News | September 9, 2011

DLI Rugged Tablets Deployed To Tornado-Ravaged South

Source: DLI

DLI 8400 Rugged Tablets and STORM ADMS provide mobile computing solution for post-disaster debris removal.

LaPorte, IN - DLI, a leading manufacturer of rugged tablets and in-vehicle computers, and Phillips & Jordan Inc, a nationwide contractor specializing in emergency response and recovery services announced the recent deployment of DLI 8400 Rugged Tablets to aid natural disaster recovery efforts in both Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Joplin, Missouri. The DLI rugged tablets served as the mobile computing platform for Transport Tracking's STORM Automated Debris Management System, which was deployed by Phillips & Jordan during clean-up efforts following the recent outbreak of deadly tornados.

In business since 1952, Phillips & Jordan is a nationwide general and specialty contractor with a focus on emergency response and disaster management, among its many other core competencies. Named "Civil Works Contractor of the Year" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for their response following the September 11 World Trade Center tragedy, Phillips & Jordan is recognized as an innovator for their use of mobile technologies within their industry. The company's use of the STORM (Strategic Tracking of Recovery Material) Automated Debris Management System from Transport Tracking recently received certification by the USACE and is being utilized in the massive recovery and debris removal efforts currently underway in Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, Mo.

The STORM ADMS system provides emergency response agencies and debris management contractors with an integrated suite of applications designed to improve driver, load, and dump site tracking. Design to meet the Army Corps of Engineers requirement for an Automated Debris Management System, STORM provides a ticketless debris tracking system that works at the dispatch site, point of debris loading, interim and final dump locations.

Using the DLI 8400 Rugged Tablet's integrated barcode scanner and either an RFID or smart card reader, GPS coordinates of the load site along with truck and driver identification are automatically entered into an electronic ticket. "The integrated data collection features of the DLI 8400 Rugged Tablet combined with its multiple wireless radios and overall durability make it the ideal rugged tablet for use in the demanding environment of disaster clean-up," said Steve Rasmussen, STORM system designer for Transport Tracking, LLC.

"Beyond the features and dependability of the DLI rugged devices themselves, we've really come to depend on the first-rate technical and customer support offered by DLI," added Rasmussen. "Fast response time is vital to any disaster recovery and debris removal effort. In the case of the devastating tornado outbreaks that hit Joplin and Tuscaloosa, the DLI support team worked hand-in-glove with both Transport Tracking and Phillips & Jordan to deploy their rugged tablets in record time."

Developed in part from experience gained during the Hurricane Katrina post-disaster clean up, the use of STORM ADMS in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Joplin, Missouri represents the first application of the system on a major disaster debris event. Transport Tracking's STORM system was designed to meet Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA initiatives to move away from paper-based debris management systems and toward real-time, mobile electronic systems designed to reduce costly errors, increase efficiency, and eliminate fraud.

"The STORM system harnesses the power of rugged mobile computing by providing municipalities, government agencies, contractors and dump site operators with real-time visibility of the entire disaster debris removal process," according to DLI President Bryan Wesolek. "By automating this complex, sometimes chaotic process STORM helps speed up the recovery process while reducing fraud, which in turn leads to lower overall costs for the tax payer. DLI is proud to play a role in this process."

The STORM Automated Debris Management System is available exclusively from Transport Tracking, the nation's leading provider of integrated mobile computing solutions for the debris management, heavy construction and materials hauling industries.

The DLI 8400 Rugged Tablet along with the entire line of DLI rugged tablets, in-vehicle computers, and mobile POS devices are available directly from DLI or through any one of their authorized DLI Solutions Partners.

About DLI
DLI, located in La Porte, Indiana, is a privately held company engaged in the design, manufacture, and service of rugged mobile computers. Based in the United States with an Asian sales and service office located in Taipei, Taiwan, DLI brings to market rugged products that help businesses capture, create, and exchange data throughout the entire mobile enterprise.

The DLI line of rugged tablets, in-vehicle and industrial computers, and mobile POS devices are all designed to perform in the harshest environments and form the foundation of high-value mobile computing solutions in industries as diverse as manufacturing, field service, retail, public safety, warehousing, transportation, and government.

SOURCE: DLI