We’ve been taught ever since childhood to dial 911 when we encounter a problem concerning the law, health, or safety. As natural as this may feel to us in a time of need, there is actually protocol into whether or not to call 911 vs. the general police/safety numbers.

Now of course, incidents that put someone’s life, safety, health, or property in immediate danger without hesitation require a 911 call.

I’m speaking of those occurrences that may not be time sensitive, or requiring emergency services. Events that happened longer than 15 minutes prior, (that do not involve an injury and suspects are not present at the scene) do not require an immediate 911 dial. Instead, contact the local authorities via their general phone number. If you don’t know your local non-emergency line, dial 411 to be connected or click on the link below. If you live in Chicago, dial 311 for non-emergency events.

Halloween is right around the corner – costumes are being finalized, trick or treat routes are being mapped, and candy is overflowing. Sometimes with the excitement of such a fun holiday, we forget to remember the basics in terms of safety.  If we let the safety of these little vampires, ghosts, and ballerinas slip to the background of all the enthusiasm, things can go from fun and games to spooky in a matter of minutes.

For Trick or Treaters & Parents:

Cell phones are a great way to keep in touch with the older Halloween goers, or if it’s a relatively small group. But how do you communicate with groups of children who may be old enough to walk down the block, but not own a cell phone!? The same way Police and Fire crews communicate with each other- two way radios. Obviously purchasing high tiered radios aren’t the option we are suggesting, but there are two way radios designed for these types of instances- for relatively cheap in many stores. By sending your ghouls and goblins off in the neighborhood equipped with a  two way radio (or commonly referred to as a walkie talkie) you are able to constantly connect with them at the push of a button.

The world of two-way radios is quite technical, so how do you uncover which one is right for you and your business? Most of us don’t have a background in the operations and features of these two-way radios, yet they are the vital solution to our communication needs. Between different brands, styles, sizes, frequencies, and capabilities, it could be an overwhelming process to dig through. This is why many schools opt for a cell phone option.

If you’re in the education market, Chicago Communications suggests taking a peek into the Vertex Radios.  “What’s the need for special communications in schools?” you might ask. If your school has a lower enrollment, two-way radio communications can help keep track of when school busses arrive and depart, keeping school officials who may be outside the building connected to those who are inside, etc.  If your school has a higher enrollment, knowing where your staff is located at all times is critical to ensure school safety. The need for instant communication is necessary for any size of school to provide proper safety for school administrators and students.

Spotlight on the Technicians: The Experience Behind ChiComm

Ernie’s career has taken him around the world a time or two before finally landing him at Chicago Communications. He may have only joined ChiComm's service team two and a half years ago, but combined with his other previous work, he has 30 years of expertise in the communications and technology field.

Ernie's training started when he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1983, right after he graduated from high school. Beyond several weeks of Basic Training, he also attended many different technical training programs in the military that were specific to his assignments (electronic development, air traffic controls, and ground launch cruise missiles are some examples of subjects he studied). Ernie's official role was as a ground radio maintenance technician in the Air Force and served in this position for 10 years. This is where most of his 'globetrotting' comes in. As part of different military assignments, he spent years living in foreign countries like Korea and Turkey, while spending other extended periods in Japan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, England, and several states across the United States. Most of his work in the Air Force involved tactical mobile communications which translates to being “the radio guy” in simple terms--and that's how he was known to the others he served with. As a technician in ground radio maintenance, he worked on: satellite communications, LMR (two-way land mobile radio communications similar to the equipment used at ChiComm), long-range and high-frequency communications, and the encryption that makes all of those communications secure.

     In today’s Healthcare market, more and more hospitals are being absorbed by larger corporations. Since this trend has been picking up speed, radio systems which have typically been used for a multitude of uses (Security, Maintenance, IT and Janitorial services) are now creating disparate communications between facilities.

     At Chicago Communications, we had a similar situation with a customer that had 3 sites of hospitals spread across a 3 town radius.  The main site had five multi-story buildings with two parking garages and two problems: (1) They wanted to tie the sites together and (2) they needed to improve coverage. The hospitals were using analog radios and had several areas across campus that had poor to zero coverage.

The first solution: MotoTRBO Digital two way radios with IP site connect capabilities.

     We addressed their coverage issue by implementing a Digital Mobile Radio system (DMR). By leveraging a DMR, Hospitals can use their current Wide Area Networks (WANs) to create larger communications systems. This system will allow applications such as a Central Dispatch for Security services, Shared Maintenance, BioMed and IT resources between facilities, while still using a common communications platform.

   Does Your School Have a Secure Emergency Preparedness Plan in Place? 

   In the aftermath of 2012, educational institutions everywhere re-evaluated and re-examined their security and emergency-preparedness plans. Administrators went into crisis mode to comfort students and parents while ensuring all that plans and procedures were in place to keep their schools safe and secure. A critical piece of the plan is communicating across school grounds, and two-way radios are an instrumental part of that plan. 

Everything You Need to Consider About Consolidating PSAPs

     A few weeks ago I posed the question 'What are your thoughts on the consolidation of PSAPs?' to members of the 'Public Safety Professionals' group on Linkedin (to view/join the group you must have a LinkedIn account). In return I got some very valuable input from members who were scattered all over the country. The feedback was as diverse as the many different cities it came from. I've condensed and summarized an assortment of the answers for you to view below that highlight some benefits and struggles that must be considered in the case that your region, county, or city wants to consolidate public safety answering points (PSAPs).

How Technology Has Impacted 9-1-1 Dispatch Centers     

     Over the last thirty years, I have actually counted over 200 radio dispatch consoles that Chicago Communications has installed. A dispatch console is actually an interface for a dispatcher to talk to various radio systems. Similar to a 9-1-1 telephone system, the radio dispatch console acts as an audio switch to connect various people to various radios or telephones.

Tom's Tech Talk #15: Proper Measures Save Money in Service Repairs

     Storm season: A radio shops favorite time of year. (Just Kidding!) Actually it has gotten progressively better. Years ago before Motorola’s Site Installation and Grounding Practices (R56 Standard), it was common place to have most of your yearly calls in the spring and summer due to storms. After countless builds using the R56 Grounding methods, we actually have minimized and eliminated costly repairs or insurance claims.

This is a guest blog provided by Smart911 and written by Todd Piett, Chief Product Officer at Rave Mobile Safety. Visit the bottom of this post for more information about Todd. You can follow him on Twitter @toddpiett.

The public safety community is under increasing pressure to find a solution that meets growing public expectations around the ability to Text-to-911. The FCC is actively soliciting feedback on interim solutions while the industry continues working on and evaluating options for texting with NG9-1-1. Unfortunately, misconceptions about texting abound. As a company we have been delivering emergency communications via SMS and have years of data as well as operational experience with the realities of text messaging. We are also actively involved in research and development on text via RTT utilizing the protocols envisioned in NG9-1-1. Based on our experience, here are the top 3 myths:

Myth: Text messaging to 9-1-1 is available today or will be magically enabled by NG9-1-1.