Lockheed Martin Emergency Center Is "Ready" for National Preparedness Month

Company's IT Expertise Prepares Employees and Customers for Disaster

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Sep 17, 2012, 02:00 ET

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored National Preparedness Month begins, Lockheed Martin's unique, state-of-the-art Global Emergency Operations Center (GEOC) stands ready to inform and protect employees in the event of a crisis.

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The GEOC monitors and responds to international and domestic incidents, like natural disasters and security threats, that can potentially impact business continuity. Staffed by personnel trained in recovery operations, the GEOC provides 24/7 emergency support to 30,000 Lockheed Martin employees worldwide, with decisions empowered by advanced A/V and communications systems that make sense of countless data streams and up-to-the-minute news feeds, similar to what Lockheed Martin provides their customer, the Army Corps of Engineers, when they are responded to disasters.

"We're committed to the safety and security of our employees, but we also recognize that business continuity is of the utmost importance, as our customers provide mission critical services to the soldiers and citizens of this country," said Lanny Lockhart, GEOC Director for Lockheed Martin IS&GS.

During the Waldo Canyon wildfire in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Center successfully served as central command for employees to communicate with the corporation for support, such as the Employee Disaster Relief Fund, and for other employees to volunteer to support impacted employees. The GEOC also coordinated post-storm activities and acted as the central interface for recovery activities as power was restored to the Maryland and Virginia regions following the east coast derecho – the widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms that occurred in June 2012.

The GEOC is just an instance of Lockheed Martin's disaster capabilities. Not only does Lockheed Martin prepare and protect its own employees – but when disaster strikes, the company supports citizens on the Enterprise Emergency Response contract with the Army Corps of Engineers. Lockheed Martin provides the customer with contingency planning, risk analysis, and continuity of operations and response through IT support and enabling consistent communications support when natural disasters and unpredictable circumstances affect communities around the country.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

For additional information on our Defense IT expertise, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/defenseIT.html

SOURCE Lockheed Martin