Tornadoes throughout the Midwest have raised awareness about the need for more emergency preparedness and response. Both state and local agencies including U.S. Marshals Services, Department of Homeland Security and Oklahoma City Police Department have signed up for the demonstration held this week at Sprint Nextel (News - Alert). Dan Gillison, director of public sector at Sprint Nextel and Tanya Lin, manager of Sprint’s ERT State will be among the presenters.

 

Sprint ERT is a unique group within Sprint, as its services can be deployed during declared emergencies, field training exercises and National Special Security Events. The group will provide wireless telecommunications equipment, infrastructure and operations support to federal, state public safety, law enforcement and military entities during times of emergency. The team at Sprint ERT consists of a core team along with hundreds of reservists across the country.

 

These reservists will staff State and Local Emergency Operation Centers to provide a conduit between Sprint Nextel and the EOC for open communications about network status and priorities. These reservists also receive extensive training in emergency management policies and practices to support public safety agencies during disasters.

 

Sprint ERT will provide three key resources during disaster response and recovery efforts, namely personnel, equipment and infrastructure. The ERT has around 30,000 phones for use by public sector customers in times of crisis. ERT Go-Kits enable public safety officials to keep a cache of phones ready for rapid activation during emergencies.

 

The ERT also maintains proprietary satellite equipment that can restore service rapidly in even the most severe conditions. These include Sprint SatCOWs (Satellite Cell Sites on Wheels) and SatCOLTs (Satellite Cell Sites on Light Trucks) that can restore wireless and IP wireline connectivity anywhere, without connecting to the local power or telephone utilities.