Chicomm Blog

How well does the WiFi work in your school? Chances are that your answer is close to “I guess it is fine. Spotty in some areas, but it works….sometimes.”

Myth: If we keep our students’ smartphones off the school network, it will run faster

When public safety agencies respond to an emergency, they are able to arrive at the scene of the event and deal with the emergency in mere moments. They are able to effectively communicate with their own team, different departments, the media, and even the general public, all without causing any delays or issues. When you stop to think about it, it seems like an incredibly daunting task to accomplish all of that in such a short period of time.

For them, it all starts with having an effective, comprehensive emergency communications strategy in place. This strategy typically includes everything from the types of equipment they will use in the dispatch center and in the field, the 10-codes they will rely on, and general best practices and procedures that they will follow.

Creating and using these communication strategies is just part of the job for those in public safety, but it isn’t always as top-of-mind for those working in other industries. For example, if you own a hotel or are part of the IT admin team at a school, or if you lead the night crew at a warehouse, chances are you aren’t always thinking of how you will communicate during an emergency.

A decade ago, social media was largely thought of as something reserved for teenagers or college students. It was often regarded as silly or mindless (after all, how much do you really care that Steve bought a new shirt?) and wasn’t exactly high up on the list of technologies law enforcement would consider using.

Today, we know that those early ideas of social media are largely outdated. While millions of people still flock to Twitter or Facebook to share updates about their life, social networking is being used by thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country to better connect with the communities they serve. This can include posting live updates to a crime in progress (keeping citizens informed) or even showcasing the “behind the scenes” life of police officers (department transparency).

One of the latest social media technologies that is catching on is that of live video streaming. There are two main players in this market, Twitter’s Periscope and its rival, Meerkat. Using these smartphone applications, anyone can live stream video from their device and broadcast that video to anyone, anywhere in the world. This technology is quickly being adopted into the public safety sector, and for good reason, but as with any new technology, you always need to consider the pros and cons before fully adopting it into your strategy.

If you look at your smartphone right now, how customized is it to your liking as compared to when you took it out of the box? Chances are you have installed countless applications on your device, ranging from weather apps, sports news, games, and social media. The majority of these applications didn’t come out of the box with your phone, but now that you have them, your experience is more tailored.

This is exactly how it is with digital two-way radios, too. While the device itself is incredibly useful and powerful, technology today is not about a “one size fits all” approach. It is now about using powerful hardware and software to get the job done, but relying on custom applications to really streamline the process - and provide an even better user experience.

Even with the rate of which we all download and use mobile apps on our personal devices, there are many two-way radio users who simply turn on the radio and move forward without ever considering adding on an custom application or two. Again, two-way radios don’t need apps to be useful, but they need them to be customized.

Today, it doesn’t matter if you have a private WiFi network for your business, or, if you host a public network on a school campus or in a shopping center - your network needs to be secure. Hackers are always on the lookout for subpar security in order to quickly get in and get out with the information they came for.

Second, it is a great idea for you to become familiar with the most popular wireless networking security terminology so that if an issue comes up, you are well-versed enough to discuss or understand the problem. Here are 10 of the most common wireless networking terms:

From the “Friday Night Lights” of high school football to the Super Bowl, sports draw people in. They serve as a fun escape from everyday life, and in many cases, represent some of the biggest passions in people’s lives. This is showcased by the incredible volume of fans, stadiums and sporting venues across the world see on a weekly basis.

When these sports-crazed fans file into the stadium, field, or arena, their focus is typically on whether their favorite team can bring home the win or not. What they don’t realize, however, is all of the work outside of the sports team that goes into making their experience safe, fun, and worth their money. We’re talking about the operations and communications staff in the venue.

As part of an event or game day crew, you have a tough job: ensure everything runs smoothly and on schedule, answer questions for the fans, and most importantly, keep everyone safe. Thankfully, the technological advancements over the past decade have provided innovative tools for those in this field - one of the best being digital two-way radios.

This past year has brought more attention to the technology and equipment that police officers use than ever before. With both public officials and the general population pushing for better technology, it is becoming a vital piece of any public safety strategy.

In response to this growth in demand, Motorola Solutions has launched a new body camera for police - the Si500 Video Speaker Microphone.

Is this new camera the right fit for you and your department? Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Si500!

Perhaps one of the greatest achievements in this decade is the rate of innovation when it comes to technology and communication. Ten years ago, most people were communicating via landlines and conference calls around long corporate tables. Today, we communicate on the go. We aren’t tied to a desk or a cord anymore - we can communicate at the touch of a button, video chat via your phone, and share digital files instantly.

As communication continues to evolve, there are new and exciting products hitting the market every year. The goal is to help people communicate better, whether they are in schools, factories, police stations, hospitals, or anywhere else in the world.

We wanted to highlight one of these new and innovative communication solutions - the EVX-Link from Vertex Standard. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this new device!

"Rent VS Own" is one of the most common dilemmas people face in life. Should we be tenants or home owners? Should we lease this car or buy it? Should I just rent this movie or buy a copy? In most cases, there isn't a right wrong answer with this dilemma, as it truly relies on the unique situation you find yourself in. Believe it or not, this is actually the case when it comes to communication and two-way radios.

If you are looking into improving your communication with wireless technology, you've probably come across information about two-way radios. You may even be completely sold on them already, but you just aren't sure if you should rent them or own them. To help you make that decision, here is a quick look at some of the most popular reasons to buy or rent radios. 

If you had to choose a single profession or industry that relies on quality communication perhaps more than any other, you would be hard-pressed to select anything other than those in public safety or emergency medical services. That’s not to downplay how important communication is in industries like education or manufacturing (it is actually incredibly important), but police officers and EMS crews rely on communication to save lives.