November/December

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
V O L
I S S U E
8
Zetron, Inc.
PO Box 97004
Redmond, WA 98073-9704
Breakthrough
MAX Dispatch
Offers Flexibility,
Ease of Use
25
New System Prepares
PSAP for the Future
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Kirkland, WA
Permit No. 319
Crawford County dispatcher, Charles Matheny, views several active screens at his position.
The communication center in the Crawford County, Illinois,
sheriff’s office recently took a lightning strike that completely
destroyed the dispatch system that had worked reliably for them
for a decade.
At first, the loss of the dispatch console and the need to replace it
seemed like a problem. But Crawford County’s equipment vendor
and service provider, Global Technical Systems, Inc. (GTSi) saw it
as an opportunity. GTSi suggested that instead of replacing the
damaged system with another one based on older technology,
Crawford County should consider installing Zetron’s state-of-theart MAX Dispatch console.
This would give Crawford County a new system that, ever since
its unveiling in early 2011, has been garnering rave reviews from
public-safety experts throughout the industry. In addition, for the
price of a comparable, older-style system, Crawford County would
have a new IP-based system that would take them well into the
future. They decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
Crawford County 9-1-1
The Crawford County sheriff’s office in Robinson, Illinois, is home
to the area’s public safety answering point (PSAP) and dispatch
center.
“We’re a small, rural county in southeastern Illinois, with a
population of about 20,000,” says Crawford County 9-1-1 director,
Tyler Lowrance. “Our PSAP at the sheriff’s office answers all 9-1-1
calls and provides dispatching for all of the public-safety and lawenforcement agencies within the county.”
The fatal lightning strike
The lightning strike that took out their dispatch system occurred at
about 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday.
“We were down as soon as we were hit,” says Lowrance. “So we
moved immediately to our backup facility about a block from our
primary location. It’s equipped with a mobile radio adapted on a
power supply that we can use for dispatching. We can also answer
9-1-1 calls at that location.”
GTSi to the rescue
Immediately after the lightning strike occurred, the customer
called GTSi, and a technician was sent to the PSAP.
“One look [at the MAX Dispatch UI],
and you fall in love with it. It’s built
from the ground up with the dispatcher
in mind.”
Chris Ginder, Vice President, Global Technical Systems, Inc
“They’re over an hour’s drive from our facility,” says Lowrance,
“but they got a technician and some equipment and brought it out
right away. They were out here in the middle of the night. They
gave us great service.”
The technician went straight to the site to assess the situation and
troubleshoot as best he could. But it was clear that the console
was damaged beyond repair and would have to be replaced. The
task of obtaining and installing a new system fell to GTSi
About GTSi
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Illinois, and with four offices
located throughout central Illinois, GTSi provides communications
and outdoor warning systems for public-safety agencies,
transportation and utilities customers, and casinos throughout the
region.
Why MAX Dispatch?
Chris Ginder, vice president of GTSi, explains why he urged
Crawford County to install the new MAX Dispatch system.
“They’d been using the Zetron Series 4000 dispatch system we
installed about ten years ago,” he says. “Because the system had
run for them without fail until this incident, they had a lot of faith
in it, and automatically assumed they’d just replace it. But because
we serve on Zetron’s Technical Advisory Committee, we’d been
involved in some early reviews of Zetron’s new MAX Dispatch
console, and we were very impressed with it. At the time of the
lightning strike, MAX Dispatch was just about to be released. I told
Crawford County that we’d understand if they wanted to install a
new version of their existing system―it’s a tremendous product
continued on back page
Max Dispatch gives you the solid
reliability and performance you expect
from Zetron in a breakthrough, IP-based
dispatch console system.
Intelligent UI: Highlights information
pertinent to the task at hand; reduces
info overload.
n Built-in Network Health Monitor:
Provides constant feedback about
network status.
n IT EZ: Automatically configures
IP parameters; reduces labor costs;
minimizes system conflicts.
n Dual connections: Ensure end-to-end
network redundancy.
n
Zetron Helps Bristow Helicopters Hit ‘Target Zero’
North Sea System Proves ‘100-percent’ Reliable
Zero accidents, zero harm to people, and zero harm to the
environment. These goals would seem ambitious for any
helicopter company, especially one that supports operations in
some of the world’s most extreme environments. But “Target
Zero” is exactly what the Bristow Group helicopter service is
aiming for. Target Zero is a comprehensive cultural and training
program that encourages every Bristow regional operation around
the world to eliminate accidents, mishaps and downtime.
Nowhere are these goals more important and more challenging
than in the Bristow’s oil-and-gas operations in the North Sea,
where conditions are harsh, changeable and unforgiving.
Communications in such an environment must be utterly reliable.
That’s why it’s so significant that the Zetron DCS-5020 Digital
Console System recently deployed for Bristow Helicopters’ North
Sea operation has been delivering the 100-percent continuity
of service they require. This supports Bristow’s global Target
Zero effort by helping to ensure the effectiveness of Bristow’s
North Sea operations and the safety of those who have a role in
executing them.
Bristow Helicopters
DCS-5020
Digital Console System
The DCS-5020 is designed to meet
the demands of the smaller control
room. It is particularly suited for
use in public safety, transportation,
utilities, and private industry.
Features:
Integrates telephone call handling
and radio dispatch.
n
n
Based on a resilient, distributed
architecture.
Supports up to 16 operator positions
and 30 line ports.
n
Supports and integrates analogue
radio, MPT 1327 and TETRA.
n
Includes a screen-based, configurable
graphical user interface (GUI).
n
Offers a wide range of operator and
audio interface options.
n
Bristow Helicopters is a British helicopter service located at the
Aberdeen Airport in Scotland. It is part of the Bristow Group,
which is based in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. The Bristow Group is the
world’s largest provider of helicopter services. They have major
operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, as well as
operations in most major offshore oil-and-gas producing regions
of the world, including Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria,
Russia and Trinidad.
Why a new system?
Bob Gellie, senior operations controller for Bristow’s European
operations, explains why it became necessary to obtain a new
communication system.
“Our old system was seriously unreliable,” he says. “We were
told by the system vendor that this was to be expected, and that
100-percent availability was not attainable. But this response
was unacceptable to us. Our operators are responsible for giving
weather updates and other vital information to helicopters that
are in flight. In an emergency, they and our aircrews must have
complete confidence that messages will get through. Uncertainty
is simply not an option for us. So we decided to see if there was
a vendor who understood our needs and was prepared to stand
behind the reliability of its system.”
In search of a reliable system
Bristow began researching available systems. Although they
considered several, Zetron’s DCS-5020 quickly rose to the top of
the list.
Gellie says that this was due in large part to Zetron’s commitment
to “mission-critical” levels of performance.
In its 30-plus years of operation, Zetron has earned a solid
reputation for providing reliable communications systems to
industries such as utilities, transportation, and especially public
safety, where lives are often at stake and downtime is simply not
an option.
“There is nothing worse than a communication system that fails
when you are in the middle of an emergency,” says Gellie. “We
needed a new system that would function at all times, even when
we are operating at our maximum capacity. That’s why it’s so
2
“It’s a first-class system that has
exceeded our expectations…
[T]he system’s reliability has been
second to none…I would recommend
the system to anyone.
Bob Gellie, Senior Operations Controller
Bristow Helicopters, European Operations
important that Zetron’s definition of mission critical is the same as
ours. We expect a system to work 100 percent of the time. So do
they.”
Bristow had found what they were looking for. They ordered
Zetron’s DCS-5020 in February of 2011. It was installed and
became operational in early March of 2011.
Easier for operators
The three-position system deployed at Aberdeen is making it
easier for Bristow’s three operators to coordinate the roughly
35 flights they handle per day. The flights transport workers and
supplies back and forth between the mainland and dozens of oiland-gas production platforms up to 300 miles away in the North
Sea.
With the system’s touchscreens, operators can switch more easily
between the multiple radio and telephone channels they use
to provide air crews with loading data, weather updates and rerouting information. They also use the system to communicate
with platforms about arrival and departure times and other
operational matters. If a major incident or accident occurs,
operators can also use the DCS-5020 to coordinate the flow
of emergency and rescue information between air crews and
platforms, and the coastguard and other rescue agencies.
Improved stability and reliability
Those using Bristow’s new DCS-5020―including helicopter pilots,
platform personnel, and system operators―praise the system’s
improved voice quality, stability and reliability.
“Our operators find the system very easy to use,” says Gellie. “This
has improved their confidence. They also like the way the screens
can be configured to their individual needs. They actually helped
with the screen layouts during their training on the system.”
Flawless
Gellie, too, is pleased with the system. But most of all, he
appreciates the DCS-5020’s flawless performance.
“It’s a first-class system that has exceeded our expectations,” he
says. “Ever since we installed it eight months ago, the system’s
reliability has been second to none; it has been up and running
100 percent of the time. Based on our experience, I would
recommend the system to anyone. Will it help us do our part to
meet Bristow’s global Target Zero challenge? Absolutely!”n
Zetron System
Boosts PSAP’s
Interoperability,
Supports P25
Network
System Offers
High Functionality
at Competitive Price
Grant Parish sheriff’s deputy Dale Whitstine consults with dispatcher Michelle Pittman about a call.
Because of the communication failures that occurred during
Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana has made a concerted effort to
improve interoperability among its public safety agencies. Grant
Parish, Louisiana, is one of the beneficiaries of this effort. With
the help of Zetron reseller, Mid-State Communication Services,
Grant Parish recently went live with a new Zetron Series 4000
radio dispatch console system. The system not only supports
interoperability, but connects the parish to the Louisiana
Wireless Information Network (LWIN). It also provides up-to-date
functionality and is much easier for their operators to use.
Grant Parish
Located in central Louisiana, Grant Parish covers 665 square miles
and has a population of just over 22,000. The sheriff’s office in
Colfax is home to Grant Parish’s only public safety answering point
(PSAP) and dispatch center. It answers all of the area’s 9-1-1
calls and dispatches for the sheriff’s department, five police
departments, seven fire districts, and the parish’s emergency
medical services (EMS).
30 years and counting
Grant Parish 9-1-1 director, Eric Carter, explains why it was high
time for Grant Parish to obtain a new dispatch system.
“Our console was over 30 years old,” he says. ”Also, in the wake
of Katrina, money was available for agencies to improve their
interoperability. Because we were long overdue for a new system,
and the money was there, we jumped on it.”
Filling the hole in LWIN
Grant Parish Patrol Commander, Howell Addison, says that
another contributing factor was that Grant Parish was located in
a “hole” in the middle of the state that the LWIN was unable to
cover.
“We discovered that by utilizing an existing broadcast tower in
middle of the parish, we could fill that hole nicely,” says Addison.
“That would expand our coverage to as far as 200 miles away. And
the state would foot the bill for repairs and maintenance.”
The solution
The solution for Grant Parish included Zetron’s Series 4000
Communication Control system with Model 4020 common
controller and two Zetron Integrator RD PC-based dispatch
positions.
The new system would be designed to:
• Support multiple radio formats and types–VHF conventional,
UHF LTR, P25 700/800 MHz, and analog SMARTNET 800
MHz.
• Give dispatchers one-button paging for fire departments.
• Decode Push-to-Talk (PTT) IDs for MDC-1200, Kenwood
FleetSync®, and P25 digital radios.
• Cross-patch different radio systems.
• Include two Zetron Intelligent Radio Interface Modules
(iRIMs).
One iRIM would control two Kenwood radios, allowing the PSAP to
talk to agencies still using VHF radios—the sheriff’s office, several
fire departments, and some neighboring parishes. The other iRIM
would control their two P25 digital EF Johnson radios and would
allow them to access the LWIN system.
“The transition took place with hardly a hiccup,” says Addison.
Little training required
But Frank Coe of Mid-State Communication Services had other
ideas. He was pretty certain that he and Zetron could provide
Grant Parish with a better system at a better price.
“The dispatchers took right to it,” says Coe. “They just had to learn
to click a mouse to select a channel instead of pushing a button.
Seriously, the training time was probably less than an hour.”
Mid-State Communication Services
Topnotch
To show Grant Parish what Zetron’s Series 4000 dispatch system
could do, Coe arranged to demonstrate the system for them.
Everyone who attended the presentation was impressed—
especially the dispatchers. But parish administrators, still reluctant
to go with a new vendor, toured several agencies where Coe had
installed the Zetron console. Both Coe and the Series 4000 got
sterling reviews.
What really won the day, however, was that Coe’s proposal
based on the Series 4000 offered the best functionality at the
most competitive price. Mid-State Communication Services was
awarded the project.
9-1-1 Director
Grant Parish
The installation, headed by Mid-State Communication’s lead
technician, Chris McIntyre, went smoothly. This was in part
because McIntyre had done numerous Series 4000 installations
and knew the equipment so well. It was also because the Grant
Parish communications area was being moved from a room at
the front of the building to one at the back. So the equipment
installation took place in an empty room at one end of the building
while the PSAP’s day-to-day operations continued uninterrupted
at the other end.
Grant Parish had been using another manufacturer’s dispatch
system and expected to obtain a new system from the same
manufacturer.
With offices in Shreveport and Alexandria, Louisiana, Mid-State
Communication Services provides two-way radio equipment,
systems and service to public- and private-sector customers
throughout northwest and central Louisiana.
Eric Carter
Implementation
The dispatchers learned the new PC-based console quickly
with minimal training. This was both because the system is so
intuitive and because the layout of icons on the new system
screen was designed to mimic the button layout of the old
console.
Finding a new dispatch system
“The system …
allows us to work
with different radios
and frequencies,
and to do it all so
seamlessly. It’s pretty
phenomenal.”
Both Addison and Carter are more than satisfied with their new
Series 4000 dispatch console.
“The system gives us options that we never had before,” says
Carter. “It allows us to work with different radios and frequencies,
and to do it all so seamlessly. It’s pretty phenomenal.”
“It also gives us great portable-radio coverage,” adds Addison. “We
now have nearly 100-percent coverage in our parish. So those in
the field are never in a place where they can’t reach the central
office.”
Addison also has high praise for Mid-State Communication
Services. “They did a great job and are giving us great service,” he
says. ”If we have a question they can’t answer by phone, they have
technicians here Johnny-on-the-spot. I don’t know what more you
can ask for. All the way from sales to service, their work with us
has been topnotch.”n
Series 4000
Communications Control System
The Series 4000 is designed for mediumsized communications centers. In addition
to exceptional reliability, it offers easy
programming and economical upgrades.
The Series 4000 includes:
Support for multiple trunked radio
formats/protocols.
n
Integrated instant-recall recorder that
recaptures radio traffic on each channel.
n
P25 compatibility and interoperability.
n
Featuring three styles of operating positions
and two common controller sizes, the Series
4000 can be scaled to accommodate from
2 to 48 channels and from 1 to 16 operator
positions.
3
Breakthrough MAX Dispatch Offers Flexibility, Ease of Use
continued from front page
and will remain so for quite some time. But I suggested that in a
few years, they might wish they’d installed MAX Dispatch. MAX
Dispatch represents the future, not just for Zetron, but for the
industry as a whole.”
Benefits of IP
The MAX Dispatch system’s IP-connectivity was also attractive to
the customer.
“We were able to
[obtain] the latestand-greatest from
Zetron at the same
price as a system
based on older
technology.”
Tyler Lowrance
9-1-1 Director
Crawford County, Illinois
“We staged the system and did all the programming at our site,”
says Joe Wright, a master technician with GTSi who played a
key role throughout the installation process. “We tested various
scenarios and tried our best to break it before taking it to the
customer’s location. Zetron’s engineering team connected
remotely to the system in our lab to make a few updates and
modifications. Then the customer came to see it staged and give
their input.”
While lightning isn’t supposed to strike in the same place twice, it
is an ongoing problem in Crawford County. MAX Dispatch would
allow them to place consoles at several locations connected
over IP. So if a lightning strike were to take a console offline at
one location, consoles at other sites would continue, and their
operations would not be disrupted. Crawford County was very
interested in eventually exploiting the system’s flexibility in this
way.
“When we saw the system at their office,” says Lowrance, “we
offered a couple of suggestions, and those changes were made
before it was brought to our center. It was great to be able to see it
and provide so much input before it even arrived at our office.”
Dual redundancy
Crawford County’s MAX Dispatch system went live in August of
2011. Both Lowrance and Ginder couldn’t be more pleased.
Ginder says that MAX Dispatch would also allow the PSAP to take
full advantage of Crawford County’s existing, county-wide publicsafety network.
“Their network is designed with redundancy built in. MAX would
not only exploit the redundancy of the network, but would also
allow the network to exploit the dual redundancy of MAX. It would
be a perfect fit.”
“No other IP-based console offers the dual redundancy MAX
Dispatch offers,” Ginder continues. “And this is the pinch point for
other manufacturers―their systems are based on a single-network
architecture. If that single network goes down, they’re system
is done, they’re off the air. MAX, on the other hand, can utilize
two different networks. If one network goes down, it uses the
other one. MAX is redundant from stem to stern. The competition
doesn’t offer that.”
The arguments in favor of the MAX Dispatch were compelling.
Crawford County decided to wait it out in their backup center until
the MAX Dispatch system was released.
‘We tried our best to break it’
They didn’t have to wait long. It was only a few months later that
a two-position MAX Dispatch system arrived at GTSi’s office in
Effingham, Illinois.
The system was then installed at the customer’s site. Lowrance
says the installation process was “seamless.”
A slam dunk
“We were able to replace our damaged system with the latestand-greatest from Zetron at the same price as a system based on
older technology,” says Lowrance. “That gave us a serious upgrade
without a lot of additional cost.”
“Because MAX is IP-based, it has a very small footprint and
frees up a lot of space,” Lowrance continues. “This allowed us
to remove most of our cabling, cabinets and wiring in both our
dispatch center and radio room. Our dispatchers also like the way
it’s integrated with our other displays. Before, the dispatchers had
to scan back and forth between their CAD and radio consoles.
Now, everything is stacked tightly together. It’s a more compact,
efficient, ergonomic layout.”
“The MAX Dispatch UI is truly original,” adds Ginder. “One look
and you fall in love with it. It’s built from the ground up with the
dispatcher in mind, highlighting the most pertinent resources and
keeping unneeded resources tucked away but accessible at the
click of a mouse. It reflects Zetron’s many years of experience and
their deep understanding of what users need.”
When asked to sum up his opinion of MAX Dispatch and how it’s
working for Crawford County, Ginder is not afraid to pile on the
sports metaphors: “It’s a slam dunk, a home run, a touchdown,”
he says.n
MAX Call-Taking System Wins ‘Hot Product’ Award for Innovation in Public-Safety Communications
Zetron’s IP based MAX Call-Taking system has been named one of the “Hot Products” of 2011 by Public Safety Communications magazine.
The award recognizes the most innovative public-safety communications products released this year. The selection was based on recommendations provided by Public Safety
Communications magazine’s team of experts at the Association of Public Safety Officials (APCO) International Conference in Philadelphia, PA, in April of 2011. This is the fourth
year in a row Zetron has won the award.
One judge called the MAX Call-Taking system “…a very modern and robust 9-1-1 call-taking interface that will work well with 9-1-1 centers of any size.” Another cited the
range and depth of the system’s functionality. A third said that the system is “…very energy efficient… thus, not only [is it] green but it reduces heat that can build from
constantly running electronics in the system room.”
One of Zetron’s new MAX Solutions family of products, MAX Call-Taking provides the full range of features and functionality 9-1-1 centers need in a Next-Generation 9-1-1 i3
system. It includes an intelligent user interface that simplifies operators’ tasks, advanced call-handling features, and up to 99.999 percent availability. In addition, because of the
server core’s “green” design, it consumes five percent of the power of conventional servers. This reduces energy costs while increasing reliability. Combining MAX Call-Taking
with Zetron’s MAX Dispatch system produces one of the most comprehensive, reliable and advanced emergency communications systems available.
ZETRON FACTORY TRAINING
CALNENA
IWCE
Feb. 22 - 23, 2012
Las Vegas, NV
Western Regional APCO
Feb. 29 - Mar. 2, 2012
Anchorage, AK
APCO Australasia
4
Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2012
San Diego, CA
Mar. 12 - 14, 2012
Queensland, Australia
MAX Dispatch (2 days)
November 29-30, 2011
January 12-13, 2012
Series 4000 (2.5 days)
December 13-15, 2011
Series 3200 (2.5 days)
December 5-7, 2011
Series 3300 (2 days)
December 8-9, 2011
January 10-11, 2012
The Advantage is published by Zetron, Inc.
Direct all comments and suggestions to:
Editor/Writer:
Tina Blade
tblade@zetron.com Artwork/Layout: Jim Wornell
jwornell@zetron.com
Circulation Manager:
Laura Myhre
lmyhre@zetron.com
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PO Box 97004, Redmond, WA 98073-9704, USA
TEL +1 425 820 6363 | FAX +1 425 820 7031 | E-MAIL zetron@zetron.com
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January 24-26, 2012
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