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21-JAN-2004, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tripod Data Systems Supplies Recon Handhelds for Emergency Response to Hazardous Chemical Site
Chemical stockpile program purchases 51 TDS Recons for real-time communication in emergencies and finds a wide range of other day-to-day uses
Contacts:
Amy Urban
Tripod Data Systems
541-753-9322
amyu@tdsway.com
Julia Oliver
Sanda Communications
503-445-2400
jo@sandacom.com
Corvallis, Ore.—January 21, 2004—Tripod Data Systems (TDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), sold 51 of its rugged TDS ReconTM handheld computers to Morrow County, Oregon's Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). The Recons were purchased for use by emergency personnel in the case of a hazardous chemical release.
CSEPP was formed to protect the public and the environment in potential emergency situations related to the chemical stockpile, located in a lightly populated portion of northeast Oregon. In an emergency the Recon, which runs Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, allows first responders in the field to obtain real-time information from the central command center, including plume maps, injury reports, response plan details and locations of people in need of help. At the same time, the Recon's two-way communication and GPS functions let the central command center know where the response personnel are in the field.
"Multiple responders in the field all need the answer to 'what do I do?' in real time," said Casey Beard, director of Morrow County Emergency Management, who oversees CSEPP. "The Recon helps them with a lot of things in the course of a response-determining what type of release, where the plume is headed, where responders are needed. They can access a response checklist that's in the palm of their hands, not in a three-ring binder. They can even send us real-time update reports using their Recons." Of course, CSEPP bought their Recons with the hope of never having to use them in a real emergency. But in order to make sure responders are familiar with their Recons if they ever do need to use them under duress, the program has looked for ways their users-many of them in fire, police and public works positions-can put the Recons to use for day-to-day tasks. They've subsequently found a wide range of uses.
"We optimized the Recons for four uses: law enforcement, emergency medical services, public works and fire services," said Beard. "For example, the fire department has loaded all their report forms onto the Recon. Now they can send reports directly from their calls, without ever having to put it on paper. And the police department has used the Recon's mapping functions for things like crime pattern analysis." "We designed the Recon to be a versatile tool, and the Pocket PC compatibility increases that versatility to include many popular applications," said Bill Martin, TDS president. "We love seeing all the different ways customers have found to put Recon to use."
The Recon is designed for all-day operation in extreme outdoor and industrial environments. It meets MIL-STD-810F military standard for drops, vibration and temperature extremes. It also comes with an IP67 rating, meaning it's immersible in water and impenetrable to dust.
The Recon's rugged construction makes it ideal for land surveying, mapping, civil engineering and construction, forestry, utility, facilities and asset management, machine control, law enforcement and military applications. It weighs just 17 ounces, and its rounded edges provide a comfortable grip. Large, widely spaced buttons are easy to use, and its reflective color TFT display is bright and clear in sunlight.
The Recon comes with a 200- or 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB of SDRAM and up to 128 MB of internal nonvolatile Flash storage. It also features two CompactFlash slots, plus a standard 9-pin serial port and a high-speed USB port for connecting to a PC. The standard PowerBoot ModuleTM features a 15-hour rechargeable NiMH battery.
Tripod Data Systems (TDS) designs and manufactures hardware and software for mobile computing applications. TDS handheld computers are designed for extreme outdoor and industrial environments in the land surveying, mapping, forestry, utility, machine control, public safety and military markets. The rugged TDS Ranger was the first handheld computer based on the Windows CE operating system to meet military specifications for drop, vibration, immersion and both high and low temperature operation.
TDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble. The company is headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., and was founded in 1987. For more information about TDS, visit www.tdsway.com/handhelds, e-mail handhelds@tdsway.com or call 541-752-9000.
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Tripod Data Systems, Recon, Ranger and PowerBoot Module are trademarks of Tripod Data Systems. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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