Education

  • There are over 5.6 million commercial buildings in the U.S

  • First Responders need to be able to talk inside, communicate to each other inside, and communicate outside

  • Building Occupants need to be able text and call 911 from inside those buildings and receive mass notifications wherever they may be inside the building

  • Response Time is Critical: The FCC estimates that an improvement of one minute for 9-1-1 response time would save 10,000 lives in the US annually

  • A Survey of the International Association of Fire Chiefs reports that in a large percentage of buildings, critical communication can’t happen.”

Have you ever walked into a building and noticed you have “no bars” on your cell phone? Radio and Cellular signals are greatly reduced when passed through dense building materials such as concrete and metal. During 9/11, this problem was prevalent in the World Trade Center towers when first responders were not able to effectively communicate inside. Since 2009, the International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association have added first responder radio coverage requirements to their book of fire codes. Currently, this is NFPA-1221. Many states and municipalities have begun enforcing these codes

When a first responder enters a building, can they communicate on their radios? In the case of an emergency it is crucial that all buildings support wireless communication for first responders, such as the Police, Fire, and EMS. National and international fire codes now mandate that all new and existing buildings have full wireless coverage indoors within 99% of all critical areas. Additionally, each municipality and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) also requires a unique set of requirements for public safety communications. When do you need it?

Indoor coverage has always been a problem and is getting worse. Buildings are more dense and made with steel interiors. Data networks are much more demanding than analog. End-users are more demanding and expect excellence.

Customers have varied needs. They may have indoor coverage problems with their own private LMR system or they have a need for enhancing the public safety coverage inside their structures. Whether it is a MotoTrbo, P-25, or other repeater system that works great outdoor (macro), but has specific coverage areas inside a building, tunnel, or other facility, we can help.

An Indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) allows the reception from, and transmission to, the outdoor Public Safety radio system from anywhere inside of a building, structure, tunnel, etc.

INDOOR ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS COME IN A TWO BASIC DESIGNS:

Passive DAS – Coax used to distribute RF signals

  • Only active component – BDA/Repeater

  • Ideal solution for smaller venues <150K sq/ft

  • Limited growth or expansion capability

Active DAS – Adds RF conversion, fiber, and distributed amplifiers

  • Scalable – Single to multi-band/operator installations

  • Cost effective multi carrier coverage over 150,000 sq/ft

  • Flexible for growth and expansion

  • One system for Land Mobile Radio, 700/800 Public Safety, and 900 SMR

Designs that requires compliance to the NFPA-1221 codes for Public Safety become very stringent in the equipment and installation processes as the equipment must meet certain survivability requirements.

The Motorola Solutions DAS Solutions Group takes these issues seriously. We offer “turn-key” solutions that provide Design, Engineering, Supply, Implementation, and Commissioning of Indoor Enhancement products. Motorola can provide solutions for private repeaters, SMR trunking, P-25 Public Safety, and any or all of the cellular carriers.