Page 1 2 3 Page 1 2 3 | FRIDAY - JUNE 23, 2006 - ISSUE NO. 217 |
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| Wireless Messaging Newsletter | ||
| WIRELESS  MESSAGING | |
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Press Room
Press Releases
DHS Releases Review of Nationwide Catastrophic Event Preparedness
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
June 16, 2006
Fact Sheet: Nationwide Plan Review
Fact Sheet: Nationwide Plan Review Initial Conclusions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued findings today from a national assessment of the country’s catastrophic planning capabilities. Responding to directives from President Bush and the Congress, following Hurricane Katrina, the Nationwide Plan Review (PDF, 174 Pages - 3.9 MB); looked at whether existing emergency operations plans for states and urban areas are sufficient for managing a catastrophic event. The Review also presents conclusions on actions needed by the federal government to improve and coordinate planning.
Conducted in all 56 States and territories and 75 urban areas over 6 months, the Nationwide Plan Review was the most comprehensive assessment of emergency operations plans to date relative to planning for a catastrophic event. Reviewers examined nearly 2,800 emergency operations plans and related documents with participation from more than 1,000 emergency managers and homeland security officials.
The two-phase review began with a self-assessment of key planning components. Then Peer Review Teams, composed of former state and local homeland security and emergency management officials, visited each site and assessed the plans against national standards developed just prior to Katrina. To provide an overall picture, plan components were assessed on a scale of “Sufficient,” “Partially Sufficient,” or “Not Sufficient” to manage a catastrophic event. The majority of components assessed fell into the “partially sufficient” category.
While most areas of the country are well prepared to handle standard disaster situations, the National Plan Review findings demonstrate the need for all levels of government across the country to improve emergency operations plans for catastrophic events such as a major terrorist attack or category-five hurricane strike. Several areas, including evacuation, attention to populations with special needs, command structure, and resource management, were areas needing significant attention.
After completing the assessments and findings, the reviewers also provided more detailed follow-up briefings to individual States and urban areas.
“Dedicated officials across the country have, for the most part, done very well in planning for and responding to disasters of the scope and scale most common in the United States” said George Foresman, DHS Under Secretary for Preparedness. “However, the findings of the Nationwide Plan Review unequivocally support the need to modernize planning processes, products, and tools, and to move our national emergency planning efforts to the next level needed for catastrophic events. It is a natural evolution towards working together as a nation to implement the lessons from seminal events such as the September 11th attacks and Hurricane Katrina.”
To address the National Plan Review findings and conclusions, the department has established a National Preparedness Task Force that will oversee DHS efforts to strengthen and systematize catastrophic planning among all levels of government by ensuring lessons from recent disasters are translated into nationwide enhancements for catastrophic planning.
The Nationwide Plan Review was conducted in coordination with the Department of Transportation, which focused specifically on evacuation planning. The Phase 2 report reflects findings from both the peer assessments and self assessments. It identifies 15 initial conclusions for States and urban areas and 24 for the Federal government. High level summaries for each state and urban area accompany the final report.
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Source: Department of Homeland Security
[Thanks to Craig Green KV5E]
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Paging system test successful
June 21, 200
By ZACH LINT, T-R Staff Writer
First responders’ pagers went off across Tuscarawas County about 7:15 p.m. Monday as part of the official countywide test of the new emergency paging system.
Lacie Fleming, a 911 dispatcher for the county, ran Monday night’s tests.
“Everything went well,” she said. “We did have one station, station No. 9, Baltic Fire, who said that the third test I did didn't work. But that was it.”
Heather Wells, a Newcomerstown Emergency and Rescue Squad worker, quickly turned down her new pager as she sat at a meeting of Newcomerstown Village Council.
“It works,” she said afterward. “Tonight was the first countywide test, but so far so good.”
Wells said that NERS members, like other organizations across the valley, previously called a special phone number that allowed them to test their pagers.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Lt. Lon McEnroe said everything should have worked smoothly.
The county also plans to move the 911 Command Center at the Tuscarawas County Justice Center at New Philadelphia from its outer office to a newly constructed central location within the administrative side of the building.
“They started construction at the end of February,” McEnroe said. “We do plan on switching everything over this coming Monday. We’re coming real close so we hope to get a few little bugs worked out of it before then.”
Detectives will move their office into the former 911 location once the switch happens. The county’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency will move from its temporary office in the Justice Center Conference Room into the former detective bureau.
McEnroe said the new 911 Command Center features adjustable desks, which give workers the ability to stand or sit during their shifts.
“The county’s new radio system is all done by touch screens,” he added. “But the phone system basically stays the same.”
Source: New Philadelphia Times Reporter (New Philadelphia, Ohio)
Expand Warning Systems
June 20, 2006
Four local emergency management agencies are expanding their warning systems.
Houston, Dale, Henry and Coffee County EMA's are joining forces with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind and Gray Llink messaging to send the hearing-impaired severe weather warnings via pagers.
The agencies met Tuesday in Ozark to plan how to execute the paging program.
The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind will give certificates to everyone eligible. Those certified for the service can buy the pagers through Gray Link at a reduced cost.
Under the program they will receive warnings about severe weather approaching their area.
“So, the program that we are instituting today is going to provide them an opportunity to be able to receive the watches and warnings just like everybody,” said J.O. Pete McGough of Emergency Management Program.
The agencies are hoping surrounding county EMA's will join the paging service. The program is expected to start running within a couple of months.
Source: WTVY News
PageOne Retained As Preferred Supplier To Public Sector
London 21st June 2006—PageOne, the UK's foremost supplier of wireless messaging technology and services, today announces it has retained its coveted position as a preferred paging and messaging specialist to the Public Sector. The announcement is part of the OGCbuying.solutions frameworks agreement update programme. The programme aims to deliver a series of framework agreements to replace the current GCat, S-Cat, GTC and GTM agreements that are moving towards the end of their terms.
PageOne has over 20 years' experience in delivering wide area paging and mobile messaging to the NHS, MOD, emergency services, local and central government. The announcement further cements the strong, ongoing relationship PageOne enjoys with the Public Sector.
"We are delighted to once again retain our position as a preferred supplier to the Public Sector," said Chris Jones, Managing Director of PageOne. "Our continued investment in our network infrastructure and service development gives us the competitive edge to meet the diverse needs of the Public Sector and business community as a whole."
Source: NewsBlaze
Fitial backs DoCoMo telecom purchase bid
By Agnes Donato
Reporter
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial threw his full support yesterday behind a plan for Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc. to purchase Saipancell, Guamcell, and HafaTel.
The governor met with two visiting NTT DoCoMo officials and assured them that the acquisition deal has the backing of the CNMI government. He is also expected to send a letter to the Federal Telecommunications Commission to express his support for Japan's largest mobile communications company.
Press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said that the administration welcomes NTT DoCoMo's entry in the Marianas. "NTT DoCoMo is a very large, reputable and well-capitalized company. This is an exciting development and should be good for CNMI consumers," he said.
Reyes noted that consumers stand to benefit from the reduced costs and better services that would result from the competition between NTT DoCoMo and Pacific Telecom Inc.
The Japanese company, known for its cutting edge phone technology, is also expected to widen the options available for local phone users.
Even the tourism industry would benefit from the purchase deal. "Using NTT's roaming capability, Japanese tourists will be able to communicate freely with loved ones while on vacation on Saipan," Reyes said.
With over 50 million subscribers, NTT reportedly has more than half of Japan's market share.
"The governor is also very pleased to receive reassurance that existing employees will largely be kept intact. Local employment will continue," Reyes said.
NTT DoCoMo Inc. proposes to wholly acquire Guam Cellular & Paging, Inc., the company operating Guamcell Communications and Saipancell Communications, as well as Guam Wireless Telephone Company, LLC, which operates HafaTel for a total of $71.8 million, and then merge the companies.
The merger will combine both CDMA and GSM technologies in NTT's provision of services in the Marianas, with NTT disclosing plans of investing additional monies of up to $6.5 million to strengthen the merged company's facilities and infrastructure.
Guamcell/Saipancell provides CDMA service, while HafaTel relies on GSM technology, which allows subscribers to make use of subscriber identity module (SIM) or smart cards that are placed inside cellular phone units.
The acquisition is subject to approval by the Federal Telecommunication Commission, as well as regulatory agencies in Guam and the CNMI.
Source: Saipan Tribune
Wired Line Phone Considered Most Important Household Communications Product
June 22, 2006 02:11 PM US Eastern Timezone
JENKINTOWN, Pa.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—June 22, 2006--Despite recent trends noting the decline of wired line phone usage and spending, new research from TNS Telecoms indicates that more than a third (37 percent) of Americans say the wired line phone is the most important communications product in their household, followed by wireless phones and high-speed Internet, tied for second-most important at 27 percent.
The survey asked respondents to compare the importance of wired line phones, wireless phones, high-speed Internet, DVR, HDTV, PDA, video game systems and iPod/MP3 players in terms of their importance in their households.
While wired lines phones were ranked most important to all age ranges combined, high-speed Internet connection and wireless phones were the most important to consumers under age 45 (62 percent and 61 percent rated as important, respectively). Similar trends were also noticed among those households with over $50,000 in income.
"While attention is often focused on growth areas such as wireless and high-speed Internet, wired line phone service is still a critical tool for communications," remarked Charles White, senior vice president of TNS Telecoms. "Consumers rate their wired line phone as important for many reasons including that it is universally available and always reliable."
Additional results from TNS Telecom's quarterly study include a 6 percent increase from the previous quarter in the average amount spent per household on wireless telephone service, to $60.53 per month. During the same period, the average household spent $48.54 on video (cable TV/satellite), an increase of 2 percent. Wireless spending now makes up more than one-third (35 percent) of the household's share of wallet, while video spending, at 28 percent, comes in second.
In the past year, American households spent an additional 5 percent on all telecom services including video; total spending rose from $167.15 in Quarter 1, 2005 to $175.00 in Quarter 1, 2006.
Source: BusinessWire 
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Like father, like daughter
STRATEGIES Paul Lloyd, who inherited a call centre his mom started in the '70s, hopes in turn one day to pass it on to daughter Dana
Jun. 18, 2006. 01:00 AM
MADHAVI ACHARYA-TOM YEW
BUSINESS REPORTER
If Dolly Lloyd stepped inside the Toronto office of AnswerPlus, she probably wouldn't recognize it as the answering service company she started more than 40 years ago.
Sure, two of the old-time telephone switchboards she used to start the business, with their multitude of plugs and thick cables, are on display in the lobby.
But the equipment that keeps the sophisticated operation going today — the computers and high-tech networks — would be unrecognizable to the woman who passed on in 1972.
No doubt, seeing a familiar face or two would give Dolly some comfort. Her son Paul, 56, is president and chief executive officer.
And with Paul's daughter and son, Dana and Dean, now working in the company and preparing to take the reins one day, the family business is entering its third generation.
As a call centre, AnswerPlus defies expectations. The industry is typically pegged as impersonal, with high turnover among customer service reps. But AnswerPlus measures average staff tenure in years not months.
As a family business, it's not what you expect either. The children weren't always expected to work in the family business, and they didn't for a while. But now they do, and they love it.
"I was blessed that they both decided to come into the business," said the proud father. "And I was blessed that they're hard workers, they're conscientious, they've got a good strong work ethic."
At this point, Dana, 30, is further along the succession track than her brother. She has worked in the company for four years and serves as vice-president of sales and marketing.
Father and daughter have a professional, but easy, rapport, sometimes looking to one another for the right word or finishing each other's sentence.
How do they make it work? In this family business, a little distance, and a lot of space, seem to add up to great communication.
Dolly Lloyd started the business in 1961 as a way to support her ailing husband and seven children. In those decades before answering machines and voice mail, she saw an opportunity.
Using $1,000 she borrowed from two daughters and their husbands, she started a small answering service in a Hamilton office building — so small, in fact, that she was the only employee.
At home, Dolly put her older children in charge of the younger ones and moved into the office to man the switchboard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so she could get her business off the ground. She was away from home for 14 months until she could hire other operators to help.
Paul began working in the business in 1971, a year before Dolly passed away, but by then one of his older brothers had bought the company. Paul inherited the business from his brother's estate in 1976, and hasn't looked back.
Today, the company has three divisions: AnswerPlus, a bustling call centre with offices in Toronto and Hamilton; a security and alarm monitoring division called Pasword Protection; and a paging service, Pasword Paging. (Spelling Pasword with one "s" is Lloyds' way of maintaining Dolly's legacy. Her company was called Professional Answering Service, or PAS.)
Paul's son Dean, 28, is a sales executive at the security divison.
Back in the 1960s, doctors accounted for about half of the company's business. When it was 1 a.m. and your baby was sick, you called the answering service and an operator would take down your information and pass it on to the doctor.
That type of service now accounts for just a fraction of AnswerPlus's business. "It evolved," Paul said. "I'd like to say we planned it, but we didn't."
The company has about 1,100 clients. Its 135 employees can take as many as 8,000 calls a day, dealing with everything from rape crises and roadside assistance to 1-800 questions from consumers on product assembly or a food's ingredients.
"We have a saying in our company," said Paul. "Our customers come third. Everything we do is for the caller."
Second to the caller is AnswerPlus' highly trained workforce of customer service reps. "They're the key to our success," Paul said. "We pamper them, but we have very high expectations."
The company is constantly training its workers, and offers performance bonuses, profit sharing, and perks like on-site massage. The average staff turnover in the call centre industry is about nine months. At AnswerPlus, it's about 10 years.
Dana credits her dad with teaching her about how to work with people. "He has this ability to motivate people and he has a lot of respect for the employees and, in turn, they love and adore and think the world of him."
As children, she and her brother would clean pagers, stuff envelopes, or help out with the billing. The exposure seemed casual, but wasn't really, as she discovered when she formally joined the company.
"Going in, I didn't think I knew a lot about the operations. But then getting into the day-to-day activities, things would just come back to me," Dana said.
Dana went to Queen's University to study business, and after graduation went into advertising and marketing. A few years out of school, the big company she worked for decided to close up shop in Canada and Dana confided in her dad that she didn't know if she wanted to move to the United States.
Dad had been considering buying a call centre in Montreal, so he sent his bilingual daughter to check it out. They never bought, but Dana stayed on in the Toronto office. But she still wasn't sure.
"I was so career-oriented at that point, I didn't want to sort of discredit myself by working for the family. It was nice to be part of my grandmother's `baby' and my dad's passion, but I went in very hesitant. I actually went into it thinking, `I'm going to give this a year and then I'm going to re-evaulate,' " she recalls.
"I'm also very close with my dad and I didn't know how it would affect our relationship."
It turned out to be a fabulous year. At the company, Dana saw a level of professionalism that she learned about in business school, but didn't expect to find in a family-run operation.
They also give each other lots of space — she's in Toronto, her dad's in Hamilton — an arrangement that Dana credits to her father.
"We don't have a lot of face-to-face time everyday which is nice because it allows me to grow and prove myself independently. It's sort of easy for the employees to forget that we're related to the boss because it's not always in their face," Dana said.
"The other thing that's good is that we make a conscious effort to do personal father-daughter things so we can separate between the business and the normal relationship that we're used to."
Paul says his children's drive and focus were evident from the start. He could see they were serious and eager to prove themselves on their own terms.
"They start early and finish late, work Saturdays and Sundays," he says. "I see the hours they're putting in. Work comes first."
The kids also have to work their way up from the bottom: Dana started as an operator, while Dean installed alarms.
Dad always hoped his children would go into the family business, but he didn't want to pressure them.
"When you're looking at the long-term prospects for the business, in the back of my head, the kids were always there," Paul said. "I thought she was off into her career and I thought okay, `What's my long term?'
"You're on hold for a bit. At the end of the one year it was, `Okay, I think I've got her, she's hooked.' Now we can do some long-term planning."
Paul says Dana's presence lends some stability for other employees. "When Dana came in, they said, `Oh, Dana's getting the business, it's going to be long-term. I guess we've got a job for a long time.' "
There's been a learning curve for dad, too.
"I look at Dana, who likes to go at 200 miles an hour all day long, and I'm moving back down to 80 miles an hour. She wants to go a lot faster than I'm prepared to go sometimes.
"But it's not awkward, it's refreshing."
Then there are the customers who notice the same last names, and aren't too shy to ask about it, which sparks a different reaction from daughter and father.
"You put so much effort into something and a customer would say, `Are you related to Paul Lloyd?' " Dana said. "It's like, have I proven myself to this person or are they thinking I'm just there because of my dad?"
Then proud poppa chimes in.
"That's interesting, because when people say to me, `Are you Dana Lloyd's father?' I say, `Yes, I am.'"
Source: Toronto Star
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