High, thin clouds, high 96°

1997 Annual Conference
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO)

Wednesday, August 13th

by Gary Allen

[links are photos]

(Charlotte, S.C., 4:10 p.m. EDT) -- The APCO committee assigned to set standards for digital public safety radios announced today that it has adopted a standard for 6.25 KHz channels and that it will consider other technology that has been promoted offered by Ericsson Inc., effectively bringing that company into the bidding war for future Project 25-compliant radio systems.
APCO's Project 25 committee met last Sunday, the 9th, but details of the two resolutions they passed is only now becoming available. They issued a five paragraph press release on the 12th, but only a very few persons had copies of the document. Several committee members said they had not seen the release and could not find anyone who had a copy. No copies of the actual resolutions were available from committee members. full text As reported previously in this special on-line edition of DISPATCH Monthly, over a year ago the Project 25 committee settled on FDMA technology for transmitting digital radio signals. Ericsson proposed TDMA, saying it was a superior technology, and has since refused to change its position, which has put them out of contention for the public safety radio systems that were required to be "Project 25 compliant." It's understood that their decision cost them several contracts, although not many such systems have been specified yet by local agencies. The Project 25 committee said it "took action to establish an additional standards development track by unanimously adopting a motion to seek Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) proposals which will provide for equivalent 6.25 kHz channel efficiency and backward interoperability to the Project 25 Phase I suite of standards." The association said their decision provides a "clear course" for all manufacturers and came after seven years of work by several groups. A spokesperson for Ericsson said they would immediately begin to implementing a "compatability mode" on their TDMA radios that would allow them to communicate with FDMA radios, of which Motorola is the biggest supplier. That solution allows both companies to continue promoting and marketing their own technology, and yet both can now offer systems which meet Project 25 standards. For its part, Motorola announced in a press release that it was licensing, royalty free, "its essential IPR (intellectrual property rights) that is part of the Project 25" Phase I standards. They did not place any geographic or market restrictions on the rights nor limit where equipment can be manufactured or sold. They only require that licensees must comply with federal law and trade regulations. full-text The company said it made the announcement, "in response to the recognition and support that Project 25 standard has received worldwide, the increasing number of manufacturers that have indicated interest in designing and selling their own standard-compliant systems, and the many suppliers who have approached the company for licenses of its Project 25 technology." A Motorola source admitted that another reason for the statement was a perception among some agencies and companies who felt Motorola might retain its proprietary technology and license it only for a fee. Almost lost in the release was the committee's unanimously decision to select FDMA as the primary suite of technologies for Phase II of standards. This decision was expected for some time.

Trade Show

The giant trade show continued at the Charlotte Convention Center--itwas the last day for company reprsentatives to formally grab prospects as they walked past. Of course, there was plenty of off-duty elbow grabbing, arm twisting and hotel conferences. Besides the big guys (Motorola, Ericsson, E.F. Johnson, GTE, Bell Atlantic, Positron and International Public Safety had the biggest booths), there were many small-fry that helped contribute to create the shows personality.

The Incredible Card Corp. promoted their Kidz Kard child indentification system, which is based on the so-called "smart card" used for several years in Europe for debit card and other financial transactions. The card is available is business-card format, or a smaller "tag" format that can be conveniently attached to a belt loop or shoelace. The plastic card has a photo of the child laminated to it, along with a very small electronic circuit that digitially stores identification information that a parent submits when applying for the card.

Now the interesting part--when is the card used? The company is marketing retrieval software to hospitals, where the information would be needed most. The hospital, which presumably already has a Windows-based PC, buys the software, and the Kidz Kard provides the smart card reader, and the fingerprint security access reader for free. Kidz Kard reps said they'll introduce another version of the card soon tuned for the elderly, that will store more medical history informatoin. The reps said the software requires fingerprint confirmation for any information retrieval, and an audit file would show any improper use of the system. (888) 723-2273

Sometimes one company isn't enough. In this case, four companies joined together to form an all-in-one solution to establishing a public safety comm center: General Physics, Ergotron, Emergency Services Integrators andWackenhut. They offer ergonomically-correct workstations, CAD software, computer-based training materials, and integration services they call the Universal Dispatcher. Besides reps in suits, the group had two dispatchers in tan uniforms and wide-brimmed straw hats typing away on the CAD software. (706) 823-1911

One of strangest products was displayed 20 feet overhead at one end of the exhibition hall. It was a French-manufactured, helium-inflated light originally developed for motion pictures, but now being marketed by its U.S. rep to public safety. The Solarc Airstar withstands 35 mph winds and can be lofted up to 150 feet in the air. If you're not certain about that, stand-mounted lights are also available. They're expensive--$2,600 and more, but they provide extraordinary light, if you need it and can afford it. (407) 851-7830

XL Computing was demonstrating their ruggedized computer, and told a story of a Florida deputy sheriff who is returning from the Artic with two of them after an expedition. They claim that coffee is simply turned aside from their keyboards, and the bottomless cup of coffee spilled on the demo model seemed to prove the point. As for the expedition, they've kindly posted the story of it on their Web site. (561) 589-7344

311 Info

During a seminar, Barry Luke, chair of APCO Project 35 committee tasked to study the 311 issue, presented the association's position. In a later session, Sgt. Nelson Hermann and Debbie Cole of AT&T explaiend how the Baltimore (Md.) 311 system is working.

In a 311 implemantation check list developed by the committee, agencis should evaluate several items:

• How will the 311 system be configured? It will have to be interface with other 311 programs in the area to minimize public confusion.
• Have you assessed different methods, options and vendors? Can the LEC, ALEC or third party provide the service?
• Does the project timeline take into account necessary coordination with other entities?
• Have proper statistics been gathered to prepare for the 311 project? What are your call volumes and lengths and busy hours? What percentage of non-emergency calls are anticipated? What increase in overall calls is expected?
• Can all telephone switches in the affected area handle 311?
• Can 311 be accessed toll-free from any phone. Will pay phones support toll-free dialing, and will wireless devices also have access?
• How will selective routing be handled? How will wire and wireless calls be handled?
• How will intercept recordings be used? What do callers outside the 311 area hear? What is the cost of intercept recordings and who pays? What message is played? Should intercept recordings be played only initially or for a longer period?
• Should some form of caller ID be installed with 311? Does the curernt system have caller ID, and what benefits or problems have been experienced? Can caller ID or ANI be provided, and how would it be maintained?
• Will 311 calls go into an automated queue? Does the queue announce who the caller has reached, does it refer callers to 911. Should you provide a one-button escapte to 911? Will any ANI/ALI be transferred with the call?
• Will 311 calls be transferred 24 hours a day, or will the calls be forwarded?
• Should 311 calls be tape recorded? Is recording legal, and what benefits are there to logging?
• What policy direction is given to operators on how to handle emergency calls arriving on the 311 system? Should 311 call-takers handle emergency calls or should they be transferred, and if so, with one-button or some other arrangement. Is there a current policy against multiple transfers of onecall?
• What will be the policy on handling non-emergency calls received on 911? Will the 911 call-taker handle them, or will they be transfererd to the 311 call-taker? Will the 911 call-taker admonish the caller to use 311 in the future?
• What performance standards apply to 311?
• What public education campaign is planned?
• What equipment will be needed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act? And are 311 call-takers trained how to use the equipment?
• What level of training will be given the 311 call-takers?
• Is there sufficient staffing for 311 calls? It is not recommended that 911 call-takers take overflow 311 calls. What call volumes are anticipated?

All photos and text copyright 1997, 911 Dispatch Services, Inc.