CHANDLER, Ariz.m 7 March 2006. World Communication Center (WCC), a provider of global satellite voice and data communications, has introduced its custom-manufactured "Hot Shot Kit" (HSK) based on Iridium satellite technology. The solution enables emergency management teams to communicate even in the absence of landlines and cell towers. The portable kit provides all the telephone, e-mail, and Internet accessibility needed for a team of up to 32 to communicate with each other and back to base.
With all equipment safely contained in a sealed, rugged safety waterproof case, WCC's HSK meets the needs of emergency responders for such scenarios as disaster and rescue operations, crisis management, emergency preparedness, business continuity, non-profit and volunteer operations, and backup communications for government, tribal officials, and remote businesses and residences -- especially those prone to extreme weather.
According to WCC's president and inventor, Sam Romey, the HSK was developed for forest firefighting crews and government agencies that require fully self-contained waterproof and ruggedized portable communication systems that immediately deploy with little or no training.
The HSK includes either a 12- or 36-volt cigarette lighter plug or 110- to 220-volt AC adapter, along with an onboard battery power supply. WCC's HSK can communicate between on-site team members with up to 32 portable radio/telephone handsets, or each individual handset can make a single call satellite-to-satellite and/or via the satellite-to-analog network.
Equipped with small, easy-to-place omnidirectional antennas, the HSK works in a moving vehicle, inside a building with a fixed antenna on roof, or outdoors with up to a mile range if unobstructed from the base station. Optional GPS-enabled units are available to provide Web-based tracking capabilities for each Hot Shot Kit.
Pricing for the standard HSK model with four handsets begins at $6,500, but varies depending on options or upgrades.
