Chicomm Blog

If you're purchasing a new facility and about to do a building condition assessment, you're probably expecting that assessment to cover the facility’s structural and maintenance bases, but what about communications readiness? To make sure your assessment is painting as comprehensive a picture as possible, and to position you to meet your needs now and into the future, there are some key communications considerations to keep in mind.

Your users will be expecting instant and reliable connectivity from day one, whether they’re relying on wireless communications, cell phones or two-way radios. As you’re considering a property for your business, you’ll need a realistic assessment of whether it’ll support your communications needs or will require some help in the form of bi-directional amplifiers or other enhancements.

Here are some questions to keep in mind as you’re carrying out your assessment:

Members of the public rely on emergency assistance in some of the most challenging situations - and officers rely on their emergency vehicle equipment to be able to respond quickly and safely. Whether your department is outfitting or updating an emergency vehicle, some equipment features are essential.

Emergency vehicles are some of the most versatile and hardest-working modes of transportation on the road. They need to be high-tech, high visibility, and able to safely transport officers, prisoners and canines.

As you’re thinking about what emergency communications equipment and capabilities you need, be sure to build in the time and resources for professional installation as the best way to ensure that everything is handled appropriately. After all, your vehicles – and everyone’s safety – depend on it. Products may promise easy installation, but having a trained installer on hand means you can focus on job number one.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most essential features for emergency vehicle equipment.

As emergency communications equipment has lagged behind consumer technology, everyone from global governments to telecom companies and cell phone manufacturers has been collaborating to bridge the gap, particularly when it comes to pinpointing emergency callers’ locations. In the UK, a new technology known as Advanced Mobile Location, or AML, is showing promise as a public safety game changer.

AML is the product of a collaboration between British Telecom, the European Emergency Number Association and handset maker HTC. In a case study of the project, officials said the new solution immediately improved location accuracy levels “by over 4,000 times” vs. the legacy systems.

No major capital investment from any of the stakeholders was required to launch AML, and its low cost and effectiveness give it the potential to join all the essentials that local governments need in their public safety budgets.

A bluetooth speaker microphone is an excellent solution for keeping in constant contact with your mobile workforce while untethered from their vehicles. The best products deliver real-time communications wherever work may take users, saving time and ensuring safety, especially when seconds count.

With the right solution, you’ll instantly enhance the effectiveness of your mobile radios without compromising on audio quality and reliability, making the devices a great addition to your communications solution, whether you work in public safety, manufacturing, construction, or another industry.

Motorola's RLN6551 Long Range Wireless Kit with Vehicular Charger is a great option. This plug-and-play solution takes only seconds to set up. The RLN6551 includes the Wireless Remote Speaker Microphone with battery (RLN6544), the Mobile Microphone with Bluetooth Gateway (PMMN4097), and the Vehicular Charger (PMLN6716).

To find the best fit for your mobile workers, whether they’re in the field or on patrol, here are some top features of bluetooth speakers mics to keep top of mind.

Analytical tools offer a variety of mechanisms for facility managers to improve communications systems, from on-site wireless to mobile communications. Reliable WiFi and dependable devices are business necessities that your internal customers and end users likely don’t think that much about – and you can keep it that way by heading off problems before they start and anticipating their needs.

Analytical tools for facility managers aren’t just about keeping the assets you can see running smoothly, you can also put data to work for you to boost unseen communications channels.

Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities for using analytic tools for facilities managers to improve communications.

The trend of 911 dispatch center consolidation isn’t going anywhere, and in some places, consolidation is even becoming the law. The impact on cities and towns varies widely, with some municipalities singing the praises of joining forces and others dreading the potential costs and losses of jobs.

Whether you’re considering 911 dispatch center consolidation – or are mandated to undertake it by law – let’s take a look at some of the real and potential impacts to cities and towns.

There's no use building the perfect wireless communications solution if your facilities manager isn't prepared to support and maintain it. To attract, identify and hire the best fit for your business, you’ll need to craft a facilities manager job description with the right amount of detail about the technology and processes you need the person to be familiar with, and the skills you need them to have.

When it comes to crafting the perfect facilities manager job description, keep these pointers in mind:

Measuring the right customer service metrics isn’t just a win for your customers, it will help you better train your staff, and help make your staff more efficient. As you’re prioritizing your factors for customer service success, keep these top three in mind to measure: how quickly your team is responding to customers, how efficiently they’re handling problems and how close they’re coming to creating the perfect customer experience.

To do that, you need metrics that will deliver the right information, preferably in real time, so you can spot trends and patterns and make staffing and training decisions quickly. Whether your team deals with external customers or colleagues who make use of your department’s services, measuring customer service success is a great way to hone your team’s customer service skills. 

In finding the perfect school WiFi and radio solution, schools face many challenges, including funding -- a situation that’s at the heart of the federal E-Rate program to make telecommunications and information services more affordable for schools and libraries.

E-Rate, the government’s largest educational technology program, was first mandated by Congress in 1996 and implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1997. Starting in 2014, the FCC launched two major modernization efforts to reallocate funding where it’s needed most to close the WiFi gap, particularly low-income rural and urban schools and libraries. The modernization also shifted money away from voice, paging and non-broadband legacy systems. 

Shopping for facility management software can be time-consuming but ultimately rewarding: Investing in the ideal software solution to fit your needs can save time and money, so it’s essential that you do your homework before you buy.

In general, it's important to select a facility management software that will: