Caltta Ensures Emergency Communications for Earthquake Rescue in Qinghai

After receiving the support request, Caltta quickly activated the emergency response plan and dispatched personnel and equipment to the epicenter to make sure emergency communications systems being up to the challenge.

At 2:04:11 on May 22, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in Guoluo, Qinghai Province (longitude: 98.34o, latitude: 34.59o), China, with a focal depth of 17 kilometers. After the earthquake, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the China Earthquake Administration immediately sent a working team to Maduo County, Qinghai Province to guide and assist the local government in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief. The Qinghai Provincial Emergency Management Department and the Qinghai Provincial Fire Rescue Corps mobilized five rescue forces to reinforce the disaster-stricken areas to carry out post-earthquake rescue and help the communities to restore normal life and production.

After receiving the support request, Caltta quickly activated the emergency response plan and dispatched personnel and equipment to the epicenter to make sure emergency communications systems being up to the challenge. Relying on the disaster relief and emergency communications network already established in Qinghai Province by Caltta, an on-site emergency communications system was formed to cover all areas and connect all the task forces. This resilient system realized two-way communications of voice, video, and data among on-site emergency command posts, rescue teams, emergency command agencies at all levels and other related departments. It provided reliable communication channels for the complex and harsh emergency rescue environment on-site.

In 2020, Caltta assisted the establishment of the nation’s first narrowband wireless communication network for emergency command, which was operated by Qinghai Provincial Emergency Management Department and Bureau. It greatly improved the emergency command communication capability of Qinghai Province and realized coverage and interconnection of Ministry, Province, City, and County’s emergency management departments, as well as connectivity among fixed command sites such as provincial government, emergency management, fire rescue, and earthquake monitoring.
The front-line forces used 370MHz PDT mobile station, private 4G portable station, Ad Hoc network and satellite ground station to quickly deploy and establish an on-site emergency communication network; the front-line personnel carried PDT radio PH790, multi-mode radio GH900 and drones on site for onsite communications. PDT radios achieved voice dispatch; drones and multi-mode radios realized real-time on-site data and images transmission to the command center. Different types of radios were grouped together and seamlessly communicated to each other.

At the same time, the command center used Caltta’s eChat PoC system, which complemented the private network to monitor the front-line situation in real time and realize visualized command and dispatch. The front command post was interconnected with the command center of the Qinghai Provincial Emergency Management Department through a satellite ground station, thereby establishing a three-level emergency command system of "rear command center - front command post - on-site team".

During disaster relief, communication is paramount. On the snow-covered plateau with an altitude of more than 4,200 meters, Caltta wireless communication system has once again withstood actual combat tests. In order to cooperate with the efficient follow-up work of the rescue departments and prevent the impact of aftershocks and secondary disasters, Caltta's emergency communications support team remains at their posts to monitor changes in the disaster situation and ensure emergency communications at critical moments.