We recently read that the owner satisfaction for Ford automobiles recently dropped. The reason? The owners were having difficulty operating the SYNC on-board navigation and entertainment control system! I always thought automobiles were built for the purpose of providing personal transportation......
We see similar trends in wireless communications. If we look back just a few years, we see the purpose of wireless communications, as it applies to municipal government use, is as a TOOL to connect field personnel with administrators and in some cases with others.
The simple 2-way radio has evolved into becoming a part of highly complex systems involving cellular phones vehicle terminals, GPS, and Internet connectivity with monthly user costs ranging up to a hundred dollars per vehicle or more. Somehow, it appears that we have lost sight of the original objective of just being able to communicate in the format most common to us all - VOICE! We think it is time to return to common sense for municipal communications and for that reason we would like to share some information with you about efficient and affordable American made products that can provide a variety of services for your city.
We have a point to make regarding compliance with narrow banding, FCC licenses, and federal interoperability standards, all of which drive up the cost of purchase and ownership. The MuniCom system does not require an FCC license, has no monthly operating costs, and no requirement to meet operating standards that require the use of overtly expensive equipment. And, if the employment of American workers is of any concern, we think you should know that all but one of the products offered below are American made!
Our story opens in Carmel, Indiana, the home of Ritron, Inc., an innovative American manufacturer of communications products designed to do specific functions things to meet a variety of municipal needs. Let's start by introducing you to some of the more popular products by referring to the picture at the left.
We will begin in the middle of the picture with the image of the young lady speaking into some kind of call box. She appears to be in a parking lot, maybe a park. Wherever she is, she must need assistance. We don't see any wires around, so this must be a WIRELESS call box, maybe battery powered that may have the ability to communicate with someone equipped with a two way radio.
Maybe if could be one of those walkie talkies on either side of her. The one on the right, along with the call box requires no FCC license. The one on the left, and the fixed station office radio shown at the lower right and operate both unlicensed VHF radio channels as well as municipal VHF frequencies. UHF models (both requiring an FCC license) are optionally available for existing UHF system users. NONE of the portables costs over two hundred fifty dollars. The fixed office station is only one hundred dollars more and the call boxes, which can operate for up to one year on replaceable "D" batteries, cost less than a thousand dollars. By the way, we have a short video available that explains the benefits of a fixed office station by clicking here.
So the question is, what's the benefit of this system? Well there are places where the public may need emergency assistance. For example in parking lots and parks. The radios can be assigned to city employees or shopping area security and/or administrative personnel. This can make your community a lot safer at very little expense to anyone. Industrial users, such as the CITGO storage facility in western Birmingham have been using such systems for many years for premise access control. A short video that shows the system in use is available by clicking here. There is a smaller version of the wireless call box especially designed for use in and around buildings.
Directly above the young lady shown above (her name is Erica), is a new product known as a DoorCall. The small white box mounts by a locked entrance door. The black box (actually a remote controlled fixed base radio) is connected by CAT-5 cable inside the building. These devices allow you to secure buildings such as fire stations, public works offices, schools, senior centers and parks while providing limited access to the public. An article describing the use of one version of this system by the Argo Fire Department is available by clicking here. The cost is well under a thousand dollars and no FCC license is required. Better yet, there are no monthly user frees and no costly service contracts!
Directly above the young lady shown above (her name is Erica), is a new product known as a DoorCall. The small white box mounts by a locked entrance door. The black box (actually a remote controlled fixed base radio) is connected by CAT-5 cable inside the building. These devices allow you to secure buildings such as fire stations, public works offices, schools, senior centers and parks while providing limited access to the public. An article describing the use of one version of this system by the Argo Fire Department is available by clicking here. The cost is well under a thousand dollars and no FCC license is required. Better yet, there are no monthly user frees and no costly service contracts!
That red box up in the upper left hand corner is used for emergency calling . The Mayor's secretary in Birmingham has one. The Blount County court system has one in every courtroom and judges office, as do courtrooms and offices all over Alabama. At the push of a button, a prerecorded voice message is transmitting indicating the need for assistance, such as assistance needed in Mayor's Office. A more powerful unit is shown at the top right which can summon help from MILES away. Both units are priced under four hundred dollars and both are battery powered using low cost replaceable AA batteries that last up to one year! Again we would like to point out that no FCC license is required, and there are no monthly charges!
There is one more item in the picture with Erica. In the lower left hand corner is a thing we call LoudMouth. Technically it is a wireless PA system that can be better explained by watching a short video available by clicking here. These devices are well suited for remote broadcasting of emergency messages inside buildings or outdoors on parking lots, and recreational areas. The LoudMouth can be activated with either of two portable or fixed station radios. The price is well under a thousand dollars, yet it can save THOUSANDS!
This concludes our overview of MuniCom communications products for municipal users. We'll be glad to provide additional information, references, or a demonstration of any or all of these products. If you have a need for more traditional communications products and services, we offer many of the top brands backed by local area service and over 50 years of experience. Thanks for visiting with us. We look forward to serving you! You may want to visit some of our other web sites shown below that specifically address the needs of municipal users.
http://ServingU.blogspot.com - Here you will find a listing of other programs and services available to our governmental friends.
http://falconinfo.blogspot.com - This is where we post information of interest to different user groups. You can sign up here to receive instant updates on any news items of interest to municipal government officials.
www.falcondirect.com/newsletter/current - You can go here to review our latest monthly eNewsletter or sign up at www.falcondirect.com/SignUp to automatically receive news from Falcon.
When we can be of service in any way, please give us a call, drop us an email, or stop by and visit with us - you are always welcome!
36 - 20th Avenue NW - Birmingham,
AL 35215
P:205.854.2611 - F:205.853.6178 -
E: ServingU@falcondirect.com
