MorganFranklin Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Four High-Tech Companies Lead the Nation on Disaster Response
as Part of National Emergency Preparedness Month

The City of Chicago Unveils Its Cutting-Edge
Command Center for Counter-Attack

Chicago, Ill. — September 6, 2006
The fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and such natural disasters as Hurricane Katrina again reminded officials in every American city that information is the most precious commodity in effectively responding to potentially catastrophic events. This week the City of Chicago introduced a multi-million dollar vehicle outfitted with advanced communications and now leads the nation with its new emergency response vehicle, thanks to four Chicago area companies.

The vehicle will arrive on the scene within minutes during an emergency. It will be used by Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) to maintain communication with police, fire and other rescue operations and continue the flow of information to the citizens.

The state-of-the-art mobile command vehicle designed and built by MorganFranklin Corp., based near Washington, DC, and in West Chicago, will allow federal, state and local authorities to coordinate rescue efforts and keep residents informed when a crisis occurs. Get more information about MorganFranklin at
www.morgan-franklin.com.

Several companies collaborated with MorganFranklin to deliver this one-of-a-kind vehicle. Federal Signal Corporation, a suburban Chicago company, through its subsidiary, E-One, is recognized as a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of fire and emergency vehicles. Its extensive knowledge and experience aided in providing the custom-designed vehicle for the City of Chicago. The company’s fully integrated body provides a world-class platform that is suitable for any technology application. Visit www.e-one.com for more information.

Chicago-based Lemko contributed its On Demand Cellular solution (ODC). This technology is a compact and complete software-only cellular system designed for rapid deployment. It delivers swift access to field information and communication necessary for Homeland Security, emergency agencies and first responders using standard cellular phones. For more about Lemko, visit www.lemko.com.

Clarity Communication Systems has equipped the command center with Push-to-Talk (PTT). With one push of a button, Clarity’s PTT solution enables emergency personnel to use cellular phones for instant communication. To learn more about Clarity, visit www.claritycsi.com.

The vehicle is equipped with 115 telephone lines, 96 cellular channels, land mobile radios, televisions, internet and two satellite terminals. It can both broadcast and receive commercial video reception. In addition, the vehicle features remote capability up to two miles and a 46-inch LCD screen, one of 30 screens in or around the vehicle.

Radio cross-banding makes it possible for various radio frequencies to operate at once and allows different responding agencies to remain in full communication. The vehicle can augment all existing communications and stand alone as a regional system when local communications fail.

The integrator, MorganFranklin, also builds mobile command centers for the State Department, the military's Northern Command and FEMA.