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Fusionpoint Enables Interoperability Among US Coast Guard, Canada Customs and Cities of Detroit and Windsor
Reprinted from The University of Windsor’s UWindsor Prepare newsletter (September 2011, Volume 1, Issue 2) available online here.
On August 23rd and 24th The University of Windsor utilized its emergency operations software when the City of Windsor, US Coast Guard, Canada Customs and Detroit Department of Homeland Security collaborated to test emergency preparedness on the Detroit River.
Exercise “Detroit River Readiness” dealt with a waterborne rescue and explosion on the U.S.-based tour boat, the S.S. Detroit Princess in the Detroit River. The exercise tested the potential impact of such a disaster on both sides of the river. There were simulated casualties in the river which the US Coast Guard and Windsor Port Authority “rescued” along with the assistance of several local Police Boat crews.
The University as well as Detroit and Windsor all activated their Emergency Operations Centres and had a chance to communicate using the University’s WebEOC software. Response support workers also shared a common situational GIS map using the Fusionpoint software acquired by the University and shared with the City of Windsor and County of Essex.
The exercise coincided with the annual Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police conference which was held in Windsor the same week. While presently, all partners in the region are pulling together their after-action analyses, the high-profile exercise went extremely well, a notable point being the effective on-line communication between the Windsor Police site command post and the City’s Emergency Operations Centre. The campus Emergency Operations Centre served as the frontline technical support hub and several members of the campus’ Emergency Response Group were present to practice using the software and share real-time information with their regional colleagues.
The exercise was both exciting for participants and observers on both sides of the river and truly demonstrates the University’s commitment to fostering regional and civic partnerships in an important and practical context.
EmerGeo Speaking at Red Cross Provincial Emergency Conference
Kingston, Ontario – November 6-9, 2011 – Mr. Mike Morrow, President of EmerGeo Solutions Inc, will host a panel of experts to present a joint abstract titled “Lessons from the 2011 Red River Floods & Exercise Central Gateway 1″. The presentations will reveal how technology and work-flow need to work together to ensure effective communication and true interoperability during disasters. Speakers from the Province of Manitoba and University of Windsor will review recommendations from the 2011 Exercise Central Gateway 1 US-Canada Cross Border Exercise and discuss developing an inter-agency approach to geo-spatial-based situational awareness for emergencies like the 2011 Manitoba Flood event. Topics covered will include key areas for improvement including the need for standardized plans & procedures, identifying information needs and data sharing agreements early, processes for creating map data products, and issues around storing and distributing information among stakeholders.
The purpose of this annual conference is to present emerging trends in emergency management and integrated approaches in disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery.
Conference sessions will assist with:
• Developing new strategies & promoting awareness
• Providing information, tools and solution development to common problems
• creating network opportunities
• Sharing of experiences with colleagues in other disaster management disciplines
The conference will have a series of plenary sessions, expert presentations and workshops.
Event Location:
The Ambassador Conference Resort
1550 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario K7M 9E3
Tell: 800-267-7880 or 613-548-3605
More conference information is available at http://www.redcross.ca/ontemconference/.
EmerGeo Wins Alberta Emergency Notification Tender
Vancouver, B.C., – August 31, 2011 – EmerGeo Solutions Worldwide Inc. (TSX-V: EMG), a leading provider of emergency management software, is pleased to announce that it has secured a contract with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) to deliver an emergency notification solution. EmerGeo and its notification partner, ERMS Corporation, will deliver this service that will notify municipalities, communities and other stakeholders of critical information about potential hazards via phone and email.
During emergencies and disasters, timely information ensures agencies can increase their preparedness and establish communication links with other affected parties in time to save lives and protect essential services. The Alberta Emergency Notification System (AENS) will be used by AEMA to communicate in a timely manner with fire chiefs, deputy fire chiefs, directors of emergency management, deputy directors of emergency management, First Nation directors of disaster services, chief administrative officers and other key stakeholders of affected communities. Notifications can also be sent to AEMA staff, key Government of Alberta staff (such as business continuity officers), government emergency operations staff (liaisons and consequence management officers) and other key stakeholders.
EmerGeo Fusionpoint Running With ERMS
“We are pleased to be working with the Alberta government and ERMS on this important initiative”, said Michael Morrow, President of EmerGeo Solutions. “Like all of our government and industry customers around the globe, rapid, accurate and managed communications about hazards can save lives and protect property. ERMS provides a leading notification solution across North America and is an important added-value capability to our Fusionpoint situational awareness software suite”, explains Morrow.
About EmerGeo
EmerGeo develops emergency management software solutions and provides consulting services and support to government and industry around the globe. EmerGeo’s Fusionpoint™ and integrated emergency mapping applications are used to log, track and communicate critical information required by emergency and security personnel. By leveraging open web standards, EmerGeo’s software brings together data from dispatch, crisis management, mapping, camera and other third-party systems, providing a common operating picture. EmerGeo’s technology and people have been at the forefront of some of the world’s largest disasters and are proven effective in helping government and industry to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from potential or actual incidents, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or pre-planned events.
Fusionpoint is a trademark of EmerGeo Solutions, Inc. The International Mobile Satellite Organization is the registered proprietor of the trade mark INMARSAT and has granted to Inmarsat an exclusive licence to use the trade mark.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
EMERGEO SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE INC.
“Timothy Webb”
Timothy Webb, CTO
For more information contact the Company at:
Telephone: (001) 604-681-0989
Facsimile: (001) 604-681-0079
Email: info
emergeo
com infoemergeocom
Website: http://www.emergeo.com
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of this release. We seek Safe Harbor.
“Protecting People, Property & the Environment”
Case Study (Feb 2011): Fusionpoint Supports Major US-Canada Cross Border Exercise
EmerGeo in partnership with FutureShield and the University of Windsor joined forces with emergency responders to provide situational awareness and crisis management software in support of a major US-Canada cross border exercise called Exercise Central Gateway 1.
The purpose of this joint exercise was to test emergency preparedness and response during a mock terrorism event – one of the biggest Ontario exercises ever. With Windsor being so close to the US border and a vital traffic flow corridor for trade between the US and Canada, participants understood the value of securing their location for the economic well-being of Canada.
This event was a “first” for many things, and it seemed to be the most-used phrase among participants: “first time” things were tried, “first time” to see something function in the field, “first time” to see something work. And one of the biggest “firsts” that were shown in this exercise is the realization that private industry, academia, government officials and first responders can work together to enhance and improve our ability to keep our nation safe and secure.
With the incredible efforts among the exercise coordinators and participants, the government funding by organizations such as the DRDC Centre for Security Science and its CRTI and PSTP programs, with private industry like EmerGeo and FutureShield offering their technology support and products, this exercise showed that this first will not be the last.
Read the full Case Study here: <link to PDF document>
EmerGeo Fusionpoint to Support US-Canada Cross Border Exercise
Windsor, Ontario – February 22-25, 2011 – Windsor and area train for terrorist attacks, chemical assaults.
This four-day training exercise, dubbed Exercise Central Gateway 1, is meant to enhance the region’s ability to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters.
Read more from the Windsor Star:
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Windsor+area+train+terrorist+attacks+chemical+assaults/4279526/story.html#ixzz1DxeG3OKq
Press Release
Issued February 17, 2011 (Essex County)
EXERCISE CENTRAL GATEWAY 1
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, February 22-24, 2011, various officials and staffs of The County of Essex, Municipalities of LaSalle, Essex, Tecumseh, the City of Windsor and the City of Detroit, as well as a large number of community partners such as the Canadian Red Cross, 211 Call Centre, Social Services and Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospital, provincial and federal departments (CRDC, CBSA, Environment Canada, Transport Canada, RCMP, MTO, OPP), the University of Windsor and private industry will participate in Exercise CENTRAL GATEWAY 1.This is an annual municipal/regional training exercise that has been developed to test the various aspects of emergency preparedness, emergency response plans and mutual aid capabilities across Windsor and Essex County as well as across international boundaries.
The exercise, based upon a series of escalating criminal and domestic terrorist events over the three-day period, will begin with the initial incident at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 22, in Windsor’s west end. On this day of the exercise an incident site/field exercise area will be established using a training chemical hauler and requiring the deployment of fire, police, EMS and HazMat teams. The field site, located in the vicinity of the Morton Terminal and the Windsor-Detroit Truck Ferry, will be supported by the Exercise Coordination Centre, Town of LaSalle and Town of Tecumseh Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) that will be using and training with WebEOC/EmerGeo/Fusion Point, a recently acquired emergency information management software application. A Reception and Community Shelter Centre will be established at the WFCU Arena and staffed by the Red Cross and Social Services. An additional incident involving police and specialty teams will occur in the area of Tecumseh later that day. All exercise activities for the day will conclude around 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 23, will see a continuation of the terrorist threat and response incidents in the vicinity of the Morton Docks and Terminal, among a number of buildings waiting demolishing along the proposed Windsor-Essex County Parkway, and at the Coxon Towing Services Yard at Manning Road and the 401. These field exercise sites will involve police, fire, EMS and Hazmat specialty teams from the local, provincial and federal agencies with coordination and support from the City of Windsor, City of Detroit and Essex County EOCs using WebEOC/EmerGeo/Fusion Point software applications in their operations cycles. The field exercises will run from approximately 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the latest. There will also be a Reception and Shelter Centre set up for this day at the Harrow Arena to assist a minor emergency event that will occur in the community of Harrow.
On Thursday, February 24, the Town of Essex EOC will be set up from approximately 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. to support the ongoing series of field exercises from the previous day. The general theme for this day of the exercise will be the coordination of ongoing response and recovery operations, mutual aid and support and recovery operations across the region. All exercise main events and activities will end by 4:00 p.m. thereby allowing for the redeployment of out-of-region staff and resources back to their home bases that evening and throughout the next day, Friday, February 25.
For further information please contact the following exercise coordinators:
- CBSA – Windsor-St.Clair Region Media Relations -519 967 4300
- Capabilities Based Planning (CBP) Project Manager - L. Tom St.Onge - 905 467 2314
- University of Windsor – Dayo Kefentse, Manager of News Services -519-253-3000 ext 3241
- Windsor Police Services Exercise activities – Sgt. Brett Corey – 519-981-3900 (cell) or 519-255-6700 ext 4250 (office)
- Reception and Shelter Centre – Donna Girard – 519-791-5216
- St. John Ambulance – John Nayduk – 519-971-9602
- Town of Tecumseh Exercise – Fire Chief Doug Pitre – 519-979-4041 ext 10
- City of Windsor Exercise – Fire Chief Dave Fields – 519-253-6573
- Town of Essex Exercise – Fire Chief Ed Pillon – 519-776-6476 ext 11
- Town of LaSalle Exercise – Deputy Fire Chief Dave Sutton – 519-966-0744
For Essex County and any general exercise details – Essex County Emergency Management Coordinator, Phil Berthiaume – 519-776-2024.