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March 12, 2014A key element of school campus security is the ability to quickly summon first responders in an emergency. And while calling 9-1-1 works, a direct wireless connection with police, fire, and medical personnel is even faster. That’s the advantage behind the donation by Motorola Solutions of 250 two-way radios to the Chardon Area Schools in Ohio. Each is equipped with the SchoolSAFE solution, which enables interoperable radio communications between school personnel and first responders. “School districts continue to identify methods that can improve the flow of information between first responders and on-site school personnel in case of an emergency,” said the school superintendent, Dr. Michael P. Hanlon, Jr. “The Chardon Local Schools are pleased to have been selected by Motorola Solutions and SchoolSAFE for the implementation of this program.” Along with the donations of radios and
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December 24, 2013Even superheroes need helpers, and today I want to congratulate one who responded beautifully to a communications emergency in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. His name is John Benevento, and thanks to "Benny," the clock tower carillon in Golden Heart Plaza plays Christmas music instead of two-way radio traffic from the city's public safety agencies. According to the Fairbanks News-Miner, the carillon designed to fill the downtown square with music was beset by problems almost since the local Rotary Club put it up in 1990. Those issues, several of which were familiar to Alaskans, kept the tower quiet most of the time. Electrical conduits froze. Then an earthquake snapped the underground cable that ran to the tower from the nearby Gold Exchange restaurant. The cable was replaced by a microwave signal from another downtown building, but interference came from an unlikely source: the remote starting systems Alaskans use to warm up their frozen vehicles. Benevento told the News-Miner
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October 16, 2013All across the country, declining state and local revenues have caused budget cuts to numerous public safety agencies. Fire departments, with limited funds and the admonishment to do "more with less," are looking for two-way radio solutions with affordability as a major factor. Fortunately, there are options. In Los Angeles, the fire department's budget for the 2011-2012 year was $472 million, down from $561 million two years earlier. Last year, the city council voted to leave 318 firefighting positions unfilled. In Texas, lawmakers cut funds from $30 million to $7 million, forcing volunteer firefighters who were battling wildfires in 2011 to buy their own gear and even gas for the fire trucks. While the number of deadly fires has declined nationwide over the last 20 years, thanks to better construction and safety techniques, fire departments are increasingly called upon to answer medical emergencies, chemical spills, and more. Firefighters need reliable, versatile and sturdy wireless
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January 22, 2013Across the business spectrum, there is intense focus these days on mobility. Companies want to arm employees with the tools needed to do more things from more places—and to do it all faster. Smartphones are getting smarter. And two-way radios are getting smaller and more sophisticated. In fact, cell phones and two-way radios now can be hard to tell apart. With the convergence of the two technologies, it's natural to ask: Which is right for my business, cell phones or two-way radios? A discussion of cell phones and two-way radios naturally will explore the advantages of each technology over various points of comparison. But in most cases, the two technologies are not direct competitors. Instead, cell phones and two-way radios are wireless mobile communications devices that have specific advantages, depending on the user's requirements. So, weighing the two options is really an exercise in needs analysis. That evaluation
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January 09, 2013After a fire this week at the Archer Daniels Midland ethanol distillery plant in Illinois, a local fire chief had this to say about the blaze his crews battled for nearly 11 hours: "The biggest problem that we had was the background noise," said Peoria Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Morgan. "Radio communication was tough." The fire caused more than $1 million in damages, but no one was hurt. A company spokesman was quoted as saying the cause was under investigation.
The importance of Noise Reduction
Background noise is an issue for many users of two-way radios, and it's being addressed through education about best practices, new technologies, and new accessories. The International Association of Fire Chiefs started an investigation into the problem after it began receiving reports in 2006 about communications problems with digital two-way radios in close proximity to noise sources like self-contained breathing