Reporter’s Notebook
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International released two public service announcements as a part of its campaign to educate the public on proper 911 use. These PSAs, released in conjunction with National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, cover the misuse of 911 for non-emergencies and the challenges associated with calling 911 from mobile phones.
APCO and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) released for comments a candidate American National Standard (ANS) to assist Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and governing 911 authorities with developing, training, equipping and deploying a standardized Telecommunicator Emergency Response Task Force (TERT) team. The Standard for TERT Deployment, APCO/NENA ANS 1.105.1-200x, includes information to provide guidance and helpful information regarding the development, maintenance and deployment of a TERT team. The public review and comment period for this standard ends May 11.
In support of April’s National 911 Education Month, NENA and The Wireless Foundation released an e-brochure entitled “Making 9-1-1 Work for YOU!” The brochure is designed to provide essential information to the general public, children, teens and parents about the 911 system and emergency response.
Telos Corp. will complete its delivery of its Combat Service Support Automated Information System Interface (CAISI) bridge modules to the U.S. Army by the end of the summer. The company already has delivered more than 12,000 of the more than 14,000 secure, tactical wireless Local Area Network (LAN) modules to the Army.
AnviCom Inc. has been awarded a task order by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization to support the development of information assurance (IA) guidance for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) across the U.S. Department of Defense enterprise. Specifically, Command Information will support the DoD IPv6 Transition Office (DITO).
RF Neulink recently added the NL5500 transceiver series to its product portfolio. The NL5500 Transceiver Series is field configurable as a master station or remote radio and can operate as half-duplex or simplex radios. The simplex mode facilitates peer-to-peer radio communications and uses a carrier sense (CSMA) channel collision avoidance technique.
Alvarion Ltd. announced that its BreezeMAX platform for the 3.65 GHz frequency band received USDA Rural Development acceptance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service. RUS acceptance is required for operators requesting funds from the Rural Broadband Access Loan program for the purpose of purchasing and deploying broadband systems.
Alvarion was the first vendor to receive this approval for its 802.16e BreezeMAX platform for the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz frequency bands in July 2008.
BIO-key International Inc. and its partner, DaProSystems of Roanoke, Va., received nine mobile data software contract awards from existing DaProSystems customers in Virginia. A total of 110 patrol units will be equipped with MobileCop, BIO-key’s wireless query and messaging solution, and DaProSystems’ Mobile FR field-reporting tool.
Santa Clara County, Calif., has completed a major retrofit of county buildings to save energy using Cypress Envirosystems’ Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat system. The wireless pneumatic thermostat can be retrofitted to replace an existing conventional, pneumatic thermostat in about 15 minutes, creating minimal disruption to the building occupants. Conventional direct digital control thermostats typically cost around $2,000 to $3,000 per thermostat and installation requires building tenants to vacate the facility while electrical work is done. Installation of a conventional direct digital control system would have cost the county over $880,000 and required at least six months to install.
