The Emergency Satellite Communications Network (ESCN) is designed to be the backbone for the Emergency Management Information System (EMIS) that L.A. County fire, law enforcement, health, and safety agencies rely on for communications in the event of a disaster. The three-year contract, valued at approximately $1.5 million, includes networking equipment for 137 locations, plus network services through the ViaSat Customer Care Center.
All 88 cities within Los Angeles County rely on the EMIS network to connect to critical resources from medical, police, sheriff, fire and City Hall agencies in an emergency. Designated operators communicate through the network when the Office of Emergency Management activates the system. LinkStar satellite modems, connected to EMIS terminals, will be able to provide two-way communications with a dedicated hub server at the L.A. County Emergency Operations Center (LAEOC), creating a secure, emergency response intranet across the county. By the end of 2005 the agency is expected to complete a mirror site in Denver, Colorado that will serve as a backup hub for the network.
"When we start sending information over the EMIS network, we'd really rather send it through the ESCN because it's more secure," said Rob Sawyer, who designed the network and now is chief of Communications for the LA County Fire Department. "Even though the primary network is still terrestrial, most likely the network operators are going to use the satellite network when they have a choice."
All the attributes of satellite communication make it a natural fit for emergency operations. Disasters often cut or create gaps in terrestrial service, but, by virtue of its wireless nature and wide area coverage, satellite networks are immune to interruptions on the ground.
