4 May 2010
The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group has acquired voice and data satellite terminals to ensure fast and reliable access to the new Electronic Emergency Management Information System ( EMIS) system.
Jon Mitchell, Canterbury Emergency Management Regional Manager, says the Canterbury CDEM Group purchased voice and data satellite terminals in late 2009 for all Canterbury local authority Emergency Operations Centres. Environment Canterbury has acquired a matching terminal for the Regional Emergency Coordination Centre in Christchurch.
“For a total investment of less than $70,000, all emergency response organisations in Canterbury now have reliable, relatively high-speed ability to continue to share impact and response information - even if landlines and cell-phone communication is disrupted during emergencies, ” Jon Mitchell says.
The satellite communications system, called the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), provides an easy to use alternative platform to operate the Internet-based Emergency Management Information System (EMIS) soon to be introduced by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.
“This system means that even the most remote district councils will have access to the national EMIS during an emergency. The cost of communicating via-satellite is completely outweighed by the value of being able to communicate and coordinate effectively when the safety of our communities is most at stake. "