Acadian introduces new mobile emergency unit

Published on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:59 AM CDT

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The communication black hole of Hurricane Katrina taught St. Tammany’s sole ambulance provider, Acadian Ambulance, one thing — find a way to communicate.

Three years later the company revealed its solution.

Halo 1, a mobile emergency command unit equipped with ham radio, emergency food supplies, onboard generator and high-tech communication equipment that never fades, is slated for use during the next storm or manmade emergency.

Communications blackouts have “been looked at all across the nation as emergency operation centers and homeland security departments have scrambled to come up with solutions to that kind of paralysis,” Acadian’s Chairman and CEO Richard Zuschlag said. Halo 1 is Acadian’s answer, he said.

Named after a halo ring, a fracture brace used to immobilize cervical fractures and aid in the healing of spinal injuries, the command unit will be deployed to stabilize a “fractured” region, Zuschlag said.

Key to its effectiveness is Halo 1’s self-sustained on board generator and uninterrupted power supply system. With one push of a button, an auto-deploying satellite communications dish connects Halo-1 to Acadian’s main dispatch center within minutes, where coordination for ground and air operations can commence.

It also boasts a dual monitor work station, 26-inch LCD TV, a high-speed pan, tilt, zoom, color camera with on board digital recorder and the ability to tap into state and federal airwaves to coordinate rescue efforts.

Communication and the sharing of data is one of the only ways to truly ensure a well-orchestrated response to disaster incidents,” Operations Vice President Jerry Romero said.

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Comments

1 comment(s)

Michael wrote on Aug 22, 2008 10:25 AM:

" Acadian Ambulance seems to always be on the forefront of EMS care. They reinvest resources back into the company to be one of the best EMS services in the entire country. "

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