[SatNews] Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. (NYSE MKT: GSAT) announces their SPOT Gen3™ safety device has been selected to track and protect teams of firefighters as they battle against forest fire and wildfires in the vast expanse of Castilla La Mancha in central Spain.The new agreement with Junta de Castilla La Mancha builds on earlier uptake by other fire fighting organisations in Spain, USA, Canada and in Chile.
Junta de Castilla La Mancha, the administrative authority whose responsibilities include forest and wildfire management for this region, selected wildfire solutions specialist Technosylva to provide 250 SPOT Gen3 devices in order to safely track its forest fire and wildfire response teams and vehicles. Fire is a major problem in the dry and often hot region, and some 2,000 response personnel are always on standby to help keep forest and wildfire at bay. Technosylva provides sophisticated fire behavior analysis and management software.
SPOT Gen3 is a rugged, pocket-sized low-priced personal GPS messenger that helps users stay connected via satellite even where there is poor or no GSM signal. With SPOT, emergency services can precisely track fire fighting team’s location, via a user-friendly display of GPS positions in near real-time via the Technosylva fiResponse™ platform, a wildfire decision support system based in ESRI™ technology . If a firefighter needs help urgently, with the single press of a button, emergency services will be alerted, their GPS coordinates will be transmitted, and their rescue operation be initiated.
SPOT Gen3 provides off-the-grid messaging, emergency alerts, extra long battery life, and extreme GPS tracking, with track check points capable of taking place as frequently as every 2 ½ minutes. The convenient SPOT App web-based interface allows coordinators to easily view their SPOT messages, show user’s track points and monitor people or assets via a smartphone or tablet.
SPOT devices have been used in over 3,500 rescues worldwide since Globalstar launched the technology in 2007, and they have given peace of mind to many thousands more people. With hundreds of thousands of SPOT units in service around the world, SPOT delivers affordable and reliable connectivity and real-time GPS tracking, providing reassurance when there is unreliable or no mobile coverage. In Europe, the SPOT customer base increased by over 7,000 in 2014, a record number of activations in any single year.
Executive Comments
Joaquin Ramirez Cisneros, Principal Consultant at Technosylva, explained why Globalstar’s SPOT Gen3 was chosen to be an integral part of his company’s Wildfire Management System: “To keep our crews safe, it is critical to track where the firefighters are at all times, in relation to the engine and equipment resources, and how far away they are from the heart of the fire. Providing these professional teams with the communications and support they need in the extremely dangerous situation of wildfire is an absolute must.”
Ramirez Cisneros points to the SPOT Gen3’s integrated sensors that report when the device is moving, and its ability to be charged by USB as particular major benefits to firefighters.
Gavan Murphy, Director of Marketing, EMEA at Globalstar, said, “One can hardly think of a job that is more important and yet more dangerous than trying to contain and extinguish out-of-control forest and wildfires.”
For more information on SPOT Gen3, and a list of dealers and retailers carrying SPOT products, visit http://FindMeSPOT.com .
