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Word on the Street: Part 2
Last month in EMS, we reported on the latest in communications technology for emergency responders, including wireless radio intercoms that work inside hazmat suits and hands-free mics that transmit using magnetism. Well, there's more amazing technology where that came from, and here it is.
Comms Inside the Mask
It's hard enough for a firefighter to work wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mask. Add radio communications to the mix, and a tough situation can become nearly impossible-especially if the mask wearer has to yell to an external microphone in a high-noise environment. (And what fire scene is ever quiet?)
This is where a product like ClearCalm makes sense. ClearCalm is a microphone/speaker solution that makes it easy for an SCBA wearer to hear and be heard, no matter how noisy the environment. This is because ClearCalm employs a wireless microphone/speaker that sits inside an SCBA mask. Such a design allows the microphone/speaker unit to benefit from the mask's sound-dampening qualities, so the wearer doesn't have to yell to be heard or sift through ambient noise to hear what's being said.
Meanwhile, ClearCalm's transmitter unit plugs directly into the lapel mic input on the firefighter's radio. To activate it, all they have to do is speak. In order to eliminate the usual problems associated with voice-activated (vox) systems, ClearCalm uses digital signal processing to provide clear voice audio and mute out breathing and other noises.
According to ClearCalm, this unit mounts to the faceplate using a friction mount, can be easily moved from mask to mask and is very easy to clean. Anyone who has suffered with a dirty, smelly piece of equipment inside an SCBA mask will appreciate this last feature.
Fast Alerts, Interoperability
Wouldn't it be great if you could reach all of your personnel simultaneously with an emergency alert, whether they were using two-way radios, cell phones, laptop computers or wireless PDAs? And wouldn't it be wonderful if achieving interoperable radio communications were as easy as plugging samples of each radio into a common interface-say, one connected to a laptop loaded with software to switch audio between them?
In a nutshell, this is what Codespear's SmartMsg suite of software and small hardware modules can do. Using this technology, public-safety officials can load information on every single communications device used by their personnel into a database, so that alerts can be sent out automatically to all of them as needed, in either text or voice. As well, SmartMsg comes with a small USB dockable unit that allows radios and cell phones to plug into a laptop equipped with Codespear's Mobile Command Control software. The result is interoperable two-way communications in real time, with a minimum of cost and hassle.
SmartMsg can be set to translate text alerts into 12 languages and convert text messages to voice for delivery to audio-only radios and cell phones. With the right equipment, it can even support secure videoconferencing.
Fast, portable Satellite Comms
It's been proven time and again: When landline and cellular transmissions fail, satellites can provide responders with reliable communications in and out of affected areas. However, it's not always practical to keep portable satellite earth stations on hand, due to their size, weight and cost. This is why a product like the Nera WorldPro 1000 satellite modem and antenna makes such sense.
Capable of connecting to Inmarsat BGAN satellite service virtually anywhere in the world, the Nera WorldPro 1000 modem is a small unit that plugs into a laptop computer to provide satellite data communications plus voice service for a wired handset. Meanwhile, the WorldPro 1000 antenna is half the size of a laptop and weighs less than 2 pounds-just plug it into the satellite modem and use the connected laptop computer with Inmarsat software to quickly locate the nearest satellite. Using the WorldPro 1000, you can transmit data at 384 kbps and receive it at 240 kbps. That's fast enough to send and receive streamed video.
Emergency Satellite Services
Speaking of satellite communications, Hughes Network Systems has put together a suite of emergency satellite services. Collectively, they are designed to facilitate the quick restoration of a site's communications after disaster strikes.
Included in the HughesNet suite is Access Continuity Service, by which customers can predeploy satellite terminals that will automatically switch over to a private satellite network when primary communications fail. Also included is Emergency Network Restoral, which consists of a standby private satellite network and ready-to-deploy terminals that can be kept in storage, and Emergency Business Internet, which supports the fast installation and activation of broadband Internet via satellite.
All Kinds of Alerts
Weather radios: They're the new AM/FM receivers that also tune to the seven National Weather Service radio channels-automatically turning themselves on whenever a severe weather alert is issued. The result: Weather radio users never get surprised by thunderstorms, tornados or other natural disasters.
The Midland WR300 Emergency Public Alert Weather Radio takes this functionality one step further by automatically switching itself on during public-alert warnings for civil emergencies, terrorist attacks, problems at nuclear plants, industrial fires, chemical spills, biological hazards and Amber alerts. It also comes with an adjustable siren and flashing LED light that activate during incoming alerts (both can be disabled if need be).
Built upon SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology, the WR300 can even be configured to screen out certain kinds of alerts, such as weather warnings for distant areas or alerts that don't apply to your unit's specific responsibilities.
The sleek WR300 operates on electric power, but also uses four AA batteries that will keep it running for up to 30 hours during power outages. It's sold at many outlets; we found it at www.weatherradiostore.com. The same website sells accessories for the WR300, including an external antenna to increase its reception range and flashing/strobe lights that can be connected to signal incoming alerts.
Cleaning Up In-Vehicle Clutter
Originally designed for police patrol cars, Visteon's TACNET is a welcome addition to any vehicle that's crammed with two-way radios, laptop computers, cell phones and heaven knows what other devices. The reason: TACNET is a technology integration package that lets fleet mechanics store all of this loose equipment safely away in the trunk or an in-cabin compartment, then make each piece's functions remotely accessible on a dash-mounted touchscreen panel up front. For extra control and functionality, TACNET also provides a hand-activated "pod" mounted between the driver and passenger seats.
In terms of vehicle operations, the TACNET LCD touchscreen serves as a centralized command-and-control center for lights, sirens, radios, video and mobile data. Meanwhile, TACNET's voice interface supports radio communications and allows responders to make up to 39 different device and 76 application commands. (As a precaution, the voice-control interface can be deactivated by pushing a button on the pod.) The result: Safe in-vehicle operations, with no loose pieces of technology waiting to take flight during the next quick stop.
Affordable Backup Power
It may seem strange to include a propane/natural gas electrical generator in an EMS article about communications advances. However, loss of electrical power can be a major problem during natural and manmade disasters. For departments that don't have the budget to install diesel-powered generators at their dispatch and/or transmitter sites, propane/natural gas electrical generators can be an affordable alternative.
Where does a cash-strapped administrator find such generators? Well, they could always go to The Home Depot, which will sell them a Guardian QuietSource model #5243 generator. When fueled using liquid propane (storable onsite in tanks), the QuietSource can deliver 16,000 watts of electricity. Connect it into a natural-gas source, and you get 15,000 watts of standby power.
The Home Depot sells this unit prewired with an automatic transfer switch, meaning that whenever the regular power goes out, the QuietSource goes on. (They will also do the installation for a fee.) Given that the QuietSource is about as big as a large air conditioner unit, it will fit outside most firehouses/EMS stations without difficulty.
Granted, 15,000 watts is not a huge amount of power by emergency-responder standards. But it could be adequate for maintaining basic radio and computer operations during a crisis, as long as the communications system is run in a stripped-down mode.
Fail-Safe Power Sources
There's no sure way to guard against every possible power disruption. However, the Freeplay FreeCharge Weza Portable Energy Source is about as close as responders can get to fail-safe, at least for personal radio communications. The reason: The Weza is a foot-pumped 40-watt electric generator to keep its onboard 12-volt DC battery alive and ready for constant use. (You can also keep this battery primed by plugging the Weza into a wall plug, a wind generator or a solar panel; the latter is also available from C. Crane Co.) That's enough power to keep portable radios operating and/or charged.
Combine the Weza with C. Crane's Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 Plus, and you can use it to run and recharge emergency lights and small power tools, or power a computer system. The Weza comes with a range of power connections, including negative and positive car battery-style posts for jumper cables, a cigarette lighter output and an AC adapter for "couch potato charging."
No End of Solutions
Clearly, the bright brains that make communications equipment have been working hard on products for the emergency-responder market. For EMS, the best news is that many of these products aren't that expensive, yet they can ensure communications continuity in the worst conditions. If you see new communications products that the EMS community needs to know about, or if you're dogged by communications problems that seem insolvable, e-mail nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.
James Careless is a freelance journalist with extensive experience covering public-safety communications issues.
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