By Teresa Carlson, Microsoft Vice President of U.S. Federal Government Sales
Many of us are starting to plan for our summer vacations and some much needed R&R. For the 35 million Americans who live along the Atlantic coast (and the first responders and other agencies that serve them), it’s time to start preparing for hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says there is a 70-percent chance of up to 14 named storms this year. Of those, four to seven could become hurricanes and up to three of those could be Category 3, 4 or 5 level hurricanes. First responders and state governments have been called upon by the President to be prepared.
As we’ve been reminded repeatedly since 9/11, communications interoperability is the key to responding to and managing disaster response. Unfortunately for many agencies, legacy hardware systems and lack of funding continue to keep interoperability out of their grasp. That leaves many of those who need it the most – the men and women at the agencies who are tasked with responding to a natural disaster – in a less than optimal place as we head into the summer.
So, what should our first responders do to make sure they are fully prepared to participate in shared-incident operations?
Having interoperable systems in place is the first step. It will allow for easy information gathering and assessment, so if an incident does occur, first responders can coordinate and prepare to respond quickly.
A strategy must be in place to make sure that the right information is getting to the right people at the right time. Your technology also needs to help you collect, analyze and disseminate quickly and efficiently.
Once the information is gathered and the situation analyzed, creating a communications capability that is mission ready is the next step. The best-case scenario is to use the right emergency response and communication system – an open, shared voice and data system – you may already have.
We have been working with our partners and customers in the Public Sector to ensure that they have the right systems in place to handle emergency communication needs.
Is your agency prepared for hurricane season?