News

Our team in the UK recently completed two days training with Save the Children who are working on upcoming projects in Kenya.

The training gave Save the Children an overview of the radio and satellite communications equipment that they will come across in the field. It also gave them some hands on time and the skills needed for basic operation on a range of equipment.

Dan Bord: Procurement Manager……“Informative, interesting and fun, this is essential communications training for new and established aid workers”

Luke Hayman: Humanitarian Advisor……“A great mix of theory, open discussion and hands on experience that really cleared the mist for me on some common misconceptions - Castell are clearly passionate about what they do.”

Castell Satcom Radio Ltd is to join a network of experts who can be called on by Government in times of international crisis, such as famine, floods and earthquakes.

The new facility will mobilise life saving support from Britain's best businesses and charities in the critical hours after a disaster strikes.

Supplies, experts and vital aid are too often tied up with paperwork, rather than being deployed straight to the disaster zone, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said.

The new facility allows organisations with experience in disaster response to access funding within hours, thereby reaching affected people faster and saving more lives. It will mean the best organisations from across the UK can be mobilised in the critical first 72 hours following a disaster.

Castell Satcom Radio Ltd is one of an initial 34 non-government organisations which specialise in disaster response which has been invited by the UK Government to join the network.

Castell Satcom Radio has over 8 years of experience in supplying customers operating in remote areas, with particular expertise in the NGO market sector, providing high quality satellite and radio equipment and services. To enable us to support our NGO customers we have a strong presence in key areas such as the UK, Kenya, Republic of South Sudan and throughout Africa.

The new Rapid Response Fund will be activated in the event of a large scale crisis. The selected organisations will be approached within two hours and expected to take immediate action.

Andrew Mitchell said:“Clearly we need our best experts, equipment and aid on the scene as quickly as possible after a disaster, not tied up in red tape. Castell Satcom Radio need to be able to do their job in that vital window of 72 hours, to save as many lives as possible.

“Only the professionals, with relevant skills and equipment will be approved.  By working with a small pool of specialists, we will end the dangerous crush of aid organisations which often pour into a disaster zone.

“These organisations represent the very best performing disaster response agencies. This will allow them to focus on delivery.  Make no mistake, however, qualification for the fund will be revoked at the first sign of poor performance.”

Stuart Castell from Castell Satcom Radio said: “We are very pleased to be a part of the Rapid Disaster Response network, this excellent initiative will help us to get equipment and services to agencies working in disaster zones faster and more efficiently than ever before. The right equipment and speed of response is extremely important during emergencies to ensure NGOs and response teams can carry out their work quickly and accurately.”

Lord Ashdown's review of how Britain responds to humanitarian emergencies said that a pre-qualification process would ensure there was a focus on delivery, not bureaucracy, in the first critical stage of disaster response.

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/News/Latest-news/2012/Disasters-rapid-response-network-is-ready-when-crises-hit/

Our team in Juba recently completed an on site training day with The Save the Children team.

The training day took the Save The Children team through general use of sat comms equipment and logistics in the field.

The training was a great success. Tom Godfrey from Save The Children said "a great, practical training for our field logisticians aimed at improving their understanding and use of comms equipment and trouble shooting basic problems at their field sites"