DALLAS, TEXAS, June 23, 2015 – The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit of volunteer technologists who provide emergency communications and technology solutions to communities in times of disaster, was named a member of the new Tech Corps program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
ITDRC operations director Joe Hillis signed the memorandum of understanding with FEMA on June 17 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Tech Corps members, which also include Cisco Systems, Google, Humanity Road, Intel and Microsoft, among others, work with emergency managers to identify and define critical gaps and then help coordinate volunteer technology resources.
Offering a means for trained, private sector volunteers to support State, local, Tribal, and Territorial response efforts during a disaster, the Tech Corps program is authorized pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, as well as sections of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Hillis said, “ITDRC believes that our country’s communities will benefit from the formal relationship that the Tech Corps program creates between FEMA and the private sector. By joining the Tech Corps program, ITDRC further expands its reach not only to help victims of disaster, but to more efficiently work in tandem with technology organizations to do so. ITDRC serves as a vendor-neutral clearinghouse for in-kind technology resources that benefit affected communities.”
Hillis leads hundreds of qualified volunteer technical personnel distributed throughout FEMA’s 10 Regions as well as a Critical Information Systems (CIS) response team. ITDRC has physical resources in three divisional caches with coordination through ITDRC’s National Disaster Relief Coordination Center (NDRCC) in Dallas.
The non-profit maintains a fleet of NIMS Type II, III, and IV Mobile Technology Units, with rapidly deployable equipment including VSAT connectivity, network infrastructure, workstations, hotspots, telephony, and radio communications.
About ITDRC The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit comprised of volunteer IT professionals from across the United States who provide technology continuity and recovery assistance to communities affected by disaster. Services are provided at no cost as a service of the technology community. Founded in 2008, ITDRC is headquartered in Dallas, TX. To volunteer, sponsor, or learn more, visit www.itdrc.org.
Contact:
Matthew Zintel
Zintel Public Relations
281-444-1590
matthew.zintel@zintelpr.com