The SIRDEE (Sistema de Radiocomunicaciones Digitales de Emergencia del Estado) network, based on Cassidian’s TETRAPOL technology, played a significant role in organizing and coordinating emergency services during the recent earthquake in Spain.

While the public mobile networks suffered severely from heavy traffic which made communication very difficult for the population, all SIRDEE communications worked perfectly. No problems were detected in the network and all users could rely on the SIRDEE network and focus on their important tasks.

On May 11, 2011, the Spanish town of Lorca suffered a double earthquake. Right after the earthquake, the number of public security professionals working in the area increased so greatly that the system had to deal with 264% more users. The number of group communications in the network tripled. Instead of the usual 20 individual calls per hour, the system had to handle 128, a 640% increase. The occupation rate of the traffic channels rose from 20% to 72%, a 360% increase.

Despite a considerable increase compared to the number of terminals usually logged in the area, SIRDEE was able to maintain normal service with total customer satisfaction, said network operator Telefonica. Organizations using SIRDEE expressed their complete satisfaction with the level of service in this difficult situation.

Meanwhile, Cassidian’s SIRDEE network delivered first class service to the emergency professionals during the terrible fire on Ibiza in May 2011, the largest forest fire ever in that part of the Balearic Islands.

For a whole week, over 2,000 hectares of pine forest on the island burned uncontrollably. More than 300 people were evacuated. Some holiday resorts were relatively close to the threat and several hotels moved their customers to keep them away from possible danger. 400 people fought the fire, with up to 14 aircraft working constantly during daylight hours.

SIRDEE enabled the emergency forces to work under very difficult circumstances. Calls during peak time increased from the usual 3 to 136, and the number of active groups of three rose to six. The base station in the area recorded a 20% to 144% increase in traffic, with a minimum of rejected calls.

Deployed since 2000, the SIRDEE network is the national mobile voice and data communications network based on an infrastructure of TETRAPOL digital security radio communications technology supplied by Cassidian.

Apart from the MoI organizations (Guardia Civil and National Police), several other users have joined SIRDEE: the Traffic Police, the Royal House, the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, the Emergency Military Unit (UME), the Spanish Navy, the Galicia Region Autonomous Police, the Torrelavega Local Police and Fire Brigade and the Cantabria Region Civil Protection Service, as well as the Balearic Islands and Logroño.