Dimension Data today announced that the state-of-the-art Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) mobile office will be deployed at Kickstart 2006, in Australia.
QFRS will showcase an "in the field" deployment of its mobile office - the key communications tool of the QFRS State Incident Management Team (SIMT), which is required to respond to emergency situations 24 hours a day anywhere in Queensland, Australia within a 12-hour time frame.
Running entirely on Internet Protocol, the mobile office can use satellite, broadband or dial-up services for instant connection and real-time voice, video and data communication anywhere in Australia and certain parts of South East Asia. The wireless solution is fully functional either in standalone mode or by accessing staff, applications and infrastructure at the DES head office and the State Operations and Coordination Centre (SOCC). The ICT equipment for the office is designed to be loaded into DES vehicles or aircraft to deploy to the incident location and be installed quickly on-site. It has the ability to operate in locations with no existing telecommunications infrastructure.
Incidents are managed according to pre-defined processes and procedures, and provide up-to-date information and progress reports on the condition of incidents via image, video, voice and data communications to key DES management and, depending on the incident, to members of the Queensland government.
"With many incidents occurring in remote areas or away from locations with adequate telecommunications services, QFRS needed a mobile office solution that does not require wires or existing telecommunications infrastructure, and that can work either standalone, or connected to the DES wide area network," said Nicholas Moss, Manager, ICT Business Development, Information Services, Business Support Services, Queensland Department of Emergency Services.
"The mobile office can be loaded into QFRS vehicles and installed quickly on-site to ensure the team of 30 highly-trained SIMT personnel can quickly and efficiently deliver the best service to those in emergency situations."
By using the organisation`s existing telecommunications infrastructure, there is no time delay in the provision of special telecommunication services, and QFRS does not have to pay additional costs for the provision of these special or dedicated services.
"The mobile office brings a level of predictability to telecommunications costs and guaranteed communication services in times of emergency," said Gerard Florian, chief marketing officer, Dimension Data. "It also brings a level of accountability in the management of incidents which can be used to improve future emergency response activities."
The solution is based on the DES/QFRS team of dedicated staff, Dimension Data`s plan, build and support services, Cisco converged communications technologies, TANDBERG video conferencing and Microsoft software and applications.
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Dimension Data plc (LSE:DDT), a specialist IT services and solution provider, helps clients plan, build and support their IT infrastructures. Dimension Data applies its expertise in networking, security, operating environments, storage and contact centre technologies and its unique skills in consulting, integration and managed services to create customised client solutions.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS), a division of the Queensland Government Department of Emergency Services (DES), is the primary provider of fire and rescue services throughout Queensland. Queensland`s Department of Emergency Services is unique in Australia, as the agency provides services covering all phases of emergency and disaster management - prevention, preparedness, response and recovery - delivered by fire, ambulance and counter disaster and rescue services across a single portfolio.
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