Emily brings the 482nd Comm Squadron mission into focus

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Francis L. Hartley
  • 482nd Communications Squadron
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  The recent development of Tropical Storm Emily reminds all of us of the threat this season brings. Hurricane preparedness is a part of daily life in Florida as well as any number of natural and manmade disasters such as a terrorist attack.
 
As incomprehensibly tragic as the devastations of Andrew and 9/11 were, they pointed out weaknesses in our disaster preparedness mainly in the area of communications. A review of the lessons learned from those tragedies allowed us to develop new capabilities to improve our response and hopefully save lives.

The 482nd Communications Squadron is on the forefront of that effort. They are host to the latest in quick response communications packages called the "JISCC", Joint Incident Site Communications Capability. The JISCC allows the 482nd CS to quickly deploy to any location and provide internet, phone, and video communications through a satellite up-link.

Having fast, reliable communications to the outside world is vital to coordinating relief efforts in a location hit by a disaster, however it is not what makes the JISCC special. One of the major lessons learned from 9/11 was the failure of communications between the different first responder agencies. Since all of these agencies used different radio frequencies, they could not quickly communicate and coordinate their efforts. The ACU-1000 component of the JISCC package was designed to help remedy that situation.

The ACU-1000 is a component that allows the 482nd CS to connect all of these different agencies to each other on an "as-needed" basis or they can be connected all at once. It has the further capability of connecting a first responder on a radio to virtually any telephone number, land-line or cellular, worldwide within moments. The versatility of this package allows first responders to direct vital supplies and personnel to where they are needed most much more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

So when you see a non-descript blue trailer or a satellite dish pointing skyward as you travel around the base, know the 482nd CS is on the job. The 482nd CS is operational, trained, and ready to meet any disaster head-on providing a link to the world.