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Sun, May 11 2008 

Published: March 27, 2008 01:23 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Building bridges

New radios help keep emergency responders connected

By SHAWN PIATEK
JOHNSTOWN BUSINESS WEEKLY

LORETTO, Pa. — Having clear and constant communications for emergency responders during a crisis situation can mean the difference between life and death.

That was the case on Sept. 11, 2001, when hundreds of emergency responders found themselves cut off from radio connectivity inside World Trade Center’s South Tower.

Many of them never heard the order to evacuate and were trapped inside the building when it collapsed.

Researchers at the Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas at St. Francis University have designed and are marketing a product that has proven it can bridge the communications gap for radios inside large buildings.

The company's RF to IP Bridge System provides radio connectivity between the interior and exterior of a building.

It accomplishes that goal by briefly translating radio frequency into an Internet protocol signal that is shared through a local wireless Internet network.

“This not only enables first responders to better do their job, but it can also be used by the war fighter to ensure they’re never out of the communications loop,” said Jay Roberts, director of Researchers at the Center of Excellence . “Communications is the key here, and it’s a failure to communicate that costs lives.”

Here’s how the system works:

uA lightweight converter device is placed just outside the entrance of a building, and another is placed inside the building.

uThe two boxes capture radio frequencies coming from the interior and exterior of the building.

uThe boxes translate those frequencies, share the information and convert it back into a radio frequency.

The system, which is patent pending, has undergone testing by the Johnstown Fire Department.

Tony Kovacic, chief of the department, said the system has been used to eliminate “dead” communications areas in densely constructed buildings such as Memorial Medical Center and several other buildings downtown.

The firefighters also have provided input on the unit's evolving design.

For instance, the color of the boxes was changed from black to orange. Kovacic said firefighters made that suggestion because the original box could have been mistaken for a potential explosive device at the scene of an emergency.

A bright strobe light also was added based on the department’s suggestions.

The light makes it easier to help locate the units in dark or smoky environments and serves as a beacon for those trying to exit a building.

“It’s another great tool to help us do our jobs,” Kovacic said. “Sometimes you would go out and you find yourself in a dead spot and there never was a solution. Now there is a solution.”



Shawn Piatek writes for the Johnstown (Pa.) Business Week.

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