As Texas is overwhelmed by a large ice/snow storm this week, it is safe to say that I have curtailed my travel plans and am watching for any sign of an inevitable power outage that could affect my family and livestock.
As we weather the cold as a family, my children are spending every moment online knowing that any additional ice or high wind could end their connection with the world without notice.
That awareness prevails in today’s business and government as well as we know that the word “function” is almost synonymous with the words “internet connection”. Once a luxury, the ability to have continuous voice and other forms of telecommunication is now crucial to doing our jobs, especially during times of duress.
Unfortunately, what makes our jobs so easy in peacetime becomes a massive concern during war. From daily operations to dispatching, from finances to logistics, from personnel tracking to situational awareness, without the internet, we are basically thrown into a world we not only no longer remember but one we cannot function within.
The problem is that we have based our lifeline on physical systems that are extremely vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks, tornadoes, large winter storms, floods and hurricanes.
Today’s internet has created the illusion that we have transcended the natural world, until the natural world drops in to remind us that we are still at its mercy. We have also learned that this tenuous relationship with technology saves lives…if we have access to it.
When a disaster strikes, our rather fragile cellular infrastructure can be destroyed and networks fail leaving you not only vulnerable but unable to serve those you have sworn to protect.
As technology users, we have placed our faith in technology, perhaps a bit too much as we expect technology to save us in our hour of need. The value of technology is its ability to connect people and when that connection is broken, our most valuable resources (humans) become broken as well.
The key to surviving disasters and dynamic events is having a reliable communication system which is why we have added to our arsenal of rapid response capabilities the ability to provide emergency internet services no matter where you are and no matter how long you need it.
In their analysis of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters titled “Coordinating Expertise among Emergent Groups Responding to Disasters”, authors Ann Majchrzak, Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa and Andrea B. Hollingshead looked specifically at the way technology can mitigate the challenge of tapping into expertise, noting that “disasters have wide implications for expertise coordination because the preconditions known to facilitate expertise coordination are limited or nonexistent in disaster response.”
The analysis further stated “Katrina catastrophe showcased the vulnerabilities of communications technology. While some successes occurred, much of the communications infrastructure was made useless by water, winds, or mismanagement. Landline and cellular telephone service was virtually nonexistent for days because of flooding, power outages, and even theft of equipment…. Attempts to get these systems back online were delayed by fuel shortages, conflicting demands for resources and lack of communication itself. Citizens largely lacked means of communicating pleas for help except in person. The toppling of cell towers, cutting of fiber-optic cables, and other devastation also frustrated relief efforts. Technology failures also hampered the response and rescue efforts.”
Disasters demand that we immediately adjust our pre-established game plan and reach out in an attempt to coordinate experts in order to respond and to collaborate spontaneously, in real time. But how?
Because of our partnership with Sclera Digital, connection is no longer a problem. Sclera Digital is a cinema equipment rental company based in California that for years has specialized in reliable Bonded WiFi technology and encrypted streaming solutions.
Now that we have partnered with Sclera, whether you are raising a large shelter or have a dynamic or disaster event requiring priority, immediate and reliable service, our team of certified engineers can deploy within 24 hours and meet your needs whatever the size.
Bonded WiFi technology offers more than just a replacement for your failed system but actually increases bandwidth, adds failover protection and allows for mobility while Sclera’s encryption processes will provide a solid layer of protection against interception.
This system does not just arrive on your doorstep. Every deployment of equipment includes techs and engineers that will work side-by-side with your administrative staff or command staff to make sure the system is up and operating as quickly as possible and stays up as long as you need it.
We are excited about this new capability and encourage you to reach out so we can discuss the “what-ifs” in your future.
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