ITDRC Expands Disaster Response Capabilities through New Technologies and Employee Volunteers

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - July 13, 2017) - The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) today announced advances in its preparedness and response operations for the 2017 hurricane season.

Although the official season runs from June 1^st through November 30^th, peak hurricane season occurs during August and September and is expected to yield an above average number of named storms, according to forecasts from The Weather Company and NOAA.

This year, ITDRC added a NIMS Type I mobile command center to its fleet, which provides mobile workspace and emergency communications for disaster response operations and community relief efforts. The 52-foot semi-trailer, donated by EchoStar Corporation through the DishCARES program, was outfitted by volunteers from ITDRC and NRG Energy's Power2Serve disaster team in Houston, TX. The multi-purpose vehicle includes technologies donated by Access Networks, AVProSource, Obihai, and Winegard, among others.

New equipment donations from Cradlepoint and Fortinet now enable ITDRC to deploy more than 200 additional networks at disaster relief sites, with advanced cybersecurity features to help protect survivors and responders online. Volunteers now have access to a wide array of specialized installation tools provided by Labor Saving Devices, Inc.

ITDRC's service offering has also been expanded to include a cloud hosted suite of tools to enable communities to more effectively manage spontaneous disaster volunteers, as well as FEMA's National Mass Evacuation Tracking System (NMETS). ITDRC is a FEMA Tech Sector Collaboration partner and the only non-governmental entity equipped to provide the NMETS solution to aid communities who must evacuate residents out of harm's way.

Lastly, ITDRC recently joined forces with additional industry partners to leverage corporate social responsibility resources and provide opportunities for employee volunteers to contribute their skills for relief efforts. More than a dozen members of Google's GOCART Team have completed training on disaster field operations, and Hewlett Packard has committed a team of volunteers as well as its Connection Spot trailer to ITDRC's pool of response resources.

About ITDRC
The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center is a nationwide, volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) that provides no-cost communications and technology resources to communities in crisis. Headquartered in North Texas, ITDRC serves as a clearinghouse for skills-based volunteers and in-kind technology services that benefit the whole community. To volunteer, sponsor or learn more, visit www.itdrc.org.