“Samoa has always had issues with real-time communications, but the 2009 tsunami really highlighted a number of communication challenges, especially in the coordination of search and rescue. After signifiant loss of life and severe communications limitations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) – in its capacity as the main government agency with a legal duty to coordinate disaster risk management in Samoa – picked up the role of coordinating a solution,” explains Filomena Nelson, assistant CEO, Disaster Management Offie, MNRE.
The MOTOTRBO emergency response network (ERN) consists of 12 repeater and linking sites, with four DMR repeaters at each site (48 repeaters in total), all linked via microwave IP radio. The system is designed so that emergency services have seamless communication across the two islands of Samoa. Twenty three sirens are installed along the south coast of Upolu, a key risk area where the 2009 tsunami caused the greatest damage, and co-located on Digicel Samoa Ltd cell sites. Each siren is connected to the ERN via a dedicated MOTOTRBO radio, which is monitored and controlled with SmartPTT dispatch and monitoring software enabling a number of benefits… read more
“The whole aim of the system is to reduce response times to save more lives. That’s the goal of early communication… Time can cost lives, money and resources, so by reducing time the emergency response is more effective.”
Filomena Nelson, assistant CEO, Disaster Management Office, MNRE
