INDUSTRY INSIDER
Iowa 9-1-1 Call Center First in Nation to Successfully Trial 9-1-1 Text Messaging
Black Hawk County First 9-1-1 Call Center to Participate in Landmark Effort Enabling Speech and Hearing Impaired Citizens to Communicate Directly With 9-1-1 for Help; Service to go live this July
Waterloo, IOWA – The Black Hawk County Iowa 9-1-1 Service Board today announced that the Black Hawk Consolidated Public Safety Communications Center has become the first 9-1-1 Call Center in the country to successfully receive text messages sent directly to 9-1-1. This groundbreaking effort allows those with speech and hearing impairments to use text messaging to communicate directly with a 9-1-1 operator in an emergency. A broad team of communications companies including i wireless, Intrado Inc., Positron Public Safety, and RACOM Corporation were involved in this effort.
The organizations worked collaboratively to support the public safety needs of the nation’s 31 million citizens with speech and hearing impairments who rely upon text messaging as a primary means of communications. Currently they must communicate with 9-1-1 operators using a relay center or a specialized communications device.
"The successful testing of text messaging to 9-1-1 from a wireless telephone is a tremendous emergency services advancement for individuals who have sensory disabilities," said Richard Ray, chair of the National Emergency Number Association's (NENA) Accessibility Committee. “I urge public safety agencies to accelerate the deployment of this technology and to encourage, support and celebrate efforts such as this."
“Increasingly text is becoming the way people communicate and public safety must be able to support 9-1-1 text messaging,” said Chief Thomas Jennings, chairman, Black Hawk 9-1-1 Board. “We are excited to have the opportunity to participate on a solution to enable 9-1-1 texting for the Speech and Hearing impaired community as well as set the stage for adoption by the larger texting population.”
http://www.intrado.com.
http://www.racom.net.
ATX TO BEGIN SENDING IN-VEHICLE EMERGENCY CALLS FROM TOYOTA, LEXUS VEHICLES TO PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS IN SUPPORT OF NEW SAFETY CONNECT TELEMATICS PROGRAM
ATX Response Specialists Representing Safety Connect Subscribers to Begin Calling PSAPs in August
DALLAS – ATX Group, a leading provider of connected vehicle (telematics) services to global automobile manufacturers, announced today that beginning this month, it will send location-enabled emergency calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) from vehicles equipped with Safety Connect, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA, Inc.’s, new proprietary telematics program for Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
ATX will support Safety Connect with such services as location-based Automatic Collision Notification (ACN), designated in-vehicle Emergency Assistance (SOS) button response, Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Location, each of which require a connection from ATX’s Response Center to PSAPs either through 9-1-1 lines or dedicated emergency numbers.
For more than a decade, ATX has developed and deployed telematics programs to serve vehicle manufacturers whose owners have high expectations for safety, technical performance and customer service.
“Toyota is a company whose reputation has been built on providing quality service to its customers, and that also describes how they intend to work with the emergency response community,” said Gary Wallace, vice president of corporate relations, who works closely with public emergency response organizations such as the National Emergency Number Association, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators and the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
www.atxg.com.
DANIELS Electronics and Zetron Inc Announce A digital P25 Ethernet Fixed Station Interface (FSI)
Victoria BC – Daniels Electronics Ltd., a leading supplier of high reliability LMR radio equipment, and Zetron Inc, a world leader in providing mission critical communication solutions, today jointly announced the development of a P25 Digital Ethernet Interface between their products, enabling direct digital connection from the Daniels P25 digital radio to the Zetron Acom Advanced Communication Console System in accordance with the TIA P25 Fixed Station Interface (FSI) standard.
The Daniels digital Universal Interface Card (UIC), provides a digital Ethernet connection from the Daniels MT-4 P25 radio system to other LMR subsystems such as IP-based dispatch consoles in a P25 network. In accordance with the TIA P25 general system model, this interface interconnects the Fixed Station (Daniels Radio) to a Console or RF subsystem at the Ef connection. The digital Ethernet Universal interface provides a digital audio signal directly to the console as well as a comprehensive suite of control signals allowing the dispatch console to see and manage all information associated with a call in an IP format.
“Our existing UIC has enhanced firmware to comply with the new P25 TIA Fixed Station Interface standard and, as a result of today’s announcement, will interface to the Zetron family of consoles. This adds another key piece to the P25 interoperability puzzle”, says Robert Small, president and chief operating officer of Daniels Electronics.
“Zetron is committed to supporting P25 standards”, said John Reece, President, Zetron. “We are pleased to be working with Daniels Electronics to create a solid interoperability solution between our products.”
www.danelec.com
www.zetron.com
Fort St. John Fire Department Goes Live with FDM Software's Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System
North Vancouver, BC – On June 22nd, 2009, The Fort St. John Fire Department officially launches its Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system provided by FDM Software Ltd., North America's leading public safety software developer.
The Fort St. John Fire Department provides dispatch services for the communities of Fort St John, Charlie Lake, Hudson's Hope, and Taylor, in addition to first responder EMS assistance to BC Ambulance throughout the coverage area. In 2006, the Department began looking for a solution that would help them optimize resources and provide the highest standard of emergency response. In January 2008, the Department implemented FDM's Records Management System (RMS) to streamline data entry, reporting and analysis. The implementation of FDM's fully integrated CAD system completes the project and enables dispatchers to quickly prioritize resource assignments during emergency response.
"We are very pleased to be moving forward with FDM's integrated CAD and RMS system," says Chief Fred Burrows. "Dispatchers can now access property, contact, and hazmat details in a single click for effective pre-arrival preparation contributing to a quicker and safer response.
www.fdmsoft.com
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