Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Mobile Satellite Ventures- Connecticut Department of Public Health Deploying Satellite Dispatch Radio from MSV to Enhance Bioterrorism Preparedness

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 18:47:29 -0500

Mobile Satellite Ventures- Connecticut Department of Public Health
Deploying Satellite Dispatch Radio from MSV to Enhance Bioterrorism
Preparedness

LAS VEGAS, March 24, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Mobile Satellite Ventures
(MSV), North America's premier provider of mobile satellite
communications services, through partner Liberty Communications,
announced today at the IWCE Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas, a
first-of-its-kind satellite-based emergency communications system being
deployed across the State of Connecticut using MSV's dispatch radio
capability.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH), which two years
ago was in the news spotlight, responding to an anthrax case that also
involved four other states, is the lead state agency deploying a system
to coordinate public health communications to respond to a bioterrorism
event or other health emergency.

The system, coined "MEDSAT" by CT-DPH, is funded through the state's CDC
Public Health Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response grant. MEDSAT
connects the CT-DPH Command Post to all 32 Connecticut-based hospitals,
the State of Connecticut Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and the
Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA).

"We have implemented a very secure and reliable voice communications
system," said Michael Purcaro, Communications Manager and MEDSAT project
leader for the CT-DPH. "We looked at hospitals as an important partner
in which to build this infrastructure. We are proud that as a result of
this deployment, Connecticut public health emergency communications is
on the leading edge of technology."

Purcaro said through the efforts of the department's Communication and
Information Technology/Health Alert Network workgroup, CT-DPH has
established multiple talk groups. These talk groups link the CT-DPH
Command Post to state hospitals, the State of Connecticut's EOC, the
CT-DPH's mobile MEDSAT units, the state's two hospital based Centers of
Excellence for bioterrorism preparedness and response and CHA. The
Centers of Excellence are represented by Hartford Hospital in the
northern tier of the state, and respectively, Yale New Haven Hospital in
the southern tier. MEDSAT has the ability to provide additional partner
access to talk groups within their organization to support an effective,
coordinated response to a public health emergency.

Scott Palmer, Manager for Emergency Communications Center at Hartford
Hospital, the largest medical center in Connecticut, noted that the
satellite terminals are deployed in designated areas such as dispatch
centers and emergency command centers. He oversees Hartford's 24 x 7
emergency dispatch center that handles both the hospital Security
Department and the LIFE STAR helicopter program used to transport
critically ill and injured people throughout the state and region.

"It's a tremendous benefit for the state as a whole to have this system
in place. The satellite system allows the Department of Public Health,
other hospitals and CMED (Coordinated-Medical Emergency Dispatch)
Centers a back-up system that will help to ensure the ability to
communicate critical messages in what may be the greatest time of need.
The State of Connecticut is covered."

Kerry Flaherty, Director of the State Office of Emergency Management,
plans to train his office's five area coordinators on the system.

"Being able to bring everyone together over one channel securely and
reliably is not something we currently have the ability to do with
cellular or traditional radio communications," said Flaherty, who
believes the system will do much to ensure communications
interoperability across the state's first responder community.

"This is just the beginning of the State of Connecticut using
leading-edge technology," added Flaherty. "We're very close to being
able to support response and recovery under the worst-possible
conditions without losing communications. I think in the future we will
expand the system to the local communities. It's going to be a great
system."

About MSV

Mobile Satellite Ventures is North America's premier provider of mobile
satellite communications services. Delivering service since 1996, MSV
offers customers a wide choice of wireless data, voice, fax and dispatch
radio services via its two MSAT satellites. MSV provides superior
capacity and reliability for customers across North America, northern
South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and in coastal
waters.

MSV is dedicated to developing the next generation hybrid wireless
network over North America that will utilize thousands of cell sites and
a satellite constellation working in unison to deliver seamless wireless
services to end-users over standard wireless devices.

MSV is headquartered in Reston VA with an office in Ottawa ON. For more
information, visit MSV online at www.msvlp.com
Note to Editors: To download a photo of the MSV dispatch radio system
being used in Connecticut, go to:

http://www.msvlp.com/images/ConnecticutDPH.jpg

More information on Homeland Security issues, including news releases,
events and experts available for comment, can be found on the Homeland
Security Newsline at www.primezone.com/hs
http://www.primezone.com/pages/news_releases.mhtml?d=54676

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

-- 
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address 
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEXTEL-1/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     [email-masked]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/