TALK Soup

First-responder communications technology continues to improve as manufacturers get a better handle on the unique needs of EMS providers, firefighters and police. Here are some noteworthy products currently available.

Ending High-Rise Radio Silence
     Inadequate radio coverage inside high-rise buildings remains a major issue for emergency providers. In New York City, the Durst Organization has solved the problem inside its 48-story Times Square tower by installing repeaters in strategic locations. Specifically, this major real estate firm has located Tait Electronics' TB9100 P25 base station/repeaters within the building's sub-basement and upper floors. With these repeaters in place and tuned to FDNY tactical radio frequencies, firefighters and EMS crews responding to incidents at 4 Times Square can count on reliable radio communications on all 48 floors (see photo above).

     The TB9100 P25 base station/repeater is a fixed software-controlled radio with digital signal processing and VoIP technology. This latter capability allows FDNY to communicate with Tait repeaters over secure Internet connections, providing secondary comm channels when the radio bands are full. The Durst Organization is planning to install Tait repeaters in its other NYC properties as well.

     According to Tait, the TB9100 can be configured to serve as a repeater or base station in a conventional, simulcast or trunked Project 25 radio network, and is designed with the functionality required for public-safety and public-service organizations.

     Visit www.taitworld.com.

A Head Start On Trouble
     As the recent Virginia Tech shootings made painfully clear, sometimes first responders have to cope with horrific human-caused tragedies. However, there is a way to prepare for such incidents by using Rapid Responder crisis-management software from Prepared Response, Inc.

     Before trouble occurs, Rapid Responder can be used to compile information about vulnerable locations such as schools and hospitals-things like floor maps, interior and exterior photos, emergency plans, evacuation routes, hazmat information and utility shutoff locations. Emergency response plans can also be loaded into Rapid Responder and ready for use via a Web-accessible interface when trouble occurs.

     Rapid Responder proved its worth on September 22, 2003, in Spokane, WA, when a 16-year-old shooter entered a third-floor science room at Lewis and Clark High School. As students watched, the shooter fired his 9mm pistol into a cabinet, ordered everyone out and barricaded himself in the classroom. Thankfully, the Spokane School District had Rapid Responder in place. As a result, emergency personnel and school officials were able to quickly access the school's floor plans and advise police of the shooter's location in seconds.

     "In 12 minutes we responded, contained the shooter and evacuated the school," says Spokane police chief Roger Bragdon. "I was in the command post and couldn't believe it. Every question we had and every contingency we had to plan for was already in the Rapid Responder system."

     As for the shooter? He was the only one injured-hit by return fire when he shot at the SWAT team. His wounds were not fatal, and he was captured and taken to a hospital.

     Visit www.preparedresponse.com.

Data By Radio
     When first-responder networks go down, technicians can usually patch together some kind of voice communications. But data communications are much harder to "MacGyver" together. At least they used to be, until Pittsburgh lawyer/ham radio operator Richard Johnson invented RemComm. Short for Radio Emergency Communications, RemComm allows data to be sent over two-way voice radios.

     "RemComm converts digital data into tones that are transmitted via radio," explains RemComm CEO Babs Carryer. "These tones are then converted back into digital data by the receiver. Through the integration of data transfer and speech recognition over the radio, RemComm permits voice mail and e-mail messages to be conveyed by radio." The RemComm system proved itself in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when it helped the Salvation Army's fleet of mobile "canteen" kitchens in Louisiana send data reports back to headquarters in Mississippi.

     Structurally, RemComm consists of three elements: Its Automated Radio Messaging Service (ARMS) employs speech-recognition software to send and receive text files, databases and audio voice files (voice mail and e-mail) over standard radio frequencies. Tone63 handles file transfers. The firm's graphical user interface, referred to as Porta-Browser, provides users with a Web page that displays NIMS and ICS data.

     Visit www.remcomm-inc.com.

P25 Via Satellite
     For those times when first responders need P25 interoperable communications in the remotest of locations, M/A-COM has created the portable P25^IP (P25 "to the power of Internet Protocol") Rapid Deployment Satellite System. This is a portable "flyaway" satellite earth station that can be unpacked and connected in a matter of minutes, allowing users to connect in areas outside of terrestrial radio coverage.

     The P25^IP Rapid Deployment Satellite System comes with an onsite P25 radio repeater, a fixed ground station (teleport) connected via high-speed Internet to either a fixed or field-deployable emergency operations center, a portable generator, VoIP telephone, VIP console, wireless access port, satellite modem and "self-pointing" satellite reflector antenna. All of this is packed into rugged containers that protect against shock and vibration during transit. "The system can be operational within an hour, providing localized digital voice and data LMR functions, including dispatch through a VIP console, to mobile and portable public-safety users," says the company's website.

     M/A-COM also offers lightweight P25 radios. The new software-defined P5400 portable weighs in at 13.2 ounces with battery and measures just 5.33 inches tall, making it one of the smallest and lightest P25 radios available. Yet it comes with a full range of features for VHF and UHF users, including the ability to operate in P25 digital trunked and P25 conventional analog modes, Enhanced Digital Access Communications System (EDACS) trunked mode and ProVoice trunked mode.

     The P5400 has a multiline alphanumeric liquid crystal display and rotary on/off/volume and channel controls, and can store up to a maximum of 255 trunked talk groups and up to 512 conventional channels. It also supports radio TextLink text-messaging capability. This allows users to receive, display and respond to text messages sent from authorized users on the network.

     Visit www.macom.com.

VOICE, DATA, VIDEO
     As manufacturer of the now-legendary ACU-1000 interoperability gateway-capable of connecting up to 12 incompatible radio and telephone systems-Raytheon's JPS Communications has set the standard for radio interoperability solutions. Now this company has come out with a new interoperability product, the ACU-2000 IP.

     The ACU-2000 IP takes the rack-mounted, multichannel architecture of the ACU-1000 and extends it to VoIP. This means public radio networks can interconnect to the ACU-2000 IP over their LANs, and from there connect to a full range of HF, VHF, UHF, P25 and 800MHz radios, as well as cell phones (including Nextel iDENs) and conventional landlines. The ACU-2000 IP is built on the SIP open protocol, which allows voice, data and even video signals to be conferenced together. As well, when used with a SIP-based phone system, the ACU-2000 IP's VoIP capabilities provide connected two-way radio users with a full suite of telephone services, such as call forwarding, extension calling and call recording.

     See www.jps.com.

Weatherproof ICRI
     Communications-Applied Technology's Incident Commanders' Radio Interface (ICRI) is another well-known interoperability product. A low-cost portable bridge capable of linking five different radios and one telephone line, it has found its way into many services nationwide.

     Typically, ICRIs are installed inside vehicles, away from the weather. However, sometimes such shelter is not at hand, which is why C-AT has developed the weatherproofed ICRI 2P-E (2 Port-Environmental). Usable everywhere from subways to high-rises, the 2P-E can interconnect any two incompatible radios and cell, satellite and landline phones, plus serve as a repeater in radio dead zones such as subways, stadiums and high-rise buildings. When a land-mobile radio is connected to a portable ICRI cable reel, the unit can be set up 250 feet away from the ICRI 2P-E. This puts the radio closer to first responders inside a cave or tunnel, porting their broadcasts back by wire to the ICRI 2P-E for relaying messages back to dispatch.

     The ICRI 2P-E is built inside a waterproof plastic carrying case, which also allows it to be fully decontaminated if exposed to biological, chemical or radiological agents. The unit can operate for 24 hours on six AA batteries or can accept external power for continuous, unmanned operation. The five-port model is also available in a similar protective packaging and configuration.

     Visit www.c-at.com.

Headset Options
     Choosing radio headsets for firefighters is a real challenge. How can you ensure that the headset that works best under an SCBA mask is best for all other situations? Do you actually have to buy a range of headsets for each user?

     Judging by the Modular headset developed by Klein Electronics, the answer is no. The reason is that the Modular headset comes in four different ready-to-use configurations, with each option plugging into a centralized junction box that connects to the user's radio. The first option is the "Ghost" bone ear-mic that picks up voice vibrations from the wearer's skull. The second is the "Commander" headset that comes with an acoustic ear tube and ear-worn boom microphone. The third variation is the "Crew Chief" tactical headset with a speaker mic, and the fourth is the wearable Modular Throat mic with acoustic earpiece.

     "The Modular series provides unprecedented flexibility in operation," says Klein president/CEO Richard Klein. When a firefighter has to put on his SCBA mask, "All it would take to switch to his throat mic would be to unscrew the Commander cord from his junction box and replace with the throat mic cord. His throat mic has been on him the entire time; there's no more messing with different radios or cords."

     Visit www.headsetusa.com.

PTT For Facemasks
     For departments looking to solve facemask microphone issues, CON-SPACE Communications' Phantom PTT throat microphone is worth considering. "The Phantom Push-To-Talk throat mic is designed specifically to be used by personnel wearing facemasks and breathing apparatus for a small variety of first-responder operations," explains Allan Lanzador, CON-SPACE's marketing manager. "The PTT switch on the Phantom is located in the exact same position as the microphone, guaranteeing that the mic is in the most optimal range for transmission when the switch is activated." In other words, the Phantom is worn against the throat, and the PTT button is there too. To talk, just touch your throat, and you are on air.

     "The throat mic is new-generation technology, delivering clear speech even in high-noise environments," Lanzador adds. "The silicone rubber housing is held in place with a slip-resistant neck band, adjustable to anyone's neck size." All elements are completely waterproof, durable and easily cleaned/disinfected for multiple users.

     Visit www.con-space.com.

James Careless is a freelance journalist with extensive experience covering public-safety communications issues.