GeoEye, Inc. accepted an award today from Capt. Steve Lambert, commander of the Virginia State Police’s Criminal Intelligence Division, which runs the Virginia Fusion Center, for the company’s preparation, response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Irene. The center houses representatives of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as state police and other entities that work on systems critical to the general public’s safety.
GeoEye and the Fusion Center have been applying geospatial predictive analytics to public safety and homeland security operations as part of a Department of Homeland Security, Research and Development project. Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell issued a commendation to recognize this partnership and to thank GeoEye for its critical support before, during and after the hurricane. Hurricane Irene made landfall in August of this year and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage to property and infrastructure in Virginia.
Marla Graff Decker, Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, said, “GeoEye’s ability to secure immediate imagery following Hurricane Irene significantly assisted the Commonwealth with its response efforts and with assessing the threat of flooding associated with the Blackwater River and other vulnerable areas. We truly appreciate the corporate citizenship displayed by GeoEye and the support the company provided to the state’s emergency response efforts.”
“We are honored that Gov. McDonnell and the Fusion Center have chosen to acknowledge our partnership in this way,” said Matt O’Connell, GeoEye’s chief executive officer and president. “We are proud to support the Fusion Center and the Commonwealth’s public safety, infrastructure protection and homeland security mission. We stand ready to do the same for future emergency planning and response.”
About GeoEye
GeoEye is a leading source of geospatial information and insight for decision makers and analysts who need a clear understanding of our changing world to protect lives, manage risk and optimize resources. Each day, organizations in defense and intelligence, public safety, critical infrastructure, energy and online media rely on GeoEye’s imagery, tools and expertise to support important missions around the globe. Widely recognized as a pioneer in high-resolution satellite imagery, GeoEye has evolved into a complete provider of geospatial intelligence solutions. GeoEye’s ability to collect, process and analyze massive amounts of geospatial data allows our customers to quickly see precise changes on the ground and anticipate where events may occur in the future. GeoEye is a public company listed on NASDAQ as GEOY and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia with more than 700 employees worldwide. Learn more at www.geoeye.com
