Published October 13, 2003 PARA13
‘Oakdale, we have a problem’
“We’ve got a situation here.”
Those words are music to the ears of the people at Oakdale-based MissionMode Solutions. The company specializes in designing “collaboration tools” to connect decision-makers in an emergency. Its flagship product, Emergency Alert & Situation Center, notifies members of a response team and then, using its own network facilities, sets up a virtual communications center that links team members via PCs, telephones, cell phones and pagers. The goal: to allow a far-flung team of emergency responders to share ideas, get status updates and make informed decisions as though they were in one room.
Last month, the Minneapolis Fire Department began using MissionMode’s system. A major test of the new system is coming in January with Operation Snowball 2, an emergency drill involving 400 people from several agencies. “MissionMode built a solution we can use with ‘smoke in our eyes,’ ” said Deputy Chief Richard Turner. Stay tuned.
John J. Oslund
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