s.press 2006/1 en

March | 2006

The Swissphone Magazine for Public Safety

www.swissphone.com

Swissphone is ready for »unleaded« times A new generation of pagers Page 4

A quick trip into space Project »LEBIG« Page 10

Cross-border conference Alarm Conference 2006 Page 15

02 | 03

EDITORIALLadies and gentlemen, esteemed business partners,

As already mentioned in the first issue, we want to use this magazine not only to announce product news and updates, but also to inform you about current trends, developments and technologies in the Public Safety industry. Our second issue of s.press, therefore, contains implementation and usage reports for the latest solutions in alarm sys-tems, operations controlling and communications; an update on the localisation of emergency calls made from GSM phones; and an introduction to our new generation of pagers.

You may not yet be aware of the significance of the WEEE and RoHS regulations for electrical and electronic devices, enacted by the European Parliament in 2003 for the better protection of

humans and the environment. Effective 1 July 2006, new electrical and electronic devices may (amongst others) not contain any lead, mercury, cadmium or other harmful substances. Being the market leader in the alarm systems sector, Swissphone quickly re-sponded with the necessary measures, meeting the new regulations ahead of time to ensure a fully compliant product range free of lead and other harmful substances. Here at Swissphone, we want you to know you can depend on us.

We hope you will find this publication a stimulating and informative read.

Helmut Köchler

CONTENTSINSIDE

Editorial 03

SOLUTIONS

Swissphone is ready for »unleaded« times 04

The latest command centre technology for the professional fire fighters of Linz 06

Mobile command unit and redundant command & control centre 08

A quick trip into space 10

GLOBAL

Locating mobile calls – towards a definite position 12

EVENTS

Cross-border conference 15

Swissphone on location 16 CeBIT, Hanover GPEC, Leipzig Swissphone Wireless Symposium/Berne

INSIDE

Helmut Köchler, President of the Board

02 | 03

EDITORIALLadies and gentlemen, esteemed business partners,

As already mentioned in the first issue, we want to use this magazine not only to announce product news and updates, but also to inform you about current trends, developments and technologies in the Public Safety industry. Our second issue of s.press, therefore, contains implementation and usage reports for the latest solutions in alarm sys-tems, operations controlling and communications; an update on the localisation of emergency calls made from GSM phones; and an introduction to our new generation of pagers.

You may not yet be aware of the significance of the WEEE and RoHS regulations for electrical and electronic devices, enacted by the European Parliament in 2003 for the better protection of

humans and the environment. Effective 1 July 2006, new electrical and electronic devices may (amongst others) not contain any lead, mercury, cadmium or other harmful substances. Being the market leader in the alarm systems sector, Swissphone quickly re-sponded with the necessary measures, meeting the new regulations ahead of time to ensure a fully compliant product range free of lead and other harmful substances. Here at Swissphone, we want you to know you can depend on us.

We hope you will find this publication a stimulating and informative read.

Helmut Köchler

CONTENTSINSIDE

Editorial 03

SOLUTIONS

Swissphone is ready for »unleaded« times 04

The latest command centre technology for the professional fire fighters of Linz 06

Mobile command unit and redundant command & control centre 08

A quick trip into space 10

GLOBAL

Locating mobile calls – towards a definite position 12

EVENTS

Cross-border conference 15

Swissphone on location 16 CeBIT, Hanover GPEC, Leipzig Swissphone Wireless Symposium/Berne

INSIDE

Helmut Köchler, President of the Board

04 | 05SOLUTIONS

Author: Deborah Bucher · Corporate Communications

In early 2003, the European Parliament enacted its new WEEE and RoHS directives for electrical and electronic devices in an effort to better protect humans and the environment. As the number of offending devices is rising drastically in today’s technology-driven society, the objective of these regulations is to instate legally enforceable preventative measures. This is of particular importanceto waste management, i.e., when the devices reach the end of their lifecycle. Already today, market leader Swissphone is exemplary in anticipating the lead-free future of electronics production – as is evidenced by the company’s three new BOS-certified pagers.

New standards in safety: As of 1 July 2006, the EU’s RoHS (Restriction of certain Hazardous Substances) directive will prohibit dangerous substances such as lead, mercury and cad-mium from being used in the production of new electrical and electronic devices. Working in parallel to RoHS is the WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulation towards reducing stress on the environment both during and after the device lifespan. WEEE further encou-rages recycling and re-use as feasible waste man-agement options.

Swissphone responded to these new premises immediately. After the enactment of the regulations in 2003, the company extensively researched all associated issues and defined a set of new produc-tion solutions. In July 2005, following exhaustive material and process testing, Swissphone switched to RoHS-compliant machine soldering for the assembly of end devices as well as RoHS-compliant manual soldering. Six months later, all of the company’s production processes were redesigned to be completely lead-free. Swissphone’s prod-ucts and components are labelled accordingly. Similarly, all receivers and chargers manu-factured since August 2005 comply with the new WEEE regulations, as is shown by the official WEEE logo printed on every device.

Ongoing development as a permanent challenge

The necessary production changes were substantial and costly, which is why Swissphone made sure from the outset to comply with the underlying criteria of the new EU regulations. The company has always aimed for environmentally friendly product

development that is in keeping with international standards – in fact, Swissphone has never ceased to invest in forward-looking technologies and development. At the same time, however, the change-over from lead-based production to lead-free RoHS-compliant production had to be well-planned and seamless. Product quality was not to be compromised at any point, and extensive testing had to be conducted throughout the transition process.

As a result, Swissphone’s new generation of pagers is characterised by excellent quality, up-to-date design and intuitive operation – while still providing a maximum of reliability and ruggedness. The three latest units, all of them RoHS-compliant, are exemplary in meeting the new requirements.

A new generation of pagers – with added flexibility and user-friendliness

The outstanding feature of the DE925 is its illuminated graphical display. With four or five lines, each optionally containing 16, 20 or 21 characters, the display visually enhances the updated menu layout. Combined with simple three-button operation, this guarantees reliable interaction even in emergency scenarios. Further advantages of the DE925 include a variable reception frequency – adjustable by +/- 500 kHz thanks to PLL (Phase Locked Loop) technology – and the option of controlling the pager remotely using OAP (On-Air Programming) messages.

The DE920 Ex is the sleeker, lighter and face-lifted successor of the DE516C Ex. Essentially featuring the same advantages as the 920 units, this rugged

Swissphone is ready for »unleaded« times

yet easy-to-use pager is the most suitable receiver to use in explosion-risk environments. It has been designed specifically for the chemical, gas and petrol industries.

Swissphone is also releasing a new analogue unit: The RE629 receiver has been designed for use in challenging meteorological conditions and is compliant with IP54 specifications (complete dust and splash water resilience). Ongoing product development of the existing pager models has resulted in even greater user-friendliness thanks to a brighter display and larger characters. Battery usage remains consistently low despite the added user comfort.

The simple-to-use model for deployment and management personnel can easily be integrated into alarm and dispatch system of any dimension, whereas the top-of-the-line model is designed for top-level personnel with extended areas of responsibility, as well as for general users requiring sophisticated features. Thanks to a broad spec-trum of easy-to-program options (PLL technology), the devices can be integrated into existing analogue networks of any kind. Next to the new pagers’ ecological soundness, this makes them a reliable investment into the future.

04 | 05SOLUTIONS

Author: Deborah Bucher · Corporate Communications

In early 2003, the European Parliament enacted its new WEEE and RoHS directives for electrical and electronic devices in an effort to better protect humans and the environment. As the number of offending devices is rising drastically in today’s technology-driven society, the objective of these regulations is to instate legally enforceable preventative measures. This is of particular importanceto waste management, i.e., when the devices reach the end of their lifecycle. Already today, market leader Swissphone is exemplary in anticipating the lead-free future of electronics production – as is evidenced by the company’s three new BOS-certified pagers.

New standards in safety: As of 1 July 2006, the EU’s RoHS (Restriction of certain Hazardous Substances) directive will prohibit dangerous substances such as lead, mercury and cad-mium from being used in the production of new electrical and electronic devices. Working in parallel to RoHS is the WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulation towards reducing stress on the environment both during and after the device lifespan. WEEE further encou-rages recycling and re-use as feasible waste man-agement options.

Swissphone responded to these new premises immediately. After the enactment of the regulations in 2003, the company extensively researched all associated issues and defined a set of new produc-tion solutions. In July 2005, following exhaustive material and process testing, Swissphone switched to RoHS-compliant machine soldering for the assembly of end devices as well as RoHS-compliant manual soldering. Six months later, all of the company’s production processes were redesigned to be completely lead-free. Swissphone’s prod-ucts and components are labelled accordingly. Similarly, all receivers and chargers manu-factured since August 2005 comply with the new WEEE regulations, as is shown by the official WEEE logo printed on every device.

Ongoing development as a permanent challenge

The necessary production changes were substantial and costly, which is why Swissphone made sure from the outset to comply with the underlying criteria of the new EU regulations. The company has always aimed for environmentally friendly product

development that is in keeping with international standards – in fact, Swissphone has never ceased to invest in forward-looking technologies and development. At the same time, however, the change-over from lead-based production to lead-free RoHS-compliant production had to be well-planned and seamless. Product quality was not to be compromised at any point, and extensive testing had to be conducted throughout the transition process.

As a result, Swissphone’s new generation of pagers is characterised by excellent quality, up-to-date design and intuitive operation – while still providing a maximum of reliability and ruggedness. The three latest units, all of them RoHS-compliant, are exemplary in meeting the new requirements.

A new generation of pagers – with added flexibility and user-friendliness

The outstanding feature of the DE925 is its illuminated graphical display. With four or five lines, each optionally containing 16, 20 or 21 characters, the display visually enhances the updated menu layout. Combined with simple three-button operation, this guarantees reliable interaction even in emergency scenarios. Further advantages of the DE925 include a variable reception frequency – adjustable by +/- 500 kHz thanks to PLL (Phase Locked Loop) technology – and the option of controlling the pager remotely using OAP (On-Air Programming) messages.

The DE920 Ex is the sleeker, lighter and face-lifted successor of the DE516C Ex. Essentially featuring the same advantages as the 920 units, this rugged

Swissphone is ready for »unleaded« times

yet easy-to-use pager is the most suitable receiver to use in explosion-risk environments. It has been designed specifically for the chemical, gas and petrol industries.

Swissphone is also releasing a new analogue unit: The RE629 receiver has been designed for use in challenging meteorological conditions and is compliant with IP54 specifications (complete dust and splash water resilience). Ongoing product development of the existing pager models has resulted in even greater user-friendliness thanks to a brighter display and larger characters. Battery usage remains consistently low despite the added user comfort.

The simple-to-use model for deployment and management personnel can easily be integrated into alarm and dispatch system of any dimension, whereas the top-of-the-line model is designed for top-level personnel with extended areas of responsibility, as well as for general users requiring sophisticated features. Thanks to a broad spec-trum of easy-to-program options (PLL technology), the devices can be integrated into existing analogue networks of any kind. Next to the new pagers’ ecological soundness, this makes them a reliable investment into the future.

06 | 07

Author: Tanja Oudot · Customer Service & Training

Eurobird

The professional fire service of Linz has been using the latest command centre software from Swissphone for their deployment coordination since September 2005. The software is tailored to the wide range of tasks for which this command & control centre is responsible. Customised solutions allow numerous subsystems to be integrated in order to ensure that the approximately 4,500 annual deployments run smoothly.

The latest command centre technology for

the professional fire fighters of Linz

The city of Linz, which has around 200,000 inhab-itants and covers an area of 94km2, is protected by the Operations Command and Control System of the Linz District Warning Centre/The Information Centre of the Linz Professional Fire Service. This body coordinates and controls the deployment of the professional fire service in Linz, as well as the city‘s four volunteer fire services. It also coordi-nates the regional fire service control centre of Upper Austria and supports other emergency services organisations, such as police and rescue services, in many of their missions.

In addition to fighting fires and providing technical assistance, the District Warning Centre is re-sponsible for the operational command of disaster response. To this end, a standalone workstation has been installed in the central fire station’s command office. This workstation is used as the communication and information hub in the case of a disaster.

The volunteer fire services on the outskirts of the city and the fire services provided by industry in the industrial zones are then mobilised in addition to the resources of the professional fire service.

The computer-aided dispatch system: capable and flexible

The secur.CAD/fire dispatch system from Swissphone provides the Linz professional fire service with a modern, high availability system tailored to the specific needs of the fire service control centre.

The system enables a rapid and secure response to every emergency call. The relevant informa-tion on all operation locations is prepared and displayed as befits the situation. Dispatchers using this command centre software have a clear and up-to-the-minute overview of the status of resources thanks to the vehicle status display and the Geographical Information System (GIS). They can view the status of all 66 professional fire service vehicles and the 15 volunteer fire service vehicles.

Swap body vehicles and containers can be matched using a simple drag and drop procedure. The system automatically suggests the appropriate swap body for a container.

The database contains around 2,000 streets and squares, 200 high-rise buildings and 20,000 other

buildings. Furthermore, the data of large-scale industry, e.g. VÖEST AG and the Linzer Chemical Park, are included in the dispatch system. Around 350 automatic fire alarms are currently linked to the Linz professional fire service; notifications from a further 50 non-automatic fire alarms arrive via the information centre.

All strategically relevant data, from the accept-ance through to the end of a mission, and all vehicles deployed in the operation, are recorded by the dispatch system and stored in a data-base. This data is accessed by the fire information system FIS. This programme manages the dispatch of personnel, equipment and machinery as well as generating a report and a statistical analysis.

Synthetic voice alarms

When an emergency call is received, the operations control computer supports the dispatcher, in the selection of the nearest suitable vehicles and gener-ates an automatic alarm. A special feature installed for the Linz professional fire service is the synthesised voice which announces the alarm. The advantage of this system is that the announcement is always made in the same emotionless tone, regardless of the type of alarm or the stress-level of the dispatcher.

The notification of the emergency personnel is supported by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). This controller triggers the alarm signal and switches the corresponding lighting and speaker systems on. The announcement of the dispatch and of the resources to be deployed is repeated automatically. Gates, barriers and traffic lights are also automatically controlled.

The dispatch software also supports an automatic telephone alert system to notify authorities using an interface software, which speaks the incident text. This function can also be used for major incidents where a large-scale alert is called for.

The professional fire service uses the special box alarm function for all resources. All vehicles are assigned to an appropriate box for this purpose. Thus the information on where the alert must take triggered is available throughout the system. If a vehicle is transferred to another station, giving it a dual function (for example, for the main station and the Northern station), the system automatically notifies the correct box and triggers the correspon-ding PLC actions, e.g. alarm signals or traffic lights, at that station.

GIS maps in operation dispatch

Dispatchers cannot be expected to know all of the detailed tactical information relevant to operations in the greater Linz area. This makes a modern Geo-graphical Information System with its sophisticated functions and precise data and maps all the more important.

In addition to the route, all important information on the operation site and a map of the location are printed at operation dispatch control. The map gives the emergency response staff a rapid overview of the operation site and the surrounding area. Where buildings are endangered or at high risk, the follow-ing information can be imparted with the dispatch:

data on the main building and surrounding buildings dispatch plans information on operations in the vicinity alarm plans for particular operation types as well

as information on hazardous materials

Two additional remote emergency call acceptance stations are occupied in the case of a major incident. The staff at these stations has access to maps and all information relevant to the incident. The team thus has an overview of the current situa-tion and can initiate the appropriate response activities.

Fail safe

A district warning centre that is responsible for the safety of 200,000 inhabitants and 80,000 commuters over an area of 94km2 cannot risk a failure of the command centre technology. For this reason, the highest level of security in the form of a mirrored system, an uninterruptible power supply and an emer-gency power supply are installed to provide back up for the operation and command & control centre.

SOLUTIONS

06 | 07

Author: Tanja Oudot · Customer Service & Training

Eurobird

The professional fire service of Linz has been using the latest command centre software from Swissphone for their deployment coordination since September 2005. The software is tailored to the wide range of tasks for which this command & control centre is responsible. Customised solutions allow numerous subsystems to be integrated in order to ensure that the approximately 4,500 annual deployments run smoothly.

The latest command centre technology for

the professional fire fighters of Linz

The city of Linz, which has around 200,000 inhab-itants and covers an area of 94km2, is protected by the Operations Command and Control System of the Linz District Warning Centre/The Information Centre of the Linz Professional Fire Service. This body coordinates and controls the deployment of the professional fire service in Linz, as well as the city‘s four volunteer fire services. It also coordi-nates the regional fire service control centre of Upper Austria and supports other emergency services organisations, such as police and rescue services, in many of their missions.

In addition to fighting fires and providing technical assistance, the District Warning Centre is re-sponsible for the operational command of disaster response. To this end, a standalone workstation has been installed in the central fire station’s command office. This workstation is used as the communication and information hub in the case of a disaster.

The volunteer fire services on the outskirts of the city and the fire services provided by industry in the industrial zones are then mobilised in addition to the resources of the professional fire service.

The computer-aided dispatch system: capable and flexible

The secur.CAD/fire dispatch system from Swissphone provides the Linz professional fire service with a modern, high availability system tailored to the specific needs of the fire service control centre.

The system enables a rapid and secure response to every emergency call. The relevant informa-tion on all operation locations is prepared and displayed as befits the situation. Dispatchers using this command centre software have a clear and up-to-the-minute overview of the status of resources thanks to the vehicle status display and the Geographical Information System (GIS). They can view the status of all 66 professional fire service vehicles and the 15 volunteer fire service vehicles.

Swap body vehicles and containers can be matched using a simple drag and drop procedure. The system automatically suggests the appropriate swap body for a container.

The database contains around 2,000 streets and squares, 200 high-rise buildings and 20,000 other

buildings. Furthermore, the data of large-scale industry, e.g. VÖEST AG and the Linzer Chemical Park, are included in the dispatch system. Around 350 automatic fire alarms are currently linked to the Linz professional fire service; notifications from a further 50 non-automatic fire alarms arrive via the information centre.

All strategically relevant data, from the accept-ance through to the end of a mission, and all vehicles deployed in the operation, are recorded by the dispatch system and stored in a data-base. This data is accessed by the fire information system FIS. This programme manages the dispatch of personnel, equipment and machinery as well as generating a report and a statistical analysis.

Synthetic voice alarms

When an emergency call is received, the operations control computer supports the dispatcher, in the selection of the nearest suitable vehicles and gener-ates an automatic alarm. A special feature installed for the Linz professional fire service is the synthesised voice which announces the alarm. The advantage of this system is that the announcement is always made in the same emotionless tone, regardless of the type of alarm or the stress-level of the dispatcher.

The notification of the emergency personnel is supported by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). This controller triggers the alarm signal and switches the corresponding lighting and speaker systems on. The announcement of the dispatch and of the resources to be deployed is repeated automatically. Gates, barriers and traffic lights are also automatically controlled.

The dispatch software also supports an automatic telephone alert system to notify authorities using an interface software, which speaks the incident text. This function can also be used for major incidents where a large-scale alert is called for.

The professional fire service uses the special box alarm function for all resources. All vehicles are assigned to an appropriate box for this purpose. Thus the information on where the alert must take triggered is available throughout the system. If a vehicle is transferred to another station, giving it a dual function (for example, for the main station and the Northern station), the system automatically notifies the correct box and triggers the correspon-ding PLC actions, e.g. alarm signals or traffic lights, at that station.

GIS maps in operation dispatch

Dispatchers cannot be expected to know all of the detailed tactical information relevant to operations in the greater Linz area. This makes a modern Geo-graphical Information System with its sophisticated functions and precise data and maps all the more important.

In addition to the route, all important information on the operation site and a map of the location are printed at operation dispatch control. The map gives the emergency response staff a rapid overview of the operation site and the surrounding area. Where buildings are endangered or at high risk, the follow-ing information can be imparted with the dispatch:

data on the main building and surrounding buildings dispatch plans information on operations in the vicinity alarm plans for particular operation types as well

as information on hazardous materials

Two additional remote emergency call acceptance stations are occupied in the case of a major incident. The staff at these stations has access to maps and all information relevant to the incident. The team thus has an overview of the current situa-tion and can initiate the appropriate response activities.

Fail safe

A district warning centre that is responsible for the safety of 200,000 inhabitants and 80,000 commuters over an area of 94km2 cannot risk a failure of the command centre technology. For this reason, the highest level of security in the form of a mirrored system, an uninterruptible power supply and an emer-gency power supply are installed to provide back up for the operation and command & control centre.

SOLUTIONS

08 | 09

Author: Angelika Maier · Marketing

Major incidents, natural disasters, simple day-to-day operations: No matter what the situation, the overall success of a dispatch will always depend on the communications system used. Today’s mobile command units are expected to provide instant mobile access to centralised databases, the Internet and telephone systems.

When the municipal fire brigade of Herne (Germany) invested in a new communications system, the technology it chose had to be up-to-date, fast and – most importantly – failsafe. This particularly applied to communications between the stationary command & control centre (C&CC) and the de-ployed command vehicle. The “ELW2” command vehicle used in Herne doubles as a fully redundant C&CC and functions as a mobile operations centre in the coordination of major incidents. This is of

vital importance when hardware or software failures occur at the stationary C&CC. Using a vehicle resource as a self-sufficient and fully redundant C&CC is still a very new concept; throughout Germany, there are only two vehicle types that provide this level of functionality. Both have been equipped by Swissphone.

The command vehicle type used in Herne contains three control workstations and a server. The

computer-aided dispatch system “secur.CAD” is paired with powerful terminal server software to grant fast communications. This versatile system can be precisely adapted to individual incident locations, supporting the dispatchers in their opera-tional and administrative tasks as efficiently as possible. The workstations are additionally equipped with the FIRECOM communications management system.

Dynamic switching between communication networks

When the command vehicle is located at the station, the mobile and stationary C&CC communicate via a WLAN connection at a speed of up to 108 Mbps. Once the vehicle is on the road and out of WLAN range, a satellite connection is established at the incident location. Thanks to its fast access design and straightforward handling, the SatLink-BOS satellite system does not require special training to set up – it is up and running within minutes.

When the satellite link is used for communications, data can be routed along four different networks:

Vehicle network Control centre network EDP network of the Herne city council Virtual network

Within this framework, a broad range of communica-tions can be facilitated. For example, data and dispatch plans at the C&CC can be accessed directly from the incident location. As the vehicle’s database replicates the data of the stationary C&CC (using an Oracle database server), the master data

of the two is identical. The same connection is used for telephone communications. When out of WLAN range, dynamic incident data (i.e., active operations) are updated 30 to no more than 60 minutes before switching. This means incident entry is possible directly in the vehicle. If the status messages issued via the radio system are traced and updated manually, the dispatch can be monitored directly from the mobile control workstation.

Thanks to its sophisticated technological infrastruc-crange of functions. The following control situati-ons can be facilitated:

Mobile C&CC via SatLink

Major incidents require a fully functional on-location C&CC to coordinate deployment measures. When the tactical functions are coordinated on location, the stationary C&CC only needs to provide support measures.

Workspace extension of the C&CC via WLAN

When additional dispatchers are needed at the stationary operations control centre, the workstations contained in the ELW2 can double as additional workspaces. In this usage scenario, the command vehicle is located at the station and communicates via the WLAN.

Mobile command unit with self-contained database

Should SatLink be temporarily or permanently unavailable, operations can be controlled directly from the command vehicle. The same applies in case the stationary C&CC fails.

Mobile command unit and

redundant command & control centre

Picture: Stephan Kuhn

router control centre network

router city network

to Herne city network

C1 COM-server

pcs00104

COM-server

main databaseOracle 10g

PC for data exchange (Redolog files)

client 1

client n

“fl orian”-server

WLAN AP C&CC network

WLAN AP repeater WLAN AP “ELW2”

“ELW2”C&CC gateway for “ELW2”

FC-server

hot standby database Oracle 10g

terminal server client secur.CAD

FC workstation 3

FC workstation 2

FC workstation 1

SATLink/VSAT M

router

switch

router

SATLink/VSAT S

terminal server software secur.CAD

terminal server

FC=FIRECOMRouter of C&CC network sends IP packages for city network to router of city network

gateway for C&CC networkrouter C&CC network

SOLUTIONS

08 | 09

Author: Angelika Maier · Marketing

Major incidents, natural disasters, simple day-to-day operations: No matter what the situation, the overall success of a dispatch will always depend on the communications system used. Today’s mobile command units are expected to provide instant mobile access to centralised databases, the Internet and telephone systems.

When the municipal fire brigade of Herne (Germany) invested in a new communications system, the technology it chose had to be up-to-date, fast and – most importantly – failsafe. This particularly applied to communications between the stationary command & control centre (C&CC) and the de-ployed command vehicle. The “ELW2” command vehicle used in Herne doubles as a fully redundant C&CC and functions as a mobile operations centre in the coordination of major incidents. This is of

vital importance when hardware or software failures occur at the stationary C&CC. Using a vehicle resource as a self-sufficient and fully redundant C&CC is still a very new concept; throughout Germany, there are only two vehicle types that provide this level of functionality. Both have been equipped by Swissphone.

The command vehicle type used in Herne contains three control workstations and a server. The

computer-aided dispatch system “secur.CAD” is paired with powerful terminal server software to grant fast communications. This versatile system can be precisely adapted to individual incident locations, supporting the dispatchers in their opera-tional and administrative tasks as efficiently as possible. The workstations are additionally equipped with the FIRECOM communications management system.

Dynamic switching between communication networks

When the command vehicle is located at the station, the mobile and stationary C&CC communicate via a WLAN connection at a speed of up to 108 Mbps. Once the vehicle is on the road and out of WLAN range, a satellite connection is established at the incident location. Thanks to its fast access design and straightforward handling, the SatLink-BOS satellite system does not require special training to set up – it is up and running within minutes.

When the satellite link is used for communications, data can be routed along four different networks:

Vehicle network Control centre network EDP network of the Herne city council Virtual network

Within this framework, a broad range of communica-tions can be facilitated. For example, data and dispatch plans at the C&CC can be accessed directly from the incident location. As the vehicle’s database replicates the data of the stationary C&CC (using an Oracle database server), the master data

of the two is identical. The same connection is used for telephone communications. When out of WLAN range, dynamic incident data (i.e., active operations) are updated 30 to no more than 60 minutes before switching. This means incident entry is possible directly in the vehicle. If the status messages issued via the radio system are traced and updated manually, the dispatch can be monitored directly from the mobile control workstation.

Thanks to its sophisticated technological infrastruc-crange of functions. The following control situati-ons can be facilitated:

Mobile C&CC via SatLink

Major incidents require a fully functional on-location C&CC to coordinate deployment measures. When the tactical functions are coordinated on location, the stationary C&CC only needs to provide support measures.

Workspace extension of the C&CC via WLAN

When additional dispatchers are needed at the stationary operations control centre, the workstations contained in the ELW2 can double as additional workspaces. In this usage scenario, the command vehicle is located at the station and communicates via the WLAN.

Mobile command unit with self-contained database

Should SatLink be temporarily or permanently unavailable, operations can be controlled directly from the command vehicle. The same applies in case the stationary C&CC fails.

Mobile command unit and

redundant command & control centre

Picture: Stephan Kuhn

router control centre network

router city network

to Herne city network

C1 COM-server

pcs00104

COM-server

main databaseOracle 10g

PC for data exchange (Redolog files)

client 1

client n

“fl orian”-server

WLAN AP C&CC network

WLAN AP repeater WLAN AP “ELW2”

“ELW2”C&CC gateway for “ELW2”

FC-server

hot standby database Oracle 10g

FC workstation 3

FC workstation 2

FC workstation 1

SATLink/VSAT M

router

switch

router

SATLink/VSAT S

terminal server software secur.CAD

terminal server

FC=FIRECOMRouter of C&CC network sends IP packages for city network to router of city network

gateway for C&CC networkrouter C&CC network

SOLUTIONS

10 | 11

Author: Reto Bösch · Project Manager

There is no place for half-hearted approaches when it comes to an emergency. That‘s why speed, unwavering reliability and failsafe operation are the top criteria for alarm systems used by emergency services organisations. To meet these demands, LEBIG, the Austrian society for the development, operation and integration of command & control centres, has recently decided to adopt an alarm network meeting the highest standard of Swiss quality.

When an alarm appears on the display of a pager of the Red Cross of Lower Austria, the Ambulance Service for Lower Austria or the emergency heli-copters of the Austrian motorist association‘s aviation rescue services, the alarm message has travelled a journey that is as speedy as it is long. On its way from one of the LEBIG command & con-trol centres, it will have passed to Telekom Austria‘s technology centre in Vienna, down a land-line to the satellite uplink, up to the satellite, back down to the relevant base station and on to the pager in question – in a total time of less than eight seconds. Naturally, all of the connections involved are constantly being monitored and have been designed with a fully redundant structure. Even a backup satellite uplink is maintained at a separate location, providing around-the-clock availability.

Each base station, of which there are currently close to eighty, features an individually pro-grammed time correction of several microse-conds to facilitate truly synchronous operation. All of Lower Austria can be alarmed simultane-ously within seconds – at a single mouse click.

From the idea to the implementation

Synchronisable statewide alarm signalling was one of the key criteria in the choice of the new, long-overdue alarm system. With the discontinuation of public paging services run by commercial mobile network providers and the 1980s radio network, a reliable alarm network was no longer feasible. Instead of yet another directional radio system, an up-to-date satellite-based solution was to be implemented. LEBIG opted for the “best avail-able network”. With this decision, the society in fact laid the foundations for the fastest and most sophisticated alert network existing in Austria today.

Full implementation within just six months

Currently, around 4,000 actual alarms are transmitted. Every alarm is assigned a priority level, which the system adheres to when simultaneously processing multiple alarms. System monitoring is so compre-hensive that it isn’t even possible for one of the 1,400 POCSAG pagers currently in use to drop out undetected. This is ensured by field strength moni-toring routines.

Since the network was introduced six months ago, more than 800,000 genuine alarms have been issued on it – which isn’t even remotely close to reaching the system’s peak load. Such a level of full-coverage capacity simply could not be facili-tated with other technologies and solutions.

September 04 LEBIG starts planning a new alarm network. A number of solution concepts are researched. The satellite option emerges as the best long-term alarming solution.

November 04 Swissphone is selected as the technology provider.

December 04 Initial testing of end devices, integration of the alarming solution into the command & control centre, initial stages of network planning. Titled “Digitalpaging SPS Austria”, the pager network is also conceived to provide paging outside of the emergency services framework.

February 05 www.pagernetz.at goes online. Extensive field testing using test base stations.

March-August 05 The network is launched in Lower Austria, Vienna and parts of Burgenland. The base stations are activated.

September-December 05 Network optimisation in response to initial perform-ance readings.

December 05 Network approval and handover. LEBIG as planner, owner and operator; Swissphone as systems technology provider.

A quick trip into space

IP Network

Command & Control Centre

PNMS-PCGSM

Monitoring station

Base station

Alarming network controller