ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, June 25, 2018. Rockwell Collins has deployed its UrgentLink® disaster communications network to the Los Angeles (LA) County area for the LA County Sheriff’s Department to provide a countywide backup communications system for use during man-made or natural disasters.
“The residents that we serve deserve to have the confidence in knowing that, even under the most extreme conditions, some communications platforms will be operational during a disaster,” said Dean Gialamas, division director of the LA Sheriff’s Technology and Support Division. “This is an important addition towards expanding our disaster communications capabilities.”
UrgentLink, a beyond-line-of-sight, high-frequency (HF) communications system, is the first national public safety network of its kind, designed and purpose-built for high availability and ease of use in disasters. Operating on the HF spectrum specifically authorized by the Federal Communications Commission for use in disasters, UrgentLink utilizes ground stations throughout the U.S. to create redundant coverage when normal communications infrastructure fails.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to lead the nation by deploying the UrgentLink disaster communications system,” said Scott Edson, executive director of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) and the sheriff’s department’s former chief of Special Operations. “Given the most recent disasters in Northern California and elsewhere, I believe other law enforcement and fire service agencies in California and across the country would do well to consider adopting this unique disaster communications system as well.”
The solution, ideal for first responders, hospitals and critical industries’ operations, connects users seamlessly to other UrgentLink subscribers, cell phones, landlines or land mobile radio systems.
In the future, the LA County Sheriff’s Department plans to expand this system to offer increased regional coverage in the event of a disaster.
“UrgentLink provides a public safety grade, mission critical alternative to amateur radios and commercial satellites with uncompromised reliability,” said Marvin Ingram, principal program manager for Rockwell Collins. “It’s affordable, easy to deploy and links directly to Rockwell Collins’ proprietary HF Cellular managed network.”
