For the fifth year running, FalTech GPS will be exhibiting at the BAPCO annual exhibition and conference in Coventry on 20 & 21 March 2018.
As BAPCO members, the leading UK-based Association for all professionals using or developing Public Safety technology, FalTech will be at this year’s annual exhibition with its equipment supplier, Roger-GPS, the market-leading manufacturer of GPS repeater systems based in Helsinki, Finland.
Since 2012, FalTech has supplied and installed over 300 GPS repeater systems in fire and police stations across the UK.
Our fire and police services, like most others across the globe, are affected by some specific challenges caused by the lack of GPS signal inside their buildings.
GPS repeaters in fire stations
When inside a fire station, the mobile data terminal (MDT) installed on most appliances will not receive a GPS signal due to the blocking effect of the building structure.
This means that when the MDT transmits its location to the command and control centre, the data is stale and indicates the location when the appliance last had sky-view – just before it entered the fire station.
However, the real problems begin when the appliance leaves the station because it can take several minutes for the MDT (and satnav devices if present) to re-acquire a GPS fix.
The appliance could be quite some distance away from the fire station before the GPS fix occurs.
This has two main effects:
- Fire crews have to find their way to the incident without the aid of the MDT or the satnav device
- The command and control centre continues to see the appliance’s location as the fire station long after it left the building
Local knowledge can sometimes aid fire crews to get where they need to be. However the command centre staff won’t necessarily have the confidence of knowing exactly where their resources are at all times, which means that they are not always able to marshal resources to where they are most needed.
The solution
A GPS repeater system installed in a fire station ensures that MDTs and satnav devices receive live satellite signals at all times.
Which means that:
- The MDT reports accurate, up-to-date location information at all times.
- Satnav devices maintain a GPS fix while indoors.
- There is no satellite acquisition delay on exiting the station.
- Response times minimised and public safety enhanced.
There is a full description of how a GPS repeater works in a fire station here
https://www.gps-repeaters.com/applications/gps-repeaters-for-fire-stations/
GPS repeaters in police stations
The issues faced by police officers are similar in nature to those seen by firefighters; when they go indoors and their personal radios stop receiving a live GPS signal they continue to transmit stale location data.
When exiting the police station the officer may get into a vehicle and head off to an incident before the radio has a chance to acquire GPS lock.
As far as the command and control centre is concerned, the officer’s location appears on the status screens as back at the station, when in fact he or she could be several miles away.
It doesn’t help that the officer and the radio is in a steel box (police car) and the GPS acquisition delay is prolonged.
A GPS repeater system installed in a police station ensures that personal radios receive live satellite signals at all times.
Which means that:
- The personal radio device reports accurate, up-to-date location information at all times.
- There is no satellite acquisition delay on exiting the station.
- All officers visible at the command centre whether indoors or outdoors.
- Response times minimised and public safety enhanced.
There is a full description of how a GPS repeater system works in a police station here
https://www.gps-repeaters.com/applications/gps-repeaters-for-police-stations/
Representatives of FalTech GPS and Roger-GPS will be available on Stand C1 at the BAPCO exhibition at the Ricoh Arena on 20th & 21st March. They would be delighted to discuss the ways in which they have solved this problem for fire and police services across the UK and further afield.
This web page illustrates one of the largest known repeater systems installed in an underground police garage.
About BAPCO
Launched in June 1993 as the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, British APCO, also known as BAPCO, is acknowledged as the leading UK-based Association for all professionals using or developing Public Safety technology.
British APCO is an independent, user led, not-for-profit association working to improve emergency services and public safety communications and information technology for everybody’s benefit.
ENDS
EDITORS NOTES
FalTech GPS is a company specialized in GNSS (GPS) repeater technology, providing indoor coverage solutions that allow GPS-enabled devices to be operated, tested, repaired and calibrated inside any building or space where it was previously impossible.
Sectors that use this technology include blue light (fire and police), aircraft maintenance, commercial electronics facilities, offices and more.
Contact Phil Whitting, Director
www.gps-repeaters.com
+44 (0) 1326 336 444