Planning any outdoor event requires great teamwork.  Someone needs to make sure the petit fours are delivered on time, but most importantly, someone has to know what Mother Nature might bring and how often will she change her mind.  Making a "weather team" part of the planning crew will make your event much safer and more successful for all involved.

Getting to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) is a tall order and one in which we can’t lose functionality. We must add capabilities to support new devices, and we must be flexible to accommodate new data including text, images and video. A tall order.

Don’t get me wrong – the benefits for all of us, from call takers to administrators to first responders and citizens, of course, will be tremendous.

We, as citizens, will be able to request help from 9-1-1 in so many quick and easy ways. And Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) will have more information than ever to make the best decisions and provide the best response. But while we focus on when and how we’ll implement networks and enable connectivity, and worry about all of the things that are to come, we’re overlooking the most critical impact of NG9-1-1 – the impact it will have on our call takers’ experience, and what that means to the speed and accuracy of their responses.

The folks over at PoliceOne have created this helpful Infographic to show how video is affecting how police officers do their jobs.

Employee Spotlight: Helen Strecker

In April, 2005, Helen took a leap of faith and applied for the receptionist's job at Chicago Communications. During the interview, she said, "It was interesting explaining why my last 'paid position' had been in 1972." That's what happens when you are a stay at home mom for 33 years.

Helen’s first job after graduating from secretarial college in New Jersey was with a major retail company.  She was a secretary (yes, that's what they were called then) to a vice president; and she did it all.  Correspondence, advertising, budgets, scheduling and yes, even his personal shopping.  When she got married, her husband's job took them out of their hometown and across the country to Illinois.  Then, along came three boys, a house and a station wagon - suburbia at its best.  And once again, she was doing it all - school committees, charity organizations, Scouts, sports and car-pooling.  They went through a station wagon and two mini-vans during that time.  When asked, "What do you do?" her polite answer was usually "how much time do you have?"  She was fortunate, she was able to stay at home to raise her children, run her home and contribute to her community.  In 2000, Helen became a widow, the "children" were grown men and there was no need for her to be at home anymore.  In 2004, she got married again, and decided to see what was out there. 

It’s an inflatable tower!  Didn’t know there was such a thing?  Well, there is and it has some pretty interesting applications.  You can use it anywhere from golf outings or county fairs, to crime scenes or highway speed control or road blocks!  Anytime you have a temporary command post or mobile headquarters, these easy to move mobile towers can accommodate an antenna, repeater, camera, or even an access point for high speed data.  They are easy to transport, quickly deployed, affordable and customizable. They are portable enough to mount on any vehicle so you can enhance your two way radio or mobile phone range at any remote operation. They are inflatable towers made by Lighter than Air Projects in Cookeville, TN, and available locally through Chicago Communications!

Did you know that Chicago Communications offers exclusively to our customers, the convenience of purchasing their most common accessories and batteries through our website?

In order for our account executives to be more attentive to your needs we developed this program to instantly place an order and notify you and your account executive as soon as the order is placed.

Here’s how it works.

Intrinsically Safe.

For someone who doesn’t eat and breathe the two way radio world, this term is probably foreign to you. However, it is vital to not only the upkeep and lifetime of a radio, but also crucial to the radio user’s safety.

The retail, hospitality, public safety, and education markets all can benefit from the use of two way radios. ROI is great, offers many different options, and provides clear communication amongst users. But what about those in the manufacturing field, those that are around dangerous chemicals, high temperatures, or other dangerous elements? They deserve not only the same quality of communication that other markets have available, but also should feel protected while using them. 

If you’re looking for a price savvy communication product, without the full commitment of a purchase – renting radios is definitely one of the best options out there. You get the quality and control that you would normally get when purchasing a two way radio system, but without the upkeep and price tag associated with it. This is a perfect option for those who would only use a radio system a few times a year for special events. Batteries and antennas are automatically included with each rental; each customer receives one spare battery and charger for every two radios rented. By choosing to rent radios, you can rest easy knowing that the programming, licensing, and even delivery of your communication equipment is being taken care of.

But first, here are some things to keep in mind after you’ve decided on the wise choice to rent two way radio equipment.

We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication, hospitality, and public safety world!

1) Public Safety Grants: The Assistance to Firefighters Grant deadline is TODAY! Be sure to check out the FEMA website if you haven’t already. If you’ve ran out of time for this grant, don’t worry. There’s a few more with deadlines that are soon approaching. Be sure to check out these Federal Grant Opportunities to see if you qualify!

Those charged with maintaining or upgrading the communications system of a busy hotel have their work cut out for them. They're charged with both keeping up with increasing guest expectations when it comes to wireless, and making sure critical staff communications run smoothly. Depending on the size, prior communication equipment, and budget you have to work with, some options may be aesthetically more appealing than others. For example, in a smaller hotel, the upfront cost of using cellular devices can be more appealing than putting down a lot of money for two way radios and other communication devices. Or if you’re in need of a quick fix, ordering communication equipment (two way radios and cellular devices alike) from a website may seem to be the answer.