Paging Survives Joplin Tornado

Talking to Tom Jackson, President of Midwest Paging in Joplin, Missouri, you can't miss the edge of emotion as he describes what he saw and retells the stories of death and destruction following the horrid Joplin tornado. He was in the thick of things because his company provides paging services to the bulk of the emergency personnel, hospital and first responders who were responsible for coming to the aid and assistance of the citizens of Joplin when the massive tornado devastated their town this past Spring.

For many people in this country right now, pagers seem like an archaic and out-of-date technology which should be replaced by smart phones that contain all the bells and whistles. However, Joplin is just one example of the absolute necessity for pagers and how they proved once again to be the most reliable and dependable messaging system for those on the front lines and caught in this monster tornado and other deadly natural disasters.

When the tornado hit Joplin, cell phone towers which cover approximately 2-4 miles per tower, were taken down. Estimates of the number of towers destroyed range from 13-20, which rendered cell service virtually useless and non-existent in the pit of the destruction. In contrast, Midwest Paging had two towers, one on top of the hospital and another tower several miles away. Unlike cell phone towers, paging towers can be located 25-30 miles away from the site they cover which provides the security of less terrestrial failure in these weather catastrophes. Even if the two closest towers to the hospital had been destroyed, the paging system would have remained functional from the remote transmitters.

In a situation like Joplin, or any natural disaster such as this, having that expanded coverage distance can mean the difference between service and no service, and life and death. It took approximately four to five days for cell phone service to be restored to the area, which is typical as cell towers are not easily constructed or replaced. With the paging tower, even if service had been completely lost, a tower could have been constructed within an extremely short period of time and service could have been restored by that evening and certainly by the next day. Tom was prepared with the necessary equipment under that scenario, which was not necessary due to the expansive coverage area and location of the other towers.

Understanding the devastation of the Joplin tornado is not something most of us can imagine until you begin listening to the heart-wrenching stories seen through the eyes of a person whose town was reduced to a war scene in minutes. Listening to the shaking of Tom's voice when describing a recent young high school graduate being pulled from a sun roof as his father desperately tried to hold him in and suffering injuries while doing so; or describing a mom lost and her car found with the roof ripped off, leaving behind three teenagers frantically searching the streets; or hearing about an entire hospital whose foundation was moved four inches and two floors ripped away and reduced from a 365 bed facility down to 30 beds set up in a tent hospital for months, allows a small glimmer of what the first responders and citizens of Joplin must have endured. It was a blessing for this town the high school graduation let out just 30 minutes before the storm hit or the death toll would have been more horrendous and incomprehensible then it already is as the most deadly tornado which killed 162 people.

The question to be asked here is why and how did the paging system stay functional? That answer is in the technology itself: the way pagers send signals and function as opposed to the way cell phone systems operate. Pagers operate off a radio signal which has higher power and larger coverage area of up to 60 miles, in comparison the network signal for cell phones is typically only 10 miles. This expansive coverage area allows for placement of transmitters well outside areas which can be affected by weather forces as was the case here in Joplin. It also allows for transmitter placement that can provide overlapping coverage and therefore has less potential for failure. Cell towers do not have the same ability for this expansive coverage even with intensive placement of the towers because each tower has such a small coverage area and each cell phone literally competes for the signals from these towers to make a cell phone function. This is the reason there are dropped calls, lack of coverage especially in rural areas or inside buildings, and overloading of networks. Pagers are not subject to these faulty reception issues and will work in areas where cell phones may not. In addition, the construction of a cell tower, should one be destroyed by wind or rain, is not an easy undertaking. In contrast, a paging tower can be erected quickly on the spot and be powered by portable generators in the event power loss occurs, which is expected in destructive weather.

The way paging messages are sent also differs from the way a cell phone text message is transmitted. When disasters such as this one occur, it's imperative to notify large groups or teams with critical and life-saving information. Pagers have the ability to assign a number to multiple different groups of individuals: code blue teams, hazmat teams or whatever other designation for emergency response is needed by a particular group. With these designations, one message is transmitted and disseminated to all members of that group regardless of the size. If sending that same message via text messaging, how many people are in the group will determine the number of messages needed to be sent out. For example, if the group consists of fifty people, with paging one message is sent to fifty people and with cell phones, fifty messages are sent out, one to each person. Thus, system overloads with cell phones is understandable.

According to Peggy Ball at the Joplin Hospital, it will be approximately two years before the new hospital is built as the old one has to be completely torn down. But she was grateful the hospital had a great disaster plan in place and all their years of training and practicing paid off under the most extreme circumstances and disaster they've ever faced. And, the paging system remained fully operational and communications were not disrupted in the middle of this ravaging storm.

Certainly cell phones and pagers have a cooperative roll in preparing for and working through natural disasters, but discounting the reliable and dependable technology of paging would be irresponsible and counter-productive to the front-line responders. This country has seen more then its share of natural disasters throughout the past few years and fine tuning the responses to these disasters in absolutely necessary. Using and expanding paging services so reliable and critical information is disseminated and placed into the hands of our first responders and emergency personnel will help save lives and make those responses smoother and safer for everyone.

Leslie Prichard is a freelance writer who consults with corporations in order to prepare articles and web content for their industry and specific needs. Leslie's work has been published throughout various media including websites and magazines and she has won awards for her writing.

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How to Find a Legitimate Reverse Phone Number Search

No one likes to feel threatened by phone calls from an unknown person, and many people seek to take control of their lives back by performing a reverse phone number search. By doing this you are able to retrieve all of the information of the individual on the other line. This gives the targeted individual control of the situation, and allows them to potentially press charges against the individual for crank calling or harassment. Whether you were using a land line or a cell phone, a reverse phone number search can used to locate the caller on the other phone. With just the rogue phone number, and the area code you can locate the information that coincides with the number. This information is usually classified in nature; therefore you will need to use a private investigation service. In today's day and age, there are many companies online that offer "Private Investigation" Services, however there are only a handful of legitimate websites. This is because it is a frequently occurring and unfortunately easy way that phony companies scam oblivious customers into paying annual fees for a service that doesn't even yield accurate results.

If there are so many scam websites, then how do you find a legitimate private investigator? First, know that in order to be a private investigator means that you have access to records beyond that of the public. This is what many of the phony websites lack. They will offer you a great deal, an "Instant" or very low-priced Reverse Phone Look up, and when it comes to the results you simply get links to legitimate websites. Other websites will return outdated useless information much like that you would find in an average phone book. It really is an unfortunate irony that the people who generally fall for these scams are the people who are looking to save money, and most people who fall for the low price gimmicks end up getting ripped off.

Another way to weed out these misleading scam-sites is upon opening the site, search for a phone number and location of the business on the website. Most often if there is no information, this means that it is a scam. Unfortunately, these websites have become more and more advanced, and sometimes will still have false listed information. This means that you must keep an eye out for "Red Flags" of scammer sites like claims of unwarranted "Instant", "Free," or "Unlimited" results. It should be known that a Reverse Phone Number Search could not be instant, simply because of the nature of the records required to do a search. Bargain hunters beware, these scammer sites prey on unsuspecting innocent people like you; while you're just trying to find a good deal. No one wants to be the victim of a scam, so do some research before performing a Reverse Phone Number Lookup, it will be well worth your time. You want to find a licensed group of private investigation professionals who will do their very best to find the information you are looking for.

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A Brief Guide Regarding How To Choose And Use An Ethernet Fiber Connector

With the help of an Ethernet fiber converter, it becomes very easy to connect two different networks to each other. This is especially true in the case of any network that is making use of the normal Ethernet cables. When such a network has to be connected to a network that is faster, you will find that the best solution is to use an Ethernet fiber connector.

The aforementioned is also true when there is a need to connect multiple numbers of networks that are making use of a variety of cables to communication among the different components of the network. All that is required in such a case is to use an Ethernet cable which can effectively connect everything together.

Even if you are using a single network in which there are different numbers of computers which are using a variety of technologies or when some of them do not have the ability to make use of fibre optic cables; then again, it pays to make use of an Ethernet fiber connector.

Fiber optic cables have special properties including being much more resistant to electrical interference from other electronic devices and wireless networks and also from mobile phones. These cables are very effective and will not lose their signal when they come into contact with certain kinds of electronic equipment.

This is the main reason why it pays to use fiber optic cables as they, besides being resistant to interference, will also send and receive signals much more rapidly. When you look at various other kinds of connectors you will find that these can only offer ports with one hundred Megabits or even ten Gigabits speed cables. When you attach a converter between 2 cables that are of different types you will find that this results in a slowing down of data transfer speeds.

When you use an Ethernet converter, you will find that there are many different sizes to choose from. Some can be used in a home network while others can be used in an office network. Most of them are simply small units that are made from plastic and whose sole purpose is to change one Ethernet cable to a corresponding fiber optic cable.

It is also possible to make use of larger converters that need to be mounted on racks made of metal and those which can convert twelve or more cables at one go. When using such a converter, you have to make sure that it is placed within a secured network room.

Fiber optic converters must also always be placed in secured locations. This will prevent any possibility of them being tampered with by people and also disturbed by other equipment or machinery.

In case the converter is damaged or broken then the connection between all computers that are hooked to the damaged instrument will be broken. Therefore, you must exercise care that you use the correct network technology and the device must be placed in a location where the temperature can be controlled so that it never heats up too much or becomes too cold as such variations will spoil the material used in the Ethernet fiber converter and render it useless.

Are you looking for more information on Ethernet Fiber services? If you are considering to get Ethernet Fiber connection, review the information here to find out more.

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Choosing a Dedicated Internet T1 Provider

As the prices of these dedicated services have reduced over the last two decades, more number of businesses are opting for these cost effective solutions. Irrespective of the type of communication infrastructure you require, the T1 Internet provider can fulfill your requirements. Their services include voice, data, or a combination of the two infrastructures.

However, many people are unsure of how and where to find a reliable and affordable service company to match their requirements. Users must remember that although price is an important consideration, they must also consider other factors while choosing for a specific company. Often, you may find a cheaper service company, but you must be aware that not all companies who offer cheap services are efficient.

Before deciding on the company you want to use to set up your infrastructure, you must first ask yourself some questions. Firstly, determine the type of service required, which includes voice, data, or a combination of the two. This will assist you to make other important decisions regarding the service providing company.

If you require voice connectivity, you must determine the purpose, such as whether you need long distance or local calling, faxing requirements, and the number of lines needed. In case you need data services, you need to determine its purpose, such as web hosting, access for your employees, and other such purposes. If you require both these, you need to consider both of these aspects.

In addition to the above general considerations, several other factors need to be considered. These include cost considerations, implementation time, technical support systems, need for hardware, contractual considerations, and extension of the contractual agreements. Even if you hire your own in-house technical support staff, you must choose a company that offers support and adequate services as per your requirements.

You can consider using the services of a communication broker who will understand your requirements. Based on these requirements he/she will provide you the most appropriate solution that suits your specific requirements. You must note that such brokers do not provide solutions of a specific company, which enables you to find an effective and affordable solution for your communication needs.

You may also consider working directly with a specific company. However, in this situation, the company personnel will provide only solutions offered by their company. This may prove to be disadvantageous because you will not be able to compare the various features of the different service providing companies. If you work with a communication broker, this limitation is eliminated, as they provide you access to various products and services from the various vendors.

While researching for T1 Internet provider, you will come across a large number of options. However, you must not make a hasty decision because an error can prove to be extremely costly. Moreover, it is recommended to take the help of a communications broker who can provide you with beneficial solutions of various vendors. The chosen vendor must be able to provide sufficient services and support to ensure your business can continue growing. Therefore, you must not risk the profitability of your business by choosing a cheap vendor to save some money on the initial setup costs.

Finding Internet T1 Provider is not hard when you know where to look for the reliable ones. If you are considering to get Internet T1 Provider, review the information available here to find out more.

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Defining MPLS Ethernet For The Lay Person

Multi Protocol Label Switching is what MPLS stands for. While most people still have no idea what it means, however, it at least lets you know what the acronym means. In essence, MPLS is a particular information technology service that is utilized to deliver various circuit types to customers for their inter or intranet connectivity needs.

The ability to make your current connections faster through utilizing MPLS Ethernet technology is its most widely known feature. It plays a huge role in helping large corporations run more smoothly in the information age than they have in the past. Overall, the technology is making the internet a better place for everyone. One of the ways it accomplishes this tall task is by helping computers and servers identify the types of information being received.

In the past, computers and servers had to figure out for themselves where the information was to be used and displayed. Now, using MPLS, the information is sent in packets and is labeled to make the connection time quicker to display on the target systems.

Current router technology allows the router to make the choice of where each packet should be sent without any knowledge of the information or the contents of the packet. When each packet arrives at the network router but is labeled with information in their header, telling the router the type of information and its destination, the process becomes much faster.

This is especially helpful on business intranets. While dealing with information coming in from the Internet, it must also route internal traffic. By labeling all the packets sent back and forth, the overall load on the system is reduced allowing for more rapid transmission of all information types, whether online or local network based origins and recipients.

The most noticeable difference will be seen when large real time applications, such as video conferencing, audio streaming, or VoIP applications are being used. By configuring the router to give this type of information transmission priority of the system resources and bandwidth, and keeping things like email at low priority, the overall system performance is significantly enhanced.

With current systems structure, things like email will receive the same system priority as do video and audio streaming applications. This can cause the network to bog down considerably and increase the vocabulary of colorful metaphors that the business owner might otherwise have had. Having everything at equal priority can (at the least) limit the quality of the audio or video conference that is being attempted.

MPLS assigns such items a higher priority as well as keeping email and the like set to a lower priority allowing the system to be used much more efficiently and an overall improved service quality. The delay that will take place with email applications will be difficult and probably impossible to notice, since the average delay on such small items is measured in terms of milliseconds.

It is the process by which critical information is sorted and given high priority over less important applications to keep your business running smoothly in the background without any active interaction needed by you.

Are you looking for more information on MPLS Ethernet and how it works? If you are considering to get MPLS ethernet connections, review the information available on our website to find out more.

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Communication Audit - Worth the Time and Investment

A communication audit can help in making sure a company's graphic design and professional brand is meeting the industry standards. If you have several divisions within your company, are they all using the same logo, letterhead, business cards and email signature. By creating a consistent look you will be able to save money by combining graphics and making industry standards.

The Communication Audit will improve efficiencies, create unity, and save money by consolidating resources. Making your company more professional should be one of the goals of this evaluation. Existing and new customers will appreciate the professionalism of your company and will ensure they are working with the right company. A company that does not have a well coordinated graphic design image will appear to be unorganized and lacking in the effort to make the company appear to be of one mind set. For instance if a division in Ohio is using their own stationary as compared to the same company's division in Iowa, there is an opportunity to not be able take advantage of something that may be working for one division, and not for another. If the division in Ohio always included a particular service on their stationary and were able to get more business because the client did not know they offered this service, then the division in Iowa was missing some opportunity for new business.

Also, if one standard stationary is created that includes all the locations of the divisions, this will help reduce the per piece cost for printing and at the same time show how global of a company you really are to your clients that did not know you had another division in Iowa, which may be right next door to another one of their plants in Iowa. If the main head-office does completes the Communication Audit first, they can establish a company wide standard so all divisions are using the same graphics, fonts, colors, etc. This is critical in the ever shrinking world that has the ability to Google anything. What is sad if the you Google a certain item and the search shows the first two possibilities and you do not even realize they are two different divisions in the same company. In conclusion, to do a comprehensive audit of your brand can be cost affective to improve your company flow and make you look more professional to your clients, and give them the feeling they are working with the right company.

Communication Audit will improve efficiencies, create unity, and save money by consolidating resources.Making your company more professional should be one of the goals of this evaluation. Making your company more professional should be one of the goals of this evaluation. Existing and new customers will appreciate the professionalism of your company and will ensure they are working with the right company.

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