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BUSINESS
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Lt. General Russel
Honoré , U.S. Army (Ret.), to Deliver Opening
Keynote Address
Lt. General Russel Honoré , U.S. Army (Ret.), to Deliver Opening Keynote Address at 9-1-1 Industry Alliance National Workshop on 9-1-1 Overload Honoré—Author of "Survival: How a Culture of Preparedness Can Save America and You from Disasters”—Led Hurricane Katrina Relief Response
Friday September 23, 2011 ARLINGTON, Va. USA - (BUSINESS WIRE) The 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA) is pleased to announce that retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré will be the opening keynote speaker at the 9IA National Workshop on 9-1-1 Overload. The event is being held on October 4-5, 2011, at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Honoré, who served as the 33rd commanding general of the U.S. First Army at Fort Gillem, Ga., may be best known for his service as the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina. In that capacity, he led the U.S. Department of Defense response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. “Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 the United States has made strides toward achieving what I call a Culture of Preparedness,” said Honoré. “However, there’s still a lot of work to do. 9-1-1 overload is a growing problem that can significantly affect emergency and disaster response. I look forward to addressing leading public safety authorities and government officials on the critical issue of 9-1-1 overload and the importance of doing everything possible to alleviate it.” Throughout the country, hundreds of 9-1-1 centers are receiving far more emergency phone calls than they can reasonably answer in a short period of time. In May, more than 150 people in Joplin, Missouri lost their lives in what became the deadliest single tornado to strike the United States in nearly 60 years. Not surprisingly, the two public safety answering points (PSAPs) that serve citizens in the area were overwhelmed with hundreds of calls from people in desperate need of emergency assistance. Unfortunately, there simply weren’t enough phone lines or call-takers to answer all the cries for help. “We were overloaded,” recalls April Tarrant, Jasper County 9-1-1 director. “Within the first hour, we handled nearly 400 9-1-1 calls. By the time 24 hours had elapsed the number of calls had grown to approximately 1,400.” Hosted by 9IA, the workshop is being sponsored by CTIA-The Wireless Association and co-hosted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials – International (APCO), the NG 9-1-1 Institute and the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators (NASNA). To register or learn more about the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance’s National Workshop on 9-1-1 Overload, please visit www.9-1-1overload.org. Industry Alliance The 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA) represents the industry voice for the emergency communications field. Established in December 2005 by a group of prominent industry leaders, the Alliance plays an important role as the voice of companies on public policy issues impacting 9-1-1 and the emergency response system. Alliance members believe that industry leaders’ expertise can assist public policymakers and government emergency communications professionals as they address complex choices regarding advanced 9-1-1 alternatives in the years ahead. Find out more at www.911alliance.org. © Copyright: National Radio. Any use of these materials, whole or in part, is prohibited unless authorized in writing by National Radio. Contact: nationalradio@yahoo.com All rights reserved. |
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