WASHINGTON (3 August 2021) – IEEE-USA has gratefully accepted delivery of a donated response vehicle from Cisco for its MOVE (Mobile Outreach Vehicle) Initiative. The vehicle was delivered on 30 July near MOVE’s base of operations near Raleigh, North Carolina.
MOVE is a volunteer-run emergency relief program that assists victims of natural disasters with short-term communications, computer, and power solutions. This helps those affected contact loved ones and make sure they can access the help they need. MOVE’s flagship vehicle and personnel have served in 19 states across the southern and eastern United States and Puerto Rico.
In March of this year, MOVE marked the fifth anniversary of this important relief and outreach program. Since March 2016, MOVE’s trained volunteers have deployed more than 20 times on disaster relief missions, primarily in partnership with the American Red Cross. These missions have stretched from Texas to New York, helping over a quarter million people to date – all with just one relief vehicle.
With Cisco’s generous vehicle donation, MOVE will effectively double the size of its disaster relief fleet, enabling the program to help even more people. After all the necessary equipment is installed and tested, the truck will be deployed to the western U.S., while the existing vehicle will remain on the East Coast.
“I’m thrilled and so appreciative for Cisco’s charitable gift,” said Mary Ellen Randall, MOVE Program Director. “Our skilled volunteers have helped communities from Texas to Florida to New York in their times of need. People are always grateful for the work we do, and often ask when we’ll expand to other parts of the country. Thanks to Cisco, now we can.”
“The Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV) has been a critical part of Cisco’s efforts to provide emergency connectivity and communications support during natural disasters,” said Matt Runyan, engineering lead and network consulting engineer with Cisco’s crisis response team. “We are happy to donate it to an organization that shares our belief that connectivity is a critical form of aid to help people and communities respond to and recover from disasters.”
“The IEEE-USA MOVE Community Outreach Initiative has made a significant impact, working alongside the American Red Cross to help carry out our mission to relieve human suffering in the face of emergencies,” said Barry Porter, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina. “The donation of this truck by Cisco will allow MOVE to expand their capabilities to areas west of the Mississippi, extending our valued partnership with IEEE to meet the needs of those impacted by disaster across America.”
When not conducting disaster relief, MOVE volunteers perform community outreach and offer learning opportunities for students and the general public in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These outreach deployments have included the Atlanta Science Festival, National Scout Jamboree, and an American Red Cross community smoke alarm installation initiative.
If you’d like to learn more about the MOVE program, become a volunteer, or donate to support MOVE’s emergency relief and outreach efforts, please visit move.ieeeusa.org.
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About IEEE-USA:
IEEE-USA serves the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of 170,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization.
Visit us online at ieeeusa.org, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel and check us out on LinkedIn.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.orgor cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Contact:
Corey Ruth
Media Relations Associate, IEEE-USA
202-530-8327
c.ruth@ieee.org
David Iams
Senior Manager, Career & Professional Activities, IEEE-USA
202-530-8374
