Picture the aftermath of a devastating hurricane. Fallen tress severed power lines. Houses are missing their roofs. But despite the conditions, insurance adjusters must access the damages. The electricity may be down for days or weeks. Modernity necessitates computers, cell phones and satellites. Crawford and Company Catastrophe Services (CAT) built a satellite-communication truck to venture into areas of destruction, and the company tested the rig after Hurricane Dennis racked Pensacola, FL. Essentially the truck provides a stable power source for adjustors to complete their jobs. The quicker insurance companies process claims; the quicker life returns to normal.
Crawford and Company’s trucks afford, by means of satellite, ten to fifteen wireless voice lines and more than 250 wireless Internet connections. An on-board generator supplies power to charge notebook computers, cell phones, among other office equipment. This technology facilitates uploading and downloading between headquarters and the adjusters in the field.
“Although the damage from Dennis was not as severe as predicted, Crawford used the opportunity to test our new technology under non-controlled conditions, and we were very pleased,” said Bud Trice, vice president and head of Crawford’s CAT Services. “The equipment performed even better than expected. In fact, one pleasant, but unexpected side effect was that the satellite signal from the truck was so powerful, that even from the parking lot it provided wireless Internet connections for our CAT Services storm office in Pensacola.”
