AWINS^TM Proves Its Value in Katrina Relief— Closes Major Communications Gaps

September 22, 2005

Annapolis, Maryland—Following the tragic events of 9/11, ARINC Incorporated developed a unique communications technology to help multiple public safety agencies and emergency responders communicate easily in a crisis—even if they have separate, incompatible radio systems.

That technology—AWINS^TM— has just passed its first real-life test. In two weeks of intense medical relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, AWINS almost certainly saved lives.

Days after Hurricane Katrina struck, ARINC’s AWINS technology rolled south aboard a super-capable Mobile Command and Communications Unit from Anne Arundel County, MD, joining teams from other Maryland jurisdictions on their way to the Gulf region.

With its ten-person crew from the county and four ARINC technicians, MCCU-1 would provide much-needed radio communications for six medical relief clinics spread out around Jefferson Parish, within sight of New Orleans. The six clinics were staffed by hundreds of out-of-state doctors and nurses under the protection of the National Guard.

MCCU-1 set up its central communications site at Meadowcrest Hospital, which had been evacuated just before Katrina struck. The crew brought the communications unit to full operational capability in about a half hour, and quickly discovered most of the local and state emergency radio infrastructure on their side of New Orleans was completely knocked out.

Using the AWINS capability, the crew set out to link together dozens of separate radio systems being used by all of the local police, fire, and rescue workers in the New Orleans area.

By their second day, the MCCU-1 crew had integrated and programmed many different mobile and portable radios obtained from volunteers. Using these units, MCCU-1 began to operate as a dispatch and monitoring station for all of the EMS personnel in the field, as well as for the six clinics.

Working closely with local authorities, the crew started solving major radio interference problems that had been hampering rescue efforts. They re-assigned radio channels among the emergency agencies involved, freeing up the clogged radio spectrum so that many more calls could get through.

The crew encountered problems communicating with one particular medical relief site located 15 miles away. To solve that, they installed a VHF radio repeater on top of the evacuated hospital, and using this they were able to significantly increase the range of all their communications. They had additional VHF portables flown in for various agencies to use when the agencies’ own 800 Mhz units were out of range.

The MCCU team also integrated their 800 Mhz system with Jefferson Parish's local 800 Mhz system to take advantage of the coverage of the parish’s working repeater system. This step also significantly expanded the mobile command unit’s coverage area.

During this time, the area was still under martial law, and outside activities were limited after dark. Evenings became busy as personnel returned from the field, and the MCCU-1 crew was busy keeping radios running, fixing and charging handhelds, and re-programming.

One evening, with the help of an armed escort (two National Guardsmen with machine guns) the team was able to go out and investigate problems at several of their distant repeaters. They were able to make significant coverage improvements by raising the antennas as much as 20 feet.

The emergency activity began to decline after about a week, and the MCCU-1 team had a chance to show some features of their unique communications vehicle to many interested public safety personnel and emergency responders from Jefferson Parish and other states.

An internet cafe was set up outside the MCCU for use by out-of-state workers. The MCCU-1’s satellite link allowed them to send e-mails, place phone calls to loved ones, and stay in contact with their private practices and regular employers in other states. Finding out what was happening at home proved extremely beneficial, and allowed workers to fully concentrate on the job at hand without distractions.

Using the satellite link, MCCU-1 set up a teleconference between a TV Channel from New Orleans and Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens and county Police Chief Ronald D. Blackwell in Maryland. A news team from Baltimore’s Channel 2 came through Jefferson Parish and televised some of the activity at the MCCU.

“This has been a learning experience for everyone here, including all of the Guard, Fire, EMS, and Police officers,” reported ARINC’s Steve Morgan. “They have never had this much technology available to them. Everyone here has been amazed at all the different things Anne Arundel’s command center can do.”

But the real story was not the technology, but the results. During the first six days of activity for MCCU-1, the medical clinics it supported saw a total of 1,666 patients, and of those, 27 were transported to hospitals. Through its efforts, many hurricane victims were able to find medical help and get the treatment they needed. The technology almost certainly helped to save many lives.

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,000 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Release: 05-162

Stephen E. Means
Vice President, Marketing & Sales
corpcomm@arinc.com
410-266-4652