By H1 Staff

CHARLESTON, S.C. — In a press release published Friday, AT&T announced that it was the first company in the US to earn Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) certification for their Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program.

The NDR program is designed to recover/maintain communications services in the wake of disasters and includes a fleet of more than 320 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same type of equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.

"We are proud to be the first company to achieve this Homeland Security certification, for it reflects AT&T’s long-standing commitment to business continuity through disaster preparedness," said Pamela Lackey, President of AT&T South Carolina.

The certification is the first under the DHS Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program, which is administered by DHS’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The program enables private sector organizations to enhance their capabilities for planning, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters and other threats.

This announcement comes on the heels of AT&T’s May 15 selection as prime vendor for the DHS’s Tactical Communications Equipment and Services (TacCom) contract, as reported by Market Watch.

The contract is a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery – Indefinite Quality (IDIQ) contract with an overall value of $3 billion and a base contract of two years and three, one-year options.

It provides DHS and its component agencies a cost-effective contract vehicle to purchase a wide range of tactical communications products, infrastructure and services to support public safety communications for first responders.