Increasing control with ‘future-proof’ communications

With a growing number of citizens now ‘digital by default’ – preferring to use data services rather than voice in their interactions with the emergency services – a new control room system promises a future-proof “unified multi-technology environment”. It enables operators to access radio, telephone and social media through one intuitive touchscreen. Motorola Solutions says its WAVE™ Control Room Solution (WAVE CRS) supports a host of communication types, such as analogue or digital radio – digital mobile radio and Tetra (terrestrial trunked radio) – telephony systems, including public switched telephone network and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), social media, such as Twitter, messaging services and alarms. As well as working with the existing Tetra mission-critical Airwave network, it will also operate with the new 4G Emergency Services Network. Motorola says the UK’s emergency services landscape is evolving and how citizens contact the emergency services has changed dramatically since the introduction of the UK ‘999’ service in the late 1930s. WAVE CRS is currently being deployed by Cleveland Fire Brigade, enabling its control room operators to securely take 999 calls from the public and communicate with frontline staff across any network or device. “As well as looking to the future, WAVE CRS also enables us to better connect our people and teams regardless of their chosen method of communication. This provides our operators with greater situational awareness and the ability to communicate quicker and more accurately when dealing with incidents,” said Ray Khaliq, assistant chief fire officer and director at Cleveland Fire Brigade. Phil Jefferson, MSSSI vice-president for UK and Ireland at Motorola Solutions, said on-premise and cloud-based versions of WAVE CRS were a “key part” of its smart public safety solutions offering and “underline its continual investment in the public safety sector”.