December 02, 2008
/EIN News/ -- JD Hamilton, CEO of TractorFax Technologies, an Arkansas-based corporation has announced that his company has addressed one of our Nation's greatest vulnerabilities and has been recently evaluated by the National Incident Management System Supporting Technologies Evaluation Program (NIMS STEP).
Mr. Hamilton states "In the beginning our vision and mission was being a Carfax (hence the name TractorFax) simply because the fact is heavy equipment has no centralized ownership - title registration system. What began as an almost insurmountable equipment ownership registration issue is now, in today's real world, viewed as one of our Nation's greatest vulnerabilities and has much in common with emergency management's preparedness, response and recovery shortfalls. It's profound, yet simple; no one knows the first thing about heavy equipment. Who owns backhoe, where are the bull dozers; its design; its capability, nor its availability. The National Response Framework and our NIMS evaluation has changed that scenario."
The National Incident Management System provides a framework and establishes mandatory criteria for emergency management operations. Furthermore, in accordance with the "new" National Response Framework, effective March 22,
2008, NIMS compliancy is now a requirement for all new and existing technologies relative to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. NIMS compliancy insures a more unified approach to incident management; standard command and management structures beginning at the local community level; with emphasis on preparedness, mutual aid and resource management goals.
The evaluation activities were conducted in support of the Incident Management Systems Integration (IMSI) Division within the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NIMS will post the TractorFax summary on the United States Responders Knowledge Base website.
http://www.rkb.us/ is the official website for the Nation's top Officials, Responders, and other decision makers.
The fifty-six page report from NIMS STEP presents the results of a pilot evaluation of TractorFax's emergency management system TractorFax 2.3. In a simulated operational environment, using remote computers and computer workstations, NIMS Subject Matter Experts were provided user names and passwords to accessed TractorFax. The evaluation confirms TractorFax to be fully compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) processes. "TractorFax is local community level collaboration for pre-positioned resources without the pitfalls of stockpiling" adds Hamilton.
The NIMS Subject Matter Experts included a Senior National Security Analyst (36 years of experience) and a Senior Emergency Management Analyst (18 years of experience). The NIMS evaluation team's combined experience totaled 72 years.
The NIMS Subject Matter Experts determined that "the primary benefit of TractorFax 2.3 is that it will improve a local jurisdiction's ability to inventory and track heavy equipment resources, and it will assist First Responders, Local Elected Officials, Emergency Personnel, Emergency Operation Centers (EOC's) and Incident Commanders (ICs) in managing heavy
equipment resources at the scene of an incident". The report continues"TractorFax provides emergency management and other users the capability to centralize and share resources at many levels. TractorFax specifically provides emergency management staff the ability to interface with commercial/industrial Heavy Equipment (HE) resources (e.g. equipment
designed and engineered for agriculture, construction, forestry, and transportation uses), and people (e.g. volunteers, credentialed personnel, equipment operators, public utility workers, CDL drivers, etc.)."
TractorFax is a software application system designed as a collaborative resource management system, heavy equipment specific, that is consistent with the National Response Framework, compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) resource typing standards, and compatible with all Crisis Information Management Software (CIMS), for managing, interfacing, and tracking heavy equipment resources and credentialed operators across jurisdictional boundaries and disciplines for emergency management operations and, simultaneously, provides emergency personnel and other
authorized end users common language, expertise, and proficiency in heavy equipment design, capability, location, and its predetermined availability; photo capable live - in real time.
As a first of its kind we are pleased to have been selected to participate in this pilot program," declared Hamilton. "We are doubly proud that our product stood up against a demanding set of criteria that validated our capabilities and demonstrated that our system is prepared to implement a comprehensive set of unified heavy equipment standards that are designed to
prepare for tier level responses involving natural and man-made disasters. Mr. Hamilton continues "It is a fact that the private sector has demonstrated significant involvement in expediting disaster response and recovery efforts. The effective partnering with the private sector technologies in supporting local, state, and regional tiered level preparedness goals is now receiving national attention.""The initiation of TractorFax revolved around a profound observation and a simple question." states Hamilton. "The observation: Commercial and industrial-designed heavy equipment has no title registration. The
question: Does this not hamper our Nation's ability in effectively supporting the National Response Framework's unified preparedness, response, and recovery goals surrounding natural and man-made disasters? Research and investigation into this observation and question soon led to the identification of a host of related issues involving Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response and Recovery. We discovered that, despite the best and noble efforts being expended, no workable solution to these serious issues had yet been established. There now exists a tested technology and deployment ready resolution to the myriad of issues relating to our homeland security, community level preparedness, and tiered level response and recovery. In essence, self-sufficient community level preparedness without relying on the current antiquated systems of scattered spreadsheets, flow charts, manuals, phone trees, faxes, other systems, etc."
In conclusion, think of TractorFax as a private/secure "Google" for emergency operations involving private industry, elected officials and other emergency personnel. With the click of a mouse, authorized users can search for heavy equipment, view its photos, identify its ownership, its location, it predetermined availability, associated manuals (i.e. specs & design, owner & operator, maintenance & service, warranty), documents (i.e. declarations, OP plans, Emergency Support Functions (ESF), Individual Resources, guides, assessments, codes, spread sheets, Mutual Aid & Assistance Agreements, Pre-Scripted Mission Assignments, Advanced Readiness Contracts (private sector resources), Pre-Positioned Resources) and other relevant information; live - in real time.
Having a keen understanding and need for such emerging technologies, the evaluation process included pilot - ramping up recommendations. Hamilton states "We documented and dialogued our recommendations with DHS/FEMA/NIMS; Phase One and Two were related to Arkansas as the State level pilots followed by Phase Three as the Regional pilots being Arkansas's neighboring States. On the national side of business, TractorFax is focusing its attention and synergy on other states and their Critical Infrastructures. Mr. Hamilton concluded his comments by stating, "The ultimate objective, of course, is a more prepared and secured Homeland."
TractorFax Technologies is presently based in Cabot, Arkansas and its technology partner is located in Washington, DC.
COMMUNITY LEVEL PREPAREDNESS
"Sharing Resources Securely Across Jurisdictional Boundaries & Disciplines"
Via
* NIMS COMPLIANT TECHNOLOGY *
Tractorfax Technologies, LLC
P.O. Box 788 * 49 Winners Circle
Cabot, AR 72023
Tele: 501.259.5007
Email:
jhamilton008@centurytel.net
Website:
http://www.tractorfaxtech.com# # #
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