NEWS

California Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Earthquake and Tsunami Program Director Dr. James Goltz recently reported the results of California's 2010 Live Code Tsunami Warning Communications Test conducted on March 24, 2010.

"This morning, I reviewed the survey responses received from 152 people in the test area (Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino Counties as well as North Coast Tribes) and discovered that 52% (79 of 152) reported that their primary means of notification during the test was the CAPS (Civil Air Patrol) speaker system (Power Sonix PSAIR12). Thus, the message from the aircraft outperformed the EAS system (TV and radio warnings), which was the basic system we tested, as well as the sirens and the Reverse 911 calls."

The CAP plane, piloted by Capt. Scott Bakker of the Oregon Wing, made warning broadcasts using the Power Sonix system and clearly proved its viability on fixed wing aircraft. Dr Goltz added "...we were quickly convinced that it not only worked very well but that (Power Sonix PSAIR systems on CAP aircraft) has the potential to be a major warning asset in an actual tsunami emergency."
Missing 4-year Zoey Dorsey of Brookings, Oregon had been gone for almost a full day. She had spent the night of March 17th alone and cold in 40 degree temperatures and searchers had no clues to her location. Even Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters equipped with FLIR infra-red cameras could not detect her body heat through the thick mountainous brush.

On the second day, Curry County Sheriff John Bishop called in the South Coast Squadron of the Oregon Wing, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) commanded by Captain Scott Bakker. Capt. Bakker has pioneered the use of broadcasting messages from fixed-wing aircraft using a donated system from Power Sonix of Martinsburg, WV.

Bakker met with the family and recorded the girl's grandmother onto an MP3 player. The message was designed to reassure Zoey and give her the strength and courage to speak out as best she could. The CAP plane circled the area several times broadcasting the message and then retreated so that ground searchers could hear without the noise of the plane overhead. Shortly thereafter, just before dusk on what would have surely been a fatal second night of exposure, Robert Crimp, a volunteer, heard some noises which turned out to be Zoey under thick brush. She was saved.

Power Sonix is pleased to have been chosen by the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy for naval acoustic hailing device (AHD) systems for new additions to the ROC fleet. Power Sonix designed a variety of custom systems for these vessels in partnership with our agent, Par E Enterprises of Taipei.

Power Sonix has been equipping the ROC Navy with state of the art loud speaker systems since its inception. We are proud of the work that Par E has done with the ROC Navy and its shipbuilding contractors. We are equally proud of the performance of our products on board the ROC fleet, standing up to the sea salt and harsh environments encountered on the China Sea & Pacific Ocean.

Our sincere thanks to the ROC!
Lancaster, Texas police, along with hundreds of volunteers and canine units, spent over 22 hours on October 2nd and 3rd, searching for 9-year old Laquentis Washington. Then, Lancaster Police called in the Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter equipped with a Power Sonix PSAIR22A 600-watt loudspeaker system.

Upon arriving over the neighborhood, the Texas DPS flight crew began making announcements with a full description of Laquentis, what he was wearing and where he was last seen.

Within just a few minutes, the broadcast from the helicopter did what law enforcement agencies and hundreds of volunteers had not been able to do in over 22 hours. Laquentis was found at a friend's house a neighborhood away when they heard the broadcasts. Using their Power Sonix loudspeakers, the Texas DPS brought a quick and happy conclusion to the extensive search effort.
Technisonic Ltd Inc of Missisauga, ON has announced a new audio panel for aircraft designed specifically to drive Power Sonix loud speaker systems. The A790, spearheaded by former Northern Airborne Technologies President Walter Shawley, will provide new advantages over any other audio panel on the market today.

With the A790, pilots can use the PA system directly with their headset microphone. A message can be pre-recorded and stored right in the A790 to be played over the PA system. An auxiliary input jack allows for an input from an external source such as an MP3 player to be routed to the PA system or to the A790 message recorder. Also, a siren or a trill sound can be played through the PA at the push of a button.

The A790 Loud Hailer Controller weighs only 13.4 oz. and its very compact size is approx. 5.6" x 1.125" x 5.75 inches. It is estimated that the unit will retail at $2,995 USD and be available in the 3rd quarter of 2010.
Judy K. McCauley, director of the U.S. Small Business Administration's West Virginia District Office has announced the 2010 West Virginia Small Business award recipients.

Being honored at the 2010 West Virginia Small Business Awards Celebration on May 13th event are Scott M. Hedges, president & CEO and Michael J. Grady, vice president from Power Sonix, Inc. in Martinsburg as Small Business Exporters of the Year for 2009. These top entrepreneurs and small business champions will be honored during West Virginia's 2010 Small Business Awards Celebration on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at the Tamarack Conference Center in Beckley. McCauley stated, "Small businesses are the driving force behind the economy and are leading the way through the national recovery effort. Small businesses represent nearly 97 percent of West Virginia's employers and this Celebration is a great opportunity for West Virginians to demonstrate their appreciation for our entrepreneurs and small business champions."

The Celebration will be hosted by the West Virginia Women's Business and Training Center and is set to run from noon until 2:00 p.m. on May 13. Register online at www.westvirginiawbc.org.

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