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SIDEBARS:

  Transitions

Cerulean and Bell Atlantic Bring Wireless Data to Charlotte-Mecklenburg

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC, Police Department has equipped 1,200 officers with laptop computers running Cerulean's PacketCluster® software. The software will provide on-the-spot information about potentially dangerous suspects through Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's AirBridge® cellular digital packet data (CDPD) service. Charlotte-Mecklenburg decide to replace its more than 10-year-old data terminal system because it moved slowly, did not enable on-site computing, and did not effectively hook up with the department's growing LAN applications.

In keeping with Police Chief Dennis Nowicki's belief that all officers should be armed with a computer, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg department will assign laptops to officers rather than to patrol cars. Using Digital Equipment Corporation laptops and Sierra Wireless communication equipment, the department will install portable device modems in 464 patrol cars to let the officers use the system both in and out of their vehicles. Operating PacketCluster Patrol, officers can easily tap into the department's LAN from remote sites, a significant advantage for investigators who want to use Cerulean's information gathering and communications power when working surveillance or undercover assignments.

Motorola and TRW Upgrade San Francisco

San Francisco has begun a major upgrade to its emergency services dispatch system. Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector has signed a $38 million contract to provide the City and County of San Francisco a state of the art digital 800 MHz trunked radio communications system, while TRW has been awarded at $17.1 million contract to provide E9-1-1, CAD, and automated information systems.

Motorola's ASTROSMARTNET II system will consolidate the city's nine existing radio communications system into one. Motorola will design and manufacture the new mixed-mode analog and digital radio system, and will provide the software and hardware components for a new communications infrastructure. The eight-site, 23-channel, trunked, simulcast radio communications system will be specifically engineered for San Francisco's hilly terrain. To provide dispatch capabilities and manage the communications traffic, Motorola will install 46 CENTRACOM Gold Elite consoles with touch-screen CRT displays in the city's new communications center.

TRW's E9-1-1 CAD will be installed in San Francisco's new Combined Emergency Communications Center, serving multiple agencies and creating a common infrastructure for handling 9-1-1 calls and related records management. When complete in 1999, the new dispatch system will enable the city's call takers to instantaneously forward calls to dispatchers of the appropriate emergency service or to dispatch multiple services. When complete in 1999, the consolidated system will create a greater synergy in agencies responding to emergencies.

Positron Teams with PowerPhone for Pre-Arrival CAD

PowerPhone, Inc., has formed an alliance with Positron Industries, Inc., to develop an integrated software package for police, fire and emergency medical dispatch pre-arrival instructions. The software, based on PowerPhone's existing protocol guides, is called Lighthouse®.

"This software product is a natural progression for us and one our clients have been anxiously awaiting," said PowerPhone's Chris Salafia.

The software will be available as a "stand-alone" windows based application, as an add-on module to existing CAD systems, and seamlessly integrated into Positron's Power911 dispatch system. "In each instance, agencies will have the flexibility to "jump" from incident to incident and even service to service," Salafia said. "So often a call comes in requiring a simultaneous police, fire and EMS response. Finally agencies will have standardized protocols, dispatch priorities and pre-arrival instructions for all three."

Geac CAD in Cypress Creek, TX

Geac Public Safety, Inc. (http://www.publicsafety.geac.com) has announced the successful installation of a Windows NT® Fire/EMS Computer-Aided Dispatch and Records Management System at Cypress Creek EMS, just outside of Houston, Texas.

Cypress Creek is an EMS agency providing dispatch services for fire and EMS. They have been using Geac software since 1991 at which time they were operating on a proprietary operating system and hardware platform. During the course of their relationship, Geac provided a smooth migration to the Open Systems environment.

They are now operating on a powerful Compaq Proliant 6000 server, using Windows NT 4.0 and the UniData® multi-dimensional relational database. The client side uses Unidata's wIntegrate® terminal emulation software to provide network access to the Geac applications and allow easy synthesis with other desktop programs.

The project included integrating one calltaker and 3 dispatch positions along with interfaces to E-911, encoders, pagers and time synchronization. Since Geac strives to provide new technology with minimal impact on personnel, there was no need to re-train the dispatch staff in the use of the applications.

US Wireless Locates Cellular by RadioCamera

U.S. Wireless Corporation last Summer successfully completed the first phase of testing and evaluation of its RadioCamera, a product designed to help wireless carriers determine the location of mobile callers.

The initial use for RadioCamera will help wireless carriers meet the FCC mandate requiring them to be able to locate the position of wireless 9-1-1 callers by the year 2001. The system exceeds the FCC's performance requirements for locating emergency callers.

According to Dr. Oliver Hilsenrath, president and CEO of U.S. Wireless, a first-generation RadioCamera was tested in a number of outdoor environments in Northern California. "Our tests have shown that RadioCamera thrives in inner city environments, unlike competing technologies that are negatively impacted by reflections from buildings and other obstacles," Dr. Hilsenrath said. "RadioCamera is designed to track the location of a wireless call throughout its progress, which we believe will be a key ingredient in the emerging industry of mass mobility-sensitive media."

The RadioCamera is a personal-computer-sized device that attaches to some of a carrier's base stations. It uses advanced algorithms to determine the location of a caller from a single site. The technology does not require modification of a carrier's equipment or a user's handsetboth important factors for a widespread and economical deployment.



TRANSITIONS

A provider of targeted marketing and PR services to vendors in the public safety communications industry, Bonnie Underwood is now offering crisis PR and media relations services to public safety communications agencies. Bonnie, a member of APCO and NENA, is the former Sales/Marketing Director of 9-1-1 Magazine, and served as Assistant Editor and Advertising Manager of the APCO Bulletin. She can be reached by phone at 904/673-8982 or e-mail: bonnieinFL@aol.com.

Motorola has appointed Greg Townsend, former vice president and general manager of Motorola's Radio Network Solutions Group's Asia/Pacific Division, as the new Worldwide Data Solutions Division VP and GM. Greg has held numerous technology and business related positions in his 21 years with Motorola, bringing an enhanced international perspective to his new role in what is increasingly becoming a global data effort.

Plant Equipment, Inc. has hired Kenneth D. Adams as senior software developer. A 15-year software-development veteran, Adams will focus on PEI's computer telephony integrated (CTI) applications. He is primarily responsible for design specifications that will expand functionality and enhance the performance of the VESTA system. Adams formerly worked for Axon Communications and has 10 years experience in developing a variety of real-time embedded systems software.

Robert M. Ladavac has been named Sales Manager for Sigma/Micro Corporation (Sigma), a provider of software-based information and communications technology solutions including the Reverse 911 system. Mr. Ladavac has 30 years of sales and sales management experience in the computer, component and software business.

SCC Communications Corp. has appointed Jeff Crollick as Wireless Industry Technologies Manager, serving as a subject matter expert for wireless industry issues. Formerly with at GTE Telecommunications Services, Crollick is a nationally recognized industry expert on the subject of 9-1-1 services with more than 30 years of information system experience. He will continue his role as Chairman of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Ad Hoc Wireless Emergency Services committee.



INDUSTRY NEWS Editor's Desk People, Places & Things Calendar (current) SIDEBARS: Transitions	Cerulean and Bell Atlantic Bring Wireless Data to Charlotte-Mecklenburg The Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC, Police Department has equipped 1,200 officers with laptop computers running Cerulean's PacketCluster® software. The software will provide on-the-spot information about potentially dangerous suspects through Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's AirBridge® cellular digital packet data (CDPD) service. Charlotte-Mecklenburg decide to replace its more than 10-year-old data terminal system because it moved slowly, did not enable on-site computing, and did not effectively hook up with the department's growing LAN applications. In keeping with Police Chief Dennis Nowicki's belief that all officers should be armed with a computer, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg department will assign laptops to officers rather than to patrol cars. Using Digital Equipment Corporation laptops and Sierra Wireless communication equipment, the department will install portable device modems in 464 patrol cars to let the officers use the system both in and out of their vehicles. Operating PacketCluster Patrol, officers can easily tap into the department's LAN from remote sites, a significant advantage for investigators who want to use Cerulean's information gathering and communications power when working surveillance or undercover assignments. Motorola and TRW Upgrade San Francisco San Francisco has begun a major upgrade to its emergency services dispatch system. Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector has signed a $38 million contract to provide the City and County of San Francisco a state of the art digital 800 MHz trunked radio communications system, while TRW has been awarded at $17.1 million contract to provide E9-1-1, CAD, and automated information systems. Motorola's ASTROSMARTNET II system will consolidate the city's nine existing radio communications system into one. Motorola will design and manufacture the new mixed-mode analog and digital radio system, and will provide the software and hardware components for a new communications infrastructure. The eight-site, 23-channel, trunked, simulcast radio communications system will be specifically engineered for San Francisco's hilly terrain. To provide dispatch capabilities and manage the communications traffic, Motorola will install 46 CENTRACOM Gold Elite consoles with touch-screen CRT displays in the city's new communications center. TRW's E9-1-1 CAD will be installed in San Francisco's new Combined Emergency Communications Center, serving multiple agencies and creating a common infrastructure for handling 9-1-1 calls and related records management. When complete in 1999, the new dispatch system will enable the city's call takers to instantaneously forward calls to dispatchers of the appropriate emergency service or to dispatch multiple services. When complete in 1999, the consolidated system will create a greater synergy in agencies responding to emergencies. Positron Teams with PowerPhone for Pre-Arrival CAD PowerPhone, Inc., has formed an alliance with Positron Industries, Inc., to develop an integrated software package for police, fire and emergency medical dispatch pre-arrival instructions. The software, based on PowerPhone's existing protocol guides, is called Lighthouse®. "This software product is a natural progression for us and one our clients have been anxiously awaiting," said PowerPhone's Chris Salafia. The software will be available as a "stand-alone" windows based application, as an add-on module to existing CAD systems, and seamlessly integrated into Positron's Power911 dispatch system. "In each instance, agencies will have the flexibility to "jump" from incident to incident and even service to service," Salafia said. "So often a call comes in requiring a simultaneous police, fire and EMS response. Finally agencies will have standardized protocols, dispatch priorities and pre-arrival instructions for all three." Geac CAD in Cypress Creek, TX Geac Public Safety, Inc. (http://www.publicsafety.geac.com) has announced the successful installation of a Windows NT® Fire/EMS Computer-Aided Dispatch and Records Management System at Cypress Creek EMS, just outside of Houston, Texas. Cypress Creek is an EMS agency providing dispatch services for fire and EMS. They have been using Geac software since 1991 at which time they were operating on a proprietary operating system and hardware platform. During the course of their relationship, Geac provided a smooth migration to the Open Systems environment. They are now operating on a powerful Compaq Proliant 6000 server, using Windows NT 4.0 and the UniData® multi-dimensional relational database. The client side uses Unidata's wIntegrate® terminal emulation software to provide network access to the Geac applications and allow easy synthesis with other desktop programs. The project included integrating one calltaker and 3 dispatch positions along with interfaces to E-911, encoders, pagers and time synchronization. Since Geac strives to provide new technology with minimal impact on personnel, there was no need to re-train the dispatch staff in the use of the applications. US Wireless Locates Cellular by RadioCamera U.S. Wireless Corporation last Summer successfully completed the first phase of testing and evaluation of its RadioCamera, a product designed to help wireless carriers determine the location of mobile callers. The initial use for RadioCamera will help wireless carriers meet the FCC mandate requiring them to be able to locate the position of wireless 9-1-1 callers by the year 2001. The system exceeds the FCC's performance requirements for locating emergency callers. According to Dr. Oliver Hilsenrath, president and CEO of U.S. Wireless, a first-generation RadioCamera was tested in a number of outdoor environments in Northern California. "Our tests have shown that RadioCamera thrives in inner city environments, unlike competing technologies that are negatively impacted by reflections from buildings and other obstacles," Dr. Hilsenrath said. "RadioCamera is designed to track the location of a wireless call throughout its progress, which we believe will be a key ingredient in the emerging industry of mass mobility-sensitive media." The RadioCamera is a personal-computer-sized device that attaches to some of a carrier's base stations. It uses advanced algorithms to determine the location of a caller from a single site. The technology does not require modification of a carrier's equipment or a user's handsetboth important factors for a widespread and economical deployment.
	TRANSITIONS A provider of targeted marketing and PR services to vendors in the public safety communications industry, Bonnie Underwood is now offering crisis PR and media relations services to public safety communications agencies. Bonnie, a member of APCO and NENA, is the former Sales/Marketing Director of 9-1-1 Magazine, and served as Assistant Editor and Advertising Manager of the APCO Bulletin. She can be reached by phone at 904/673-8982 or e-mail: bonnieinFL@aol.com. Motorola has appointed Greg Townsend, former vice president and general manager of Motorola's Radio Network Solutions Group's Asia/Pacific Division, as the new Worldwide Data Solutions Division VP and GM. Greg has held numerous technology and business related positions in his 21 years with Motorola, bringing an enhanced international perspective to his new role in what is increasingly becoming a global data effort. Plant Equipment, Inc. has hired Kenneth D. Adams as senior software developer. A 15-year software-development veteran, Adams will focus on PEI's computer telephony integrated (CTI) applications. He is primarily responsible for design specifications that will expand functionality and enhance the performance of the VESTA system. Adams formerly worked for Axon Communications and has 10 years experience in developing a variety of real-time embedded systems software. Robert M. Ladavac has been named Sales Manager for Sigma/Micro Corporation (Sigma), a provider of software-based information and communications technology solutions including the Reverse 911 system. Mr. Ladavac has 30 years of sales and sales management experience in the computer, component and software business. SCC Communications Corp. has appointed Jeff Crollick as Wireless Industry Technologies Manager, serving as a subject matter expert for wireless industry issues. Formerly with at GTE Telecommunications Services, Crollick is a nationally recognized industry expert on the subject of 9-1-1 services with more than 30 years of information system experience. He will continue his role as Chairman of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Ad Hoc Wireless Emergency Services committee.