The Need for Reliable Emergency Back-up Power Solutions is Clear and Growing

According to FEMA, major disaster declarations in the U.S. have grown 400% since 1950.   In 2011, there were 3,071 reported power outages across the U.S., affecting 41.8 million people and leading to costly service interruptions.   More than 5 million people were affected by U.S. power outages exceeding eight hours in 2011 alone.

Emergency communications rank as a top priority for contingency planning.  For businesses and communities alike, a communications failure can be a disaster in itself.  Communications are needed to report emergencies, to warn about dangers, to keep citizens informed about developments and coordinate response actions.   The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists batteries and access to battery-powered radios as top priorities for emergency preparedness kits.  

Time is of the essence in emergency response situations, so reliable and immediately accessible back-up power is critical.  The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) developed the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) as the nation’s first strategic plan for emergency communications guidance, setting goals for emergency response situations. By 2013, 75 percent of all Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) jurisdictions must be able to demonstrate response-level emergency communications within three hours of a significant event as outlined in national planning scenarios.