CHANDLER, Ariz., 13 March 2006. World Communication Center (WCC), a provider of global satellite voice and data communications, has announced availability of its custom-manufactured "Hot Shot Kit" (HSK) based on Iridium satellite technology. The solution enables emergency management teams to communicate, despite the absence of landlines and cell towers.
The portable kit provides telephone, email, and Internet accessibility, helping a team of up to 32 communicate with each other and the base. The equipment is contained in a sealed, rugged safety waterproof case.
WCC's HSK is designed to meet the needs of emergency responders in disaster and rescue operations, crisis management, emergency preparedness, business continuity, non-profit and volunteer operations, back-up communications for government, tribal officials, and remote businesses and residences, including 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 kit is well suited to in-field teams, such as first responders mobilizing after a natural disaster or a company working during a blackout. The Hot Shot Kit works can run for hours without external power.
The HSK includes either a 12- to 36-volt cigarette lighter plug or 110-220 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.
With 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.
