Portsmouth, N.H. August 14, 2006 – U.S. Senator John Sununu and Congressman Jeb Bradley joined Global Relief Technologies (GRT) on August 11, 2006, in unveiling the GRT Virtual Network Operations Center (VNOC). Michael Gray, GRT’s CEO introduced the Senator and Congressman to the VNOC, a centralized command facility where GPS-referenced data, including satellite imagery, is collected and transmitted between emergency responders and operations centers during natural or man-made disasters.
“From assisting in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, to aiding the tsunami-ravaged regions off the Indian Ocean, to supporting this country’s military and humanitarian relief efforts, Global Relief Technologies has a demonstrated understanding of the communications technology that is effective in helping to save lives at home and abroad” said Senator John Sununu. “The Portsmouth-based firm stands to take its innovation and skill far into the future to the benefit of thousands.”
U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley also pointed to the technology’s many benefits. "It’s a pleasure to join with Michael Gray to celebrate the opening of Global Relief Technologies’ new command center at Pease Tradeport today,” he said. “GRT does outstanding work on behalf of first responders and reconstruction personnel, and the development of their hand-held PDAs provides a critical capability to our first responders, while at the same time brings high quality jobs to the State of New Hampshire.”
Invited guests were able to view demonstrations which illustrate how GRT products & services enable emergency, military and field service professionals located anywhere in the world, to rapidly and securely collect and analyze mission-critical data in standardized reporting formats using handheld PDA applications. These hand-held computers are equipped with geographic information systems (GIS), therefore allowing relief effort personnel in remote locations to receive satellite imagery in real-time to near real-time, annotate it with reports of conditions on the ground and forward the updated information to command centers using affordable and integrated mobile satellite/cellular communications.
GRT’s integrated solution combines handheld PDA survey applications for field workers, GIS mapping imagery, timely satellite imagery and near real-time GPS tracking with a web-based information management center, or VNOC for data hosting, analysis and reporting. The data is securely transmitted to and from the hand-held PDA, via cellular, internet or mobile satellite terminals.
Gray, who has a professional background that includes disaster relief efforts said, “Our ultimate aim is to empower field workers with the ability to rapidly collect and move time sensitive data from the field to decision makers to ensure that field operators get timely information, while on the move if necessary, that can support their operations no matter where they are located.”
GRT technology is already in use in the following applications:
• Assisting U.S. Marine Corps logistics operations in disaster response.
• Providing communications technology to prepare for disaster response in Houston and Galveston, Texas.
• Supporting the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) program for reconstruction in Afghanistan.
• Working with Telenor Satellite Services to support the international humanitarian and reconstruction community.
• Aiding Raytheon’s programs that support border control for Homeland Security and protecting the U.S. troops in Iraq.
In addition, GRT’s Rapid Data Management Software is used by the humanitarian community, environmental, energy engineering and construction firms, emergency medical sectors, defense and security organizations. GRT was most recently called upon by the United States Marine Corps to help in the tracking and response to suspected outbreaks of the Avian Bird Flu in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. GRT assistance has proven critical to decision makers and first responders operating in remote and often dangerous areas around the world.
For more information, please visit www.globalrelieftech.com.