Hurricane Ian brought maximum sustained winds around 150 miles per hour last week and left millions without power.
From the hand-held radio used to answer calls, to tracking the eye of the storm from space, to maintaining critical network infrastructure, emergency response officials lean on critical capabilities and support provided by L3Harris as they prepare, respond and recover.
Maintaining Radio and Radio System Communications
A resource that continues to support Florida is the L3Harris-provided Statewide Law Enforcement Radio Systems, or SLERS. The system provides Florida emergency officials, including 13 local law enforcement agencies, with a proven radio communications capability that has performed exceptionally well during 15 previous hurricanes and 20 years of service.
On the ground, L3Harris provides network reliability support and relief for customers, including Miami and Miami-Dade County. Working with our dealer partners in the local area, L3Harris is able to help provide consistent and reliable communication capabilities to customers and agencies during hurricanes.
These providers support an array of L3Harris capabilities and have specialized teams that mobilize to hurricane-affected areas with local response and recovery efforts. When a storm is approaching, these partner teams arrive on site at tower locations to perform site pre-checks; ensure generators have sufficient fuel; ensure that towers are working; and work on any repairs following.
L3Harris also supports utilities agencies across the state who use L3Harris radio systems. These utility line crews rely on that radio system for things like dispatching crews for service reactivation, multiagency support and ensuring citizen safety.
Upholding Critical Mission Networks
As Ian swept through Central Florida, a team of Mission Networks employees hunkered down on the Melbourne campus to support services on several key customer networks.
The local Florida team and remote field services employees worked together to quickly repair and manage these critical customer services.
Eyes On The Storm
With an eye from space, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists relied on the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) aboard the GOES-East satellite. ABI collected vital weather and ocean data to support faster and more accurate forecasts, helping to save lives and property.
Taking Care of Customers and One Another
As states continue to recover, L3Harris employees work to ensure capabilities for customers before, during and after the storm.
“A challenging thing about this is that some people who are responding to ensure the safety of others and the functioning of their radio communications capabilities also have family who are in an affected zone,” Greg Farmer, Business Development director for L3Harris PSPC, said. “So, they are busy taking care of our customer, while also taking care of themselves and their loved ones.”
To support recovery efforts, L3Harris donated $50,000 to recovery efforts to the Florida Disaster Fund and offered assistance to employees affected through the L3Harris Emergency Assistance Fund.
