ORLANDO, Fla., August 7, 2006 - Cisco Systems® today announced that WeatherBug , the leading provider of live, local weather information services, has built its services on Cisco® Internet Protocol (IP) networking technology. The two companies continue to collaborate to power WeatherBug's network of 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations and 1,000 cameras -the world's largest weather network-through Cisco's wired and wireless technologies. Cisco is showcasing WeatherBug and other public-safety networking applications at the annual conference of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) here this week (Booth 1179).
A Cisco IP communications solution is at the heart of the WeatherBug Network operations center (NOC) and IP data network, which process 2 billion requests daily for data. Drawing information from 8,000 tracking stations and 1,000 cameras across the United States, WeatherBug provides highly granular, integrated weather intelligence updates every few minutes to enable emergency managers to better identify and track weather threats or plumes associated with a toxic release.
This is in contrast to traditional weather alerts based on conditions of about five to more than 30 miles away and typically rely on airport data that can be up to an hour old. Consequently, these traditional weather alerts lack the precision and relevance required by public safety agencies. WeatherBug's Smart Notification Weather Service, on the other hand, plots weather conditions over approximately 3.2 square miles (more than 8 square kilometers). With this live, streaming information, emergency managers can precisely assess the impact of current weather conditions and determine which areas to evacuate, select safe approach routes for first responders, position roadblocks and determine requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE).
"WeatherBug offers a key application for public safety networking, delivering actionable information directly to the tip of the spear-the first responders who are under the greatest pressure to quickly, precisely assess dangerous situations," said Morgan Wright, Cisco's global industry solutions manager for public safety and criminal justice. "We are glad to be working with WeatherBug to extend the scope and capabilities of its invaluable service."
Officials in Broward County, Fla., relied on WeatherBug in their preparation for and response to Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. Because they could more accurately predict the path of the storm, officials were able to strategically evacuate residents from harm's way and manage emergency services throughout the storm. Because they were able to understand the precise moment that danger had passed, officials were also able to rapidly and safely dispatch first responders to provide relief in Wilma's wake.
"During Hurricane Wilma it was critical to have access to live local weather information. It gave us the power to make critical decisions of where and when to send emergency responders to save lives and property," said Ken Jenne, sheriff of Broward County. "WeatherBug gave us the knowledge to make life-saving decisions based on live local information."
Broward County is one of the first municipalities to implement the recently announced Smart Notification Weather Service powered by WeatherBug and Send Word Now. This is the first alerting service to use the live data from the WeatherBug Network, and it is also the first location-based (LBS), two-way alerting system.
"Cisco offers emergency responders and government agencies the industry's highest standards-based, reliable public-safety networking technologies," said Jim Anderson, director of business development for professional services at WeatherBug. "This alliance enables us to continually build and deliver the industry's most precise and timely services to customers-when it matters most. First responders are positioned to save more lives and property when they are able to access and analyze live, local weather data surrounding chemical spills, flooding, storms, high winds, lightning and other weather-related emergencies-when miles and minutes can mean protected property and lives."
At APCO, Cisco will show attendees how the power of Cisco's ubiquitous IP wired and wireless network, combined with the precision and reliability of WeatherBug Network , enable emergency agencies to act faster, with greater certainty-saving time, property and lives.
Cisco, the leader in public safety networking, offers advanced voice, video, data and mobility solutions. These solutions provide a highly responsive and resilient public safety environment by connecting the entire chain of command, as well as their law enforcement, fire and EMS counterparts, to actionable information. This information, based on a highly secure, reliable and resilient converged network, communicates the most complete picture available of a situation. Cisco public safety customers include a range of public safety departments worldwide, such as Interpol, Washington State Patrol, Miami-Dade Police Department, New York City Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the city of Everett, Wash.. For more information: www.cisco.com/go/publicsafety.
