c4i unveils several enhancements to command-center system
Reston, Va.–based c4i announced several new features to its SwitchPlusIP command-center system, which is designed for the public-safety, aviation and maritime sectors. Foremost among the new capabilities is a searchable phonebook and the ability to create pre-recorded messages that can be distributed via radio or telephone.
“The messages could be about a weather hazard in a particular area that could be pushed out repeatedly to first responders or emergency crews,” said Brad Kay, c4i’s president. “Or another area in which we’re working, which is ports and shipping, it could be a message that goes out to ships at sea to alert them to high winds, or that a particular lighthouse isn’t working anymore. Those messages can be changed by the dispatcher at any time or modified on the fly, and they can be set to run permanently or on a one-time basis.”
Another improvement to SwitchPlusIP is that it will boot up when the user logs on to his computer — eliminating the need for a second log-in to the radio system — and present the user with the appropriate interface based on his job function. “You get only what’s been assigned to you,” Kay said.
In addition, the company has added an automatic link establishment capability that enables a dispatcher to call individual subscribers on a high-frequency radio network; when the dispatcher receives a call, the system identifies the caller.
Finally, the company has integrated its new Alarmon emergency response coordination system, which is designed specifically for the fire service, into the SwitchPlusIP system.
“Alarmon integrates incident management, radio communications and fire-alarm monitoring,” Kay said. “When a 911 call comes into the desk, everything about that incident now is on their screen. They can dispatch fire trucks, present on a map display exactly where the incident is, display information about what’s in that particular building — or even a room in the building — and so on. The whole objective is to minimize response time, so having everything integrated into one system really does that well.”
