Hughes, the All Hazards Consortium and the Multi-State Fleet Response Working Group Announce a Strategic Data Sharing Partnership

Lessons Learned from SuperStorm Sandy Response Activities to Aid in Future Disaster Preparedness and Response

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Nov 12, 2014, 09:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, the All Hazards Consortium (AHC) – a non-profit organization focus on homeland security, emergency management, and business continuity issues, and the AHC's private sector run Multi-State Fleet Response Working Group (Working Group), today announced a strategic information sharing partnership to aid in future disaster preparedness, response, and community resilience.

Under the partnership, Hughes will cooperate to provide information on areas affected by disaster to the Multi-State Fleet Response Working Group allowing responders to more accurately locate operational commercial facilities offering food, gas, accommodation and medical supplies. The Working Group is managing access to the information as a service through a secure online portal for pre-approved disaster response leaders, referred to as the Fleet Open/Closed Service.

"This partnership with Hughes has made it possible to provide critical infrastructure organizations and first responders (and eventually citizens) with real-time information that helps them to meet their basic needs while responding to a disaster, but that's only the beginning," said Tom Moran, Executive Director, All Hazards Consortium. "Decision-makers can use the information to help pre-position assets to mitigate the effects of a disaster, as well as improve response efforts and communications to citizens on where they can find open businesses to get coffee, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, medications, water, first aid supplies and other household items. It also serves a larger purpose by making available for the first time a unique regional economic resilience and business continuity capability that previously did not exist."

The raw data supplied by Hughes will be processed by the All Hazards Consortium's partner Integrity Consulting and run through visualization software, providing end-users of the service with a graphic representation of the data overlaid on a map of the United States. This enables decision-makers and emergency operators to quickly locate and zoom in/out on problem areas and gain an immediate understanding of the local, regional, and/or national scope of the crisis.

"This partnership, drawing on lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy – one of the most severe disasters in recent memory – has paved the way for private sector organizations to involve themselves with the All Hazards Consortium's Multi-State Fleet Response Working Group and give back to communities by helping them prepare and respond better," said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president for Government Solutions at Hughes. "We look forward to working with these organizations to help support this vital disaster response and recovery effort."

Following Superstorm Sandy, Hughes made information available to the Consortium about the operating status of gas stations, hotels and restaurants—which then enabled the federal government and authorities to rapidly respond to areas that were impacted along the eastern seaboard. As a result, first responders and emergency operators were able to more efficiently assist those communities in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Incoming utilities and their contractors from around the country and Canada quickly found fuel, food and hotel rooms just outside of the blacked out areas, reducing the amount of time required to set up their response operations.

To learn more about for the private sector's Fleet Open/Closed Service, please click here.

To learn more about Hughes government solutions, please visit government.hughes.com or call 1-866-805-5448.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the world's leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 4 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.

About All Hazards Consortium
The All Hazards Consortium is a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on multi-state homeland security, emergency management and business continuity, and guided by the states of North Carolina, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, along with the urban areas of New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Washington, D.C. National Capital Region. For additional information, send emails to [email protected] or visit www.ahcusa.org.

About Multi-State Fleet Response Initiative Working Group
Established by the private sector under the All Hazards Consortium, the Multi-State Fleet Response Working group is a private sector-led working group supporting efforts to expedite the movement of private sector repair fleets, resources and supply chains across multiple borders following disasters. Its members are owners and operators of the nation's critical infrastructure sectors including electric, fuel, finance, retail, telecommunications, transportation, food, water and medical. The Working Group is advised by state/local government representatives from multiple disciplines, including emergency management, homeland security, transportation, communications, GIS, health, energy, utility commissions, law enforcement and economic development. For additional information, send emails to [email protected] or visit www.fleetresponse.org.

About Integrity Consulting
Integrity Consulting is a management and technology consulting firm serving commercial, federal and state & local markets. Integrity specializes in providing services within program management, business process, supply chain, risk management, technology, homeland security and emergency management. For additional information, send emails to [email protected] or visit www.integrity.us.com

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SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC