The ECRV, or Emergency Communications Response Vehicle, was designed and created for the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

by Disaster Services Technology paid and volunteer staff, to provide communications links between disaster relief operations and the Disaster Operation Center. However, as of February 21, 2013, the ECRV has been phased out in favor of more portable and flexible systems. Before replacement, they included a
interoperability switch
which allows the Red Cross to communicate with the variety of communication systems based in the nationwide network of chapters. The nine base vehicles for the original design, 2000 Ford Excursions, were donated by

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

; subsystems and components were primarily acquired through funding via the Disaster Technology Integration Program (DSTIP). The vehicles were extensively modified to add an 8.5KW alternator driven by the engine (keeping weight down, thereby avoidin
significant safety hazards
, a 52' pop-up pneumatic mast capable of rotating while holding a large

yagi antenna Yagi may refer to: Places *Yagi, Kyoto, in Japan *Yagi (Kashihara), in Nara Prefecture, Japan *Yagi-nishiguchi Station, in Kashihara, Nara, Japan *Kami-Yagi Station, a JR-West Kabe Line station located in 3-chōme, Yagi, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima, Hi ...

, a KU VSAT satellite antenna system, and sixteen HF, VHF, and UHF antennas feeding its radios and interoperable voice and data systems. The Chevrolet Suburban model was the basis of three vehicles delivered in October 2007; this version does not have the pneumatic mast. The operator training course involved approximately 40 hours of classroom and hands-on instruction with the ECRV's various onboard systems, safety training that included driving an obstacle course, and coverage of mast and RF safety issues. Course prerequisites included a current defensive driving certificate, a clean DMV record, current First Aid and

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

certifications, and enrollment in the Disaster Services Human Resources system of the

. Operators were called on as needed to drive the vehicles to and from disaster locations and operate the systems until communications could be otherwise restored. Until their decommissioning in 2013, they were used in every significant relief operation from 2001-2012, including (/11,

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, the

2004 Atlantic hurricane season The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was a very deadly, destructive, and extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, with over 3,200 deaths and more than $61 billion (2004 USD, $95.77 billion 2022 USD) in damage. More than half of the 16 ...

, and the

October 2007 California wildfires The October 2007 California wildfires, also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm, were a series of about thirty wildfires (17 of which became major wildfires) that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 ho ...

to name a few.

References

*American Red Cross
American Red Cross
* DSHR ** DSHR and the American Red Cross *
ECRV Photo Gallery
* Safety *

*
National Press Photographers Association ''Look Up and Live'' campaign
Emergency management in the United States Emergency vehicles