National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Calls Upon PDSI Software to Support World Trade Center Relief Effort.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2001

PDSI's Pro Bono Contribution Includes PC-Based Staffing System and

Services for Managing Firefighters and Other Relief Personnel

PDSI, a leading provider of workforce automation software, has been called upon by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to provide an automated PC-based staffing system to aid in the World Trade Center relief effort.

Through a charitable donation, PDSI's TeleStaff(TM) software is now actively being used by NFFF to manage, schedule and track the activities of hundreds of dedicated firefighters and other relief workers deployed to the site.

"As soon as we arrived on the scene, I knew that PDSI could play a key role in helping to manage the tremendous outpouring of support we received," said Ron Siarnicki, executive director of NFFF and the former fire chief for Prince George County, Md. "By turning to TeleStaff for our round-the-clock staffing and scheduling requirements, we have been able to eliminate many of the administrative complexities of our mission and instead focus on serving the needs of the people of New York."

NFFF: Assisting America's Fallen Fire Heroes and Their Families

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, NFFF was formed to honor and remember America's fallen fire heroes and to assist survivors in rebuilding their lives. Following the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, more than 150 fire service members from throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia rushed to New York City. The NFFF team, which consists of a rotating group of counselors, clergymen and clinicians, continues to provide a wide range of services to firefighters, their families and other victims. These services include crisis counseling support at "Ground Zero," stress management assistance, funeral arrangements, honor guard support and countless other activities.

"PDSI is fortunate to have a tool such as TeleStaff to provide ongoing benefit to the NFFF," said Greg Ekstrom, president of PDSI. "We are grateful for the opportunity to support the commendable efforts of NFFF as it serves our nation's true heroes."

A complete hardware-software system, TeleStaff works by expediting the time-consuming task of scheduling and staffing personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hundreds of fire departments across the nation currently use the system to perform this function much faster than traditional methods. Such improvements are achieved in part through the use of computer telephony capabilities: when a vacancy needs to be filled, TeleStaff actually places outbound phone calls to appropriate staff members to offer the work opportunity. TeleStaff can deliver messages by pager, on answering machines, by fax, e-mail and by PC.

PDSI Sends Specialists to New York to Expedite Aid

Upon his arrival in New York City, and with hundreds of volunteers and other workers in need of direction, Siarnicki thought of PDSI and the staffing and scheduling benefits he could derive from the TeleStaff system. The very day he contacted PDSI, the company not only shipped him the product, but also arranged for a team of its best technical specialists to arrive within 24 hours to manage the installation. Headed by PDSI's technical services manager, Bill Glasgow, the team worked around the clock to reduce to days an installation process that typically takes months to complete.

"This was no small feat," said Glasgow. "Not only did we accelerate the installation, but we also quickly configured the system to meet the specific requirements of NFFF within an intense disaster situation. Clearly, NFFF is pushing the limits of the TeleStaff system, and we're pleased that they are getting the results they require."

To accomplish its objectives for NFFF, PDSI drew upon its more than 10 years of experience serving many of the nation's leading police, corrections and healthcare organizations. As a result, TeleStaff is enabling NFFF to make more effective use of relief personnel by organizing assignments without overlap, mapping out work schedules and keeping team members apprised of changes. The software also generates work history reports that will prove extremely important to FEMA and the Department of Justice as it goes about fulfilling its extensive tracking requirements for the relief effort.

"Typically, it would take multiple software products to achieve such a variety of tasks," said Glasgow. "But TeleStaff provides a single staffing solution that answers all of NFFF's needs, which saves the organization both time and trouble at a very critical time."

About NFFF

The U.S. Congress established the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to honor and remember those firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. NFFF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered as a corporation in the State of Maryland. It relies upon private donations from individuals and business to support many of its programs. Funding from the U.S. Department of Justice helps to provide programs for survivors and training for senior fire officers. For more information, visit the NFFF Web site at http://www.firehero.org or contact the organization at P.O. Drawer 498, Emmitsburg, Md. 21727. Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail].

About PDSI

Since 1990, PDSI has been providing sophisticated, Windows-based software products and custom software solutions as part of its commitment to public safety. The company utilizes the latest software development and delivery technologies for client-server, telephony, and Internet/Intranet deployment. PDSI serves businesses, government entities and leading organizations such as the American Red Cross, which leverages the company's products to facilitate the scheduling of donor appointments, blood drives and staff duty rosters.

Based in Orange, Calif., privately held PDSI has installed thousands of scheduling applications throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit the PDSI Web site at www.pdsi-software.com, or contact PDSI headquarters at 625 The City Drive, Suite 190, Orange, Calif. 92868. Toll-free phone: [phone], Fax: [phone].

TeleStaff is a trademark of PDSI.