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Emergency Call System Restored in Haiti (2/22/10)
On February 15, Haitian telecommunications operators unilaterally turned on their 1-1-4 emergency call system and rerouted traffic to the secondary public-safety answering point (PSAP) managed by the Haitian National Police (HNP) at the Patco Police Headquarters.
Following the earthquake on Jan. 12, the two known Haitian PSAPs that answered 1-1-4 were reportedly destroyed. The Haitian National Police LMR system, which consists of a three-site trunked system, was also largely damaged, along with much of the supporting wireline infrastructure.
This step toward communications restoration was based on the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International’s Haitian emergency communications restoration plan, released Feb. 1. The plan covers an immediate phased approach to a solution and includes recommended long-term support and training for the Haitian people. The restoration plan was vetted by the FCC, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Communications System (NCS) and the State Department United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and acted upon by the Haitian government.
APCO International’s leadership coordinated the technical implementation with a Haitian-based U.S. Coast Guard communications liaison, Haitian wireless and wireline telecommunications companies, the Haitian LMR service provider and communications leadership from HNP. “The restoration of essential emergency communications systems is critical to saving lives,” said APCO International President Richard Mirgon.
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