The document summarizes the emergency communications challenges faced by the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) during Hurricane Rita in 2005, including a complete loss of contact and inability to respond. It describes the solutions developed after the storm, including establishing a Community Response Task Force (CRTF) and adopting the Wave communications system to provide interoperable digital communications over IP networks. The CRTF model has expanded to coordinate response from faith-based, non-profit, and private sector community groups during emergencies.
12. Unified Group Communications Group Communications can mean different things to different organizations. For some it may mean carrying radio traffic across an IP network to link geographically remote areas. To others it might mean the bridging together of different radio systems or frequencies, or the ability to facilitate multiple simultaneous talk channels on financial trading floors. Unified Group Communications is all of that, and more. Unified Group Communications can be defined as the convergence of disparate communications devices with IP telephony systems and other pre-existing group communications capabilities http://www.twistpair.com/index/unified
16. WAVE is based on open software standards to provide flexibility and a low total cost of ownership to users. Customers use their existing devices and infrastructure to achieve interoperability and don’t need to replace their radios or other communications tools.
30. Harris County Probation Office Moving Forward CRMJ Mentor’s Association Living Word Church Spirit of Life Church Woodridge Baptist Church Northpark Christian Church Christ the King Lutheran Humble UMC Kingwood UMC St. Martha Catholic Church St. Mary Catholic Church Catholic Charities H.A.A.M Somebody Cares America Christian World Embassy Feed the Children Harris County Office of Emergency management Houston Police Department Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department Humble Fire and Police Department Porter Volunteer Fire Department Huffman Volunteer Fire Department Easttex Volunteer Fire Department Humble ISD Montgomery County EOC CAP Civil Air Patrol Sam’s Club Office Depot CVS ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Services Boy Scouts of America Community Partners
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