With Support from New York State, CPR Inc. Opens Its First Digital Communication Center Outside Puerto Rico

The new Rochester center will strengthen emergency communications with Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and serve as a year-round community resource.

ROCHESTER, NY, UNITED STATES, August 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Caribbean Preparedness & Response, Inc. (CPR Inc.) today announced the installation of its first Digital Communication Center (DCC) in New York State, made possible through funding from the New York State Governor’s Executive Office and the New York State Assembly. Installed in partnership with Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School, the center was unveiled during the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the school’s Joseph Campus Expansion Project at 1069 Joseph Avenue in Rochester.

What Is a DCC?
A Digital Communication Center (DCC) is a multi-purpose hub built around three components: backup satellite connectivity, which links the center to sister facilities across Puerto Rico and New York State in an emergency when conventional communications systems fail; an advanced video conferencing system, enabling hybrid digital services like emergency preparation training, distance learning, telemedicine, workforce development and real-time collaboration between students in Puerto Rico and in the diaspora; and a computer center for telework and student use, running on the same CPR’s secure network. CPR Inc. operates this DCC network across Puerto Rico, and the Rochester center is the first the organization has established in New York State.

Although the funding is focused primarily on emergency preparedness, the center is designed to serve as a year-round community resource. Unlike emergency facilities that activate only during declared disasters, CPR’s network keeps its centers active through educational and community programming and can transition them into emergency communications hubs when needed.

What is Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School?
Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School (EMHCS) is the only K–12 bilingual charter school in Upstate New York. For more than 26 years, EMHCS has proudly served the Rochester community, educating approximately 1,000 students in the heart of the city while remaining deeply rooted in the values and vision upon which the school was founded.

Our founders continue to play an active role as members of the Board of Trustees and as dedicated leaders within the Greater Rochester community, ensuring that the school's mission remains strong and focused on serving future generations.

At EMHCS, our mission is to cultivate a safe, nurturing, and inclusive community of learners where every student is empowered to achieve academic excellence, earn the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, advocate for social justice, celebrate their cultural identity, and graduate prepared to thrive in college, careers, and an interconnected global society.

With more than 75% of our student population identifying as Hispanic or Latino, we proudly embrace and celebrate the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of our school community. Our bilingual educational model honors students' heritage while preparing them to become confident, bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural leaders who will make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.

Connecting the Diaspora with Puerto Rico
The Rochester DCC expands CPR Inc.’s resilient communications network by helping diaspora communities remain connected with Puerto Rico during emergencies. Outside of emergency activations, the center will support educational collaboration between students in Puerto Rico and students at Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School, while also creating opportunities for parents and community members to participate in training. CPR’s network already collaborates with organizations across New York State on initiatives such as AI training for seniors, a programming model that could extend to the Rochester community.

“This center is proof that New York State's investment in resilient communication infrastructure delivers real results for diaspora communities,” said Jose Luis Rodríguez, President and CEO of CPR Inc. “Thanks to our collaboration with Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School and the support of the Governor's Executive Office, we are today connecting Rochester to our DCC network in Puerto Rico, and we hope this will be the first of several centers across New York State.”

About CPR Inc.
Caribbean Preparedness & Response, Inc. (CPR Inc.) is a Puerto Rico-based nonprofit organization dedicated to emergency preparedness and response through community resilience network of digital communications centers with a focus on broadband infrastructure to connect unserved, underserved communities and first responders. CPR will respond to major disasters in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and its diaspora through this network. For more information, visit www.cprcaribe.org.

Neal Gorman
NRG Communications
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