CAL FIRE purchases encrypted push to talk (PTT) and group text messaging

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

CAL FIRE purchases encrypted push to talk (PTT) and group text messaging

Editors Opinion: Why does CAL FIRE need encrypted Blackberry communications? how can we afford such extravagant purchases with current budget problems?
Just because a technology exists does not mean it is needed!

CAL FIRE purchases encrypted real time push to talk (PTT) and group text messaging:

SLA Corporation is Awarded U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Contract for Enterprise Secure Chat

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- SLA Corporation today announced it has been awarded a GSA Contract for their Enterprise Secure Chat (ESChat), an encrypted real time push to talk (PTT) and group text messaging product that is carrier agnostic, and features cross carrier communications. SLA's ESChat is the only secure PTT and group text messaging product available today.

Initially field tested with the U.S. Air Force in 2007, SLA's suite of PTT products has evolved to meet the communication needs of tomorrow's business, government and military. The GSA contract provides a vehicle for Federal State and Local agencies to purchase ESChat at pre-negotiated rates. The ESChat product line benefits customers with AES-256 voice encryption, secure group text messaging, PC based dispatch clients, and gateways for tactical land mobile radio (LMR) networks.

SLA's ESChat provides a complete push to talk solution for the business, government and military environment. One of the first government agencies to experience ESChat's end to end solution is the California Department of Forestry (Cal Fire). Cal Fire operates under contract to many Counties in the State of California, acting as the County Fire Department. In San Luis Obispo, the Cal Fire team immediately recognized the value in adding ESChat to their existing BlackBerry devices.

"We are very pleased to have been awarded the GSA Contract," said Josh Lober, President of SLA Corporation. "SLA's ESChat is the most full featured real-time PTT product available. Receiving the GSA contract validates our extensive efforts and makes our product easily accessible to qualifying government agencies."

ESChat is available on standard mobile phones, smartphones, personal computers and tablets, and is supported on the Brew, BlackBerry, Android, Linux and Microsoft Windows operating systems. ESChat service is currently available across North America for government and enterprise business customers. Commercial customers can purchase ESChat from SLA Corporation through its commercial website; Government customers can purchase ESChat via the GSA Advantage website.

California Fire News 2011

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Tuesday, March 13, 2012