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Market NewsMcMurdo awarded $3 million contract to provide the US Coast Guard with up to 16,000 emergency distress beaconsMcMurdo, part of Orolia Group, has been awarded a $3 million contract with the United States Coast Guard (USCG). McMurdo will supply up to 16,000 FastFind220 personal locator beacons (PLBs) over the next five years to enhance crew safety in the event of emergencies. The award is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a base year and four one-year options.“For 226 years, the US Coast Guard has protected America’s waterways, defended its borders and saved those in peril,” said Mark Cianciolo, General Manager of McMurdo’s aerospace, defence and government programs.“This award is a major validation of the products and technologies that fortify McMurdo’s position as the global leader in emergency readiness and response. We are honoured to provide a solution that enhances the safety of crew members who risk their lives daily.”With a compact, handheld design, the FastFind 220 isused to notify emergency personnel during a land, air orwater emergency in remote or high-risk environments using the 406MHz frequency. Once activated, the PLB transmitsa distress signal containing unique beacon identification information and location data via the international search and rescue satellite system operated by Cospas-Sarsat. The signal is then quickly passed to regional search and rescue authorities who can rapidly respond to the emergency.McMurdo is the only provider of an end-to-end search and rescue ecosystem that includes distress beacons, satellite connectivity, mission control and rescue coordination centre systems, and rescue response communications products. Nearly 25% of the world’s emergency distress beacons and approximately 50% of the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue infrastructure globally are manufactured by McMurdo. u56 | The Ship Supplier | Issue 70 2016