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Wireless Disaster Recovery

Katrina Telecom Status Sam Churchill has a good post on the Hurricane Katrina disaster and wireless technologies on his website this morning. Like you all, I've been transfixed by the scope of the tragedy unfolding in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. It just seems to get worse each day, as news of deaths, property loss, misery, and destruction unfold. Compounding the general chaos that comes after a hurricane, with the loss of power and wired and wireless telecommunications, New Orleans is faced with a flood of biblical proportions that makes physical movement nearly impossible. What do first responders do when the infrastructures they depend upon have all but disappeared? They race to do what they can, which is what we are watching, but it inevitably seems to be too little too late in the face of such a massive disaster and tragedy.

The news coverage has highlighted the lack of communication options on the scene for first responders. To implement any plan and coordinate any recovery, teams need to communicate with each other. Voice radio is the traditional response tool, but like any narrowband technology, it has its limiations, whcih were well documented in the aftermath of 9/11.

I had an interesting conversation this morning with Tony Alardin at SiteWatch Systems, which is a professional systems integrator of IP-based access control and wireless systems. They offer an all-in-one system for setting up ad hoc broadband communication local area networks. This trailer comes with an extendable mast with preattached communication systems, and its own power source - generators, solar, and/or batteries.

SiteWatch Systems integrates metro-scale mesh systems and intelligent radios, with long-range telecom technology, and powers it with its own power source, providing a first responder organization the capability to set up an ad-hoc network anywhere very rapidly. SiteWatch units use two radios - one to bring in the signal, and another to create an instant Hot Spot. Such a fixed network is complemented with mobile Wi Fi nodes placed into the first responder vehicles, be they police cars, ambulances, power utility vehicles, etc. Because this system is broadband, it has the capability to use video cameras to provide live video feeds over the wireless networks.

This type solution is available and affordable for government agencies to take advantage of. If you know of other systems of this type, please let me know. Also, if you have connections within disaster recovery organizations, please make them aware that this solution is waiting in the wings.

Posted on September 01, 2005 at 02:34 PM

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