FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Monday, Jan. 14, 2002

Ralph Munro joins board of Prepared Response, Inc.
TACOMA, Wash. - Former Washington state Secretary of State Ralph Munro has joined the Board of Directors of Prepared Response, Inc., which develops and supports emergency response tools for law enforcement, fire, and medical first responders.

"Being prepared to deal with an emergency is the first, most important step in saving lives and protecting property," Munro said. "Prepared Response is on the cutting edge in creating technology that can protect people, property and emergency responders. I'm proud to be a part of the team, and excited about the company's first product offering."

With a laptop computer, the company's Rapid Responder™ product allows emergency responders, en route and on site, to instantly access pre-determined safety plans, floor plans, staging areas, hazardous materials, utility shut-off locations, and photos for virtually any structure. Responders can also easily create incident command and control plans through a fully integrated Incident Command System (ICS), and communicate locally, regionally, or nationally in real time via a secure Internet connection.

According to Sterling Griffin, Prepared Response president and CEO, Rapid Responder was originally designed to help mitigate school violence incidents, but in the wake of September 11 the importance of Rapid Responder's emergency response features to all public and private facilities is very clear. The product is now being considered by a number of governments, and an as-yet unnamed state has licensed Rapid Responder for use statewide.

Regarding Munro's appointment to the company's board, Griffin said: "Ralph was one of the most respected public officials in the country because he had the ability to get things done. He has already proven himself invaluable as a member of our team."

As secretary of state, Munro was instrumental in developing more efficient and effective voter registration and participation initiatives. He also served as past president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and co-chaired the International Task Force of the Council of State Governments. Munro's numerous awards include the World Citizen Award from the Seattle World Affairs Council, the Warren G. Magnuson Award for outstanding public service and the Executive Leadership Award from the Washington State League of Women Voters.