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Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, announces that Orsa Besparingsskog, a company which manages a range of forestry, commercial and recreational activities in the vast woodlands of Sweden’s Orsa region, has selected SPOT Gen3® to improve safety for forest-based workers and hydro-electricity personnel.
Orsa Besparingsskog is responsible for managing approximately 75,000 hectares of woodland owned by a consortium of local owner-partners. This includes overseeing 60,000 hectares of woodland, harvesting and selling timber and maintaining Orsa’s extensive road network. Also, an important part of the business is Tallheds Plantskola, a large nursery where trees and plants are grown to ensure the long-term sustainability and welfare of Orsa’s forests.
The company also owns eight small hydroelectric power plants located in neighbouring Gävleborgs County, delivering approximately 28 GWh to the Swedish electricity grid.
Fredrik Eriksson, Senior Ranger with Orsa Besparingsskog, explains: “We were anxious to provide a means of communication and safety for our staff who spend long periods of time in remote areas with no reliable GSM signal.”
Orsa Besparingsskog considered using alternative solutions and technologies, but SPOT Gen3 was chosen for its superior, reliable reach. Additionally, SPOT’s help button and SMS message capability were deemed as unique and compelling, and were persuasive factors in the procurement decision. “The help function is especially useful in cases where there has been a vehicle breakdown or puncture in the forest,” says Eriksson. “Now, with our SPOT devices, our teams feel safer and connected,” he added.
If a forest ranger or electricity worker encounters an emergency, a simple press of SPOT’s SOS instantly sends an alert and the user’s GPS co-ordinates to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Centre (IERCC). Details of the emergency are immediately transmitted to local first responders and help is rapidly dispatched to the precise location it is needed.
Robert Clarke, Globalstar EMEA Sales Manager, commented: “Year on year, we are seeing an increasing uptake of SPOT to enhance the safety of remote and at-risk workers who carry out their operations in locations where alternative communications options are limited or non-existent.”
“We are delighted to support the team at Orsa Besparingsskog as they manage Orsa’s forests, enabling landowners to maximise the value of their assets, and helping to ensure the region remains a great place to enjoy recreation and do business,” Clarke added.
SPOT Gen3 delivers a range of functionalities which can be programmed to meet the user’s specific needs. Its tracking feature allows first responders and colleagues to locate staff even if they are unable to press the emergency button following an incident. SPOT Gen3 can be pre-configured to send location data to a central operations co-ordinator every 2.5, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes.
Globalstar’s family of SPOT GPS satellite messengers have initiated more than 5,500 rescues worldwide since its initial 2007 launch.
