SAN DIEGO, Nov. 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) announced today, at the Emergency Response 2004 Exhibition & Conference, that the State of Montana's Department of Transportation is using the SARMaster(TM) Integrated Search and Rescue Solution in its 24/7 dispatch center in Helena to track Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) emitted by downed aircraft across the state.
The State's Aeronautics Division can now respond to ELTs in the same way that the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at Langley Air Force Base receives distress alerts in its national center. Both use EMS Technologies' SARMaster(TM) software.
"Montana is a large state with so many remote valleys that you could have a downed aircraft and never see it," said Dr. Neil Mackay, senior vice president and general manager, EMS Technologies' SATCOM Division. "EMS Technologies is pleased to equip the state with SARMaster and allow them to save valuable time in responding to distress signals, while also automating their incident management of ELTs."
Jeanne MacPherson, Chief of the Safety and Education Bureau of the State of Montana's Aeronautics Division, noted, "We respond to 125 incidents per year, including ELTs and overdue aircraft. We have used SARMaster to document our actions, and have utilized the reporting format to plot locations on maps. The maps, especially the CAP grid, are useful for us."
The EMS SARMaster information system is a product of the EMS SATCOM Division's Emergency Management Product Group. EMS has provided ground equipment and management systems for use with the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system since its launch in 1981. Since that time, the system has been credited with saving more than 15,000 lives by using spacecraft and ground facilities to detect and locate signals from distress beacons.
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of technology solutions to wireless and satellite markets. The Company focuses on mobile information users, and increasingly on broadband applications. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,600 people worldwide, and has manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa and Brazil.
The SATCOM Division of EMS Technologies, based in Ottawa, Canada, is part of EMS Technologies Canada, Ltd. The Division specializes in the design and development of satellite-based terminals and antennas for the aeronautical, land-mobile and maritime markets. The Emergency Management Products Group provides products and services to search and rescue agencies around the world. For more information, visit EMS on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.
Note to Editors: See EMS SATCOM at the Emergency Response 2004 in Hall H Booth no. 518 or visit the online pressroom at www.emssatcom.com/er2004.