FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 October 21, 2005

Release M-84

         MAYOR HANNEMANN TO PRESENT EMERGENCY

                                 COMMUNICATIONS ADVANCES

   Mayor Mufi Hannemann will make a presentation in New York City Monday (October 24, 2005) on a test in Honolulu of the latest advances in emergency communications.

   Cisco Systems, Inc. asked the city to participate in a demonstration of an IP (Internet Protocol) interoperability system that will allow communication between and among systems that

usually are unable to talk to one another.

   “Since 9/11 and, more recently, Hurricane Katrina, we have seen just how essential reliable emergency communication needs to be for municipal governments,” Hannemann said.  “An effective interoperability system would allow our Honolulu Fire Department, Police Department, Emergency Services paramedics, Oahu Civil Defense officials and the Mayor’s Office to communicate with each other via computer.”

   Honolulu was one of only five cities around the world chosen to test the Cisco system.  The others were Amsterdam, Singapore, New York, and Los Angeles.  Mayor Hannemann and the director of the city of Honolulu’s Department of Information Technology, Gordon Bruce, will receive the results of the test at Cisco Systems Customer Briefing Center in Manhattan.

   “Use of this new emerging technology would put Honolulu on the leading edge of safety, security and

disaster communications,” Mayor Hannemann said.  “Public safety should be every mayor’s number one priority.”

   From New York, Mayor Hannemann will travel to Washington, D.C. 

   President George Bush has invited Mayor Hannemann to a White House Conference on Helping America’s Youth.  The conference is scheduled for Thursday, October 27.

   “I’m honored to be included in such an important conference,” Hannemann said.  “I expect to hear from experts around the country new ideas, as well as examples of what is already working, that make a difference in the various problems facing at-risk youth.”

   While in Washington, the mayor also plans to meet with members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation and federal officials on issues of importance to Honolulu.

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   For more call Gordon Bruce 547-7621

                                    Keith Rollman 547-7658