After Hurricane Rita: Fire Station Sees Safer Future with TANDBERG Videoconferencing; TANDBERG Contributes Leading Edge Video Systems to ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition After the Storm'' Project.NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of & OSLO, Norway -- Last Friday, viewers of ABC-TV's popular "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition After the Storm" witnessed the transformation of the Hurricane Rita-ravaged Sabine Pass, Texas Sabine Pass, Texas is a city located in Jefferson County, Texas, 15 miles south of Port Arthur, Texas, on the west bank of Sabine Pass, near the Louisiana border. Originally known as Sabine City, the original date of settlement of Sabine Pass is unknown, but is estimated at , Fire Station. The makeover went beyond paint and carpentry by delivering a safer future for the local emergency response teams and the communities they protect. When Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005. hit immediately after Hurricane Katrina The First Battle of Sabine Pass, and the second Battle of Sabine Pass took place at Sabine Pass during the American Civil War. nearly destroyed the town. The local fire station was so severely damaged that the facility was boarded up and its firefighters relocated, leaving the community without a critical portion of its safety network. Responding to a call for help from the Sabine Pass community, located near the city of Port Arthur Port Arthur, city, Canada Port Arthur: see Thunder Bay, Ont., Canada. Port Arthur, city, China Port Arthur: see Lüshun, China. , "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition After the Storm"; TANDBERG; and a host of other corporations and volunteers pitched in to create a state-of-the-art facility for the Sabine Pass first responders. TANDBERG's extensive experience working with first responders and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program were key to creating a visual communication solution that would dramatically strengthen the ability of Sabine Pass' firefighters to react to future disasters. --Training and Readiness - Previously, Sabine Pass fire fighters had to travel nearly 20 miles to receive training, which left the station short staffed and exposed the community to higher risks. In order to improve training capabilities while keeping key personnel in their stations, TANDBERG deployed Site Commander units at two stations for distance learning over video. The Site Commanders, with large, 50" plasma screens enclosed in a ruggedized exterior, were designed specifically for use in firehouses and handle the most demanding environment. Simple to use, the firefighters can participate in live remote training, as well as view multimedia training materials from federal, local and state sources. These giant screen units also support cable TV and gaming systems for crew down-time entertainment. --Administration and Team Building - Two TANDBERG 150 MXP MXP In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Mexican Peso. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. desktop units will keep a Captain and a Battalion Chief in touch using video at their desks. Video increases the frequency of personnel and operations meetings, the effectiveness of communications and helps the extended fire department network act as a coordinated, cohesive team. --Mobility and Sustained Communication - The Tactical Command The authority delegated to a commander to assign tasks to forces under his command for the accomplishment of the mission assigned by higher authority. Center, a suitcase-sized mobile video unit with satellite connection, will allow the firefighters to quickly set up live visual communications from the field. This solution enables instant assessment of a situation by sending live audio and video from a crisis scene to any central point - such as a command center or an emergency operations center The Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, is a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions at a strategic level in an emergency situation, and ensuring . "Our previous experience working with the First Responder community gave us unique insight into the solution that would benefit the Sabine Pass firefighters most," said TANDBERG Chief Executive Officer Fredrik Halvorsen. "Because our systems easily integrate with existing network infrastructure, the fire stations have a foundation for future communications interoperability and ongoing cost efficiencies. We are honored to have been a part of the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition After the Storm" project for the Sabine Pass community. " This project was supported by Nortel, SBC (1) (SBC Communications Inc., San Antonio, TX, www.sbc.com) A large, national telecommunications company that grew from a multitude of local and regional companies, including Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell, into a single, unified brand by 2002. Communications and AT&T. The Trevino Group, a Houston-based general contractor A general contractor is an organization or individual that contracts with another organization or individual (the owner) for the construction of a building, road or any other execution of work or facility. , managed the entire project. MCA MCA in full Music Corporation of America Entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. Communications served as volunteer liaison, coordinating the efforts of over 1,000 volunteers working around the clock for four days straight. "The TANDBERG system can be tremendously beneficial for any fire department, but especially so for the Port Arthur region, which not only is prone to hurricanes but also home to many large oil refineries," said Wayne A. Roccaforte, the Port Arthur training battalion chief, when he and Fire Chief Larry D. Richard saw the visual-communication system in operation. "This project will allow Sabine Pass to take an important step toward recovery and transform the way that we train for and respond to emergencies," added Richard. In addition to Sabine Pass, TANDBERG has implemented visual communication at numerous fire departments and other public-safety agencies across the country, providing visual communication technology that has helped save countless lives by improving situational assessment and response to life-threatening emergencies. About TANDBERG TANDBERG is a leading global provider of visual communication products and services. The Company has dual headquarters in New York and Norway. TANDBERG designs, develops and markets systems and software for video, voice and data. The Company provides sales, support and value-added services in more than 90 countries worldwide. TANDBERG is publicly traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange Oslo Stock Exchange An exchange founded in 1819 and trading stocks, bonds, and stock options that is considered the options market of Norway. under the ticker TAA TAA - Track Average Amplitude .OL. Please visit www.tandberg.net for more information. TANDBERG is a trademark or registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network. |
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