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www.sw<strong>is</strong>sphone.com<br />

March | 2006<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>ready</strong><br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>»unleaded«</strong> <strong>times</strong><br />

A new generation of pagers Page 4<br />

A <strong>quick</strong> <strong>trip</strong> <strong>into</strong> <strong>space</strong><br />

Project »LEBIG« Page 10<br />

Cross-border conference<br />

Alarm Conference 2006 Page 15


INSIDE<br />

CONTENTS INSIDE<br />

Editorial 03<br />

SOLUTIONS<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>ready</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>»unleaded«</strong> <strong>times</strong> 04<br />

The latest command centre technology <strong>for</strong> the<br />

professional fire fighters of Linz 06<br />

Mobile command unit and redundant<br />

command & control centre 08<br />

A <strong>quick</strong> <strong>trip</strong> <strong>into</strong> <strong>space</strong> 10<br />

GLOBAL<br />

Locating mobile calls – towards a definite position 12<br />

EVENTS<br />

Cross-border conference 15<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> on location 16<br />

CeBIT, Hanover<br />

GPEC, Leipzig<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Wireless Symposium/Berne


Helmut Köchler,<br />

President of the Board<br />

EDITORIAL<br />

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed business<br />

partners,<br />

As al<strong>ready</strong> mentioned in the first <strong>is</strong>sue, we want to<br />

use th<strong>is</strong> magazine not only to announce product<br />

news and updates, but also to in<strong>for</strong>m you about<br />

current trends, developments and technologies<br />

in the Public Safety industry. Our second <strong>is</strong>sue of<br />

s.press, there<strong>for</strong>e, contains implementation and<br />

usage reports <strong>for</strong> the latest solutions in alarm systems,<br />

operations controlling and communications;<br />

an update on the local<strong>is</strong>ation of emergency calls<br />

made from GSM phones; and an introduction to<br />

our new generation of pagers.<br />

You may not yet be aware of the significance of the<br />

WEEE and RoHS regulations <strong>for</strong> electrical and<br />

electronic devices, enacted by the European<br />

Parliament in 2003 <strong>for</strong> the better protection of<br />

02 | 03<br />

humans and the environment. Effective 1 July 2006,<br />

new electrical and electronic devices may (amongst<br />

others) not contain any lead, mercury, cadmium or<br />

other harmful substances. Being the market leader<br />

in the alarm systems sector, <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>quick</strong>ly responded<br />

with the necessary measures, meeting<br />

the new regulations ahead of time to ensure a fully<br />

compliant product range free of lead and other<br />

harmful substances. Here at <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong>, we want<br />

you to know you can depend on us.<br />

We hope you will find th<strong>is</strong> publication a stimulating<br />

and in<strong>for</strong>mative read.<br />

Helmut Köchler<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


SOLUTIONS<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>ready</strong><br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>»unleaded«</strong> <strong>times</strong><br />

In early 2003, the European Parliament enacted its new WEEE and RoHS directives <strong>for</strong> electrical and<br />

electronic devices in an ef<strong>for</strong>t to better protect humans and the environment. As the number of<br />

offending devices <strong>is</strong> r<strong>is</strong>ing drastically in today’s technology-driven society, the objective of these<br />

regulations <strong>is</strong> to instate legally en<strong>for</strong>ceable preventative measures. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> of particular importance<br />

to waste management, i.e., when the devices reach the end of their lifecycle. Al<strong>ready</strong> today, market<br />

leader <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> exemplary in anticipating the lead-free future of electronics production –<br />

as <strong>is</strong> evidenced by the company’s three new BOS-certified pagers.<br />

New standards in safety: As of 1 July 2006, the<br />

EU’s RoHS (Restriction of certain Hazardous<br />

Substances) directive will prohibit dangerous<br />

substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium<br />

from being used in the production of new<br />

electrical and electronic devices. Working in<br />

parallel to RoHS <strong>is</strong> the WEEE (Waste of Electrical<br />

and Electronic Equipment) regulation towards<br />

reducing stress on the environment both during and<br />

after the device lifespan. WEEE further encourages<br />

recycling and re-use as feasible waste management<br />

options.<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> responded to these new prem<strong>is</strong>es<br />

immediately. After the enactment of the regulations<br />

in 2003, the company extensively researched all<br />

associated <strong>is</strong>sues and defined a set of new production<br />

solutions. In July 2005, following exhaustive<br />

material and process testing, <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> switched<br />

to RoHS-compliant machine soldering <strong>for</strong> the<br />

assembly of end devices as well as RoHS-compliant<br />

manual soldering. Six months later, all of the<br />

company’s production processes were redesigned<br />

to be completely lead-free. <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong>’s products<br />

and components are labelled accordingly.<br />

Similarly, all receivers and chargers manufactured<br />

since August 2005 comply with the new<br />

WEEE regulations, as <strong>is</strong> shown by the<br />

official WEEE logo printed on every device.<br />

Ongoing development as a permanent challenge<br />

The necessary production changes were substantial<br />

and costly, which <strong>is</strong> why <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> made sure<br />

from the outset to comply with the underlying criteria<br />

of the new EU regulations. The company has<br />

always aimed <strong>for</strong> environmentally friendly product<br />

Author: Deborah Bucher · Corporate Communications<br />

development that <strong>is</strong> in keeping with international<br />

standards – in fact, <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> has never ceased<br />

to invest in <strong>for</strong>ward-looking technologies and<br />

development. At the same time, however, the changeover<br />

from lead-based production to lead-free<br />

RoHS-compliant production had to be well-planned<br />

and seamless. Product quality was not to be<br />

comprom<strong>is</strong>ed at any point, and extensive testing<br />

had to be conducted throughout the transition<br />

process.<br />

As a result, <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong>’s new generation of<br />

pagers <strong>is</strong> character<strong>is</strong>ed by excellent quality,<br />

up-to-date design and intuitive operation – while<br />

still providing a maximum of reliability and<br />

ruggedness. The three latest units, all of them<br />

RoHS-compliant, are exemplary in meeting<br />

the new requirements.<br />

A new generation of pagers – with added flexibility and<br />

user-friendliness<br />

The outstanding feature of the DE925 <strong>is</strong> its illuminated<br />

graphical d<strong>is</strong>play. With four or five lines, each<br />

optionally containing 16, 20 or 21 characters, the<br />

d<strong>is</strong>play v<strong>is</strong>ually enhances the updated menu layout.<br />

Combined with simple three-button operation, th<strong>is</strong><br />

guarantees reliable interaction even in emergency<br />

scenarios. Further advantages of the DE925 include<br />

a variable reception frequency – adjustable by +/-<br />

500 kHz thanks to PLL (Phase Locked Loop)<br />

technology – and the option of controlling the pager<br />

remotely using OAP (On-Air Programming) messages.<br />

The DE920 Ex <strong>is</strong> the sleeker, lighter and face-lifted<br />

successor of the DE516C Ex. Essentially featuring<br />

the same advantages as the 920 units, th<strong>is</strong> rugged


yet easy-to-use pager <strong>is</strong> the most suitable receiver<br />

to use in explosion-r<strong>is</strong>k environments. It has<br />

been designed specifically <strong>for</strong> the chemical, gas<br />

and petrol industries.<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> also releasing a new analogue unit:<br />

The RE629 receiver has been designed <strong>for</strong><br />

use in challenging meteorological conditions and <strong>is</strong><br />

compliant with IP54 specifications (complete<br />

dust and splash water resilience). Ongoing product<br />

development of the ex<strong>is</strong>ting pager models has<br />

resulted in even greater user-friendliness thanks to<br />

a brighter d<strong>is</strong>play and larger characters. Battery<br />

usage remains cons<strong>is</strong>tently low despite the added<br />

user com<strong>for</strong>t.<br />

04 | 05<br />

The simple-to-use model <strong>for</strong> deployment and<br />

management personnel can easily be integrated<br />

<strong>into</strong> alarm and d<strong>is</strong>patch system of any dimension,<br />

whereas the top-of-the-line model <strong>is</strong> designed <strong>for</strong><br />

top-level personnel with extended areas of<br />

responsibility, as well as <strong>for</strong> general users requiring<br />

soph<strong>is</strong>ticated features. Thanks to a broad spectrum<br />

of easy-to-program options (PLL technology),<br />

the devices can be integrated <strong>into</strong> ex<strong>is</strong>ting<br />

analogue networks of any kind. Next to the new<br />

pagers’ ecological soundness, th<strong>is</strong> makes them<br />

a reliable investment <strong>into</strong> the future.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


SOLUTIONS<br />

The latest command centre technology <strong>for</strong><br />

the professional fire fighters of Linz<br />

The professional fire service of Linz has been using the latest command centre software from<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>for</strong> their deployment coordination since September 2005. The software <strong>is</strong> tailored to the<br />

wide range of tasks <strong>for</strong> which th<strong>is</strong> command & control centre <strong>is</strong> responsible. Custom<strong>is</strong>ed solutions<br />

allow numerous subsystems to be integrated in order to ensure that the approximately 4,500 annual<br />

deployments run smoothly.<br />

Eurobird<br />

The city of Linz, which has around 200,000 inhabitants<br />

and covers an area of 94km 2 , <strong>is</strong> protected<br />

by the Operations Command and Control System<br />

of the Linz D<strong>is</strong>trict Warning Centre/The In<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

Centre of the Linz Professional Fire Service. Th<strong>is</strong><br />

body coordinates and controls the deployment<br />

of the professional fire service in Linz, as well as the<br />

city‘s four volunteer fire services. It also coordinates<br />

the regional fire service control centre of Upper<br />

Austria and supports other emergency services<br />

organ<strong>is</strong>ations, such as police and rescue services,<br />

in many of their m<strong>is</strong>sions.<br />

In addition to fighting fires and providing technical<br />

ass<strong>is</strong>tance, the D<strong>is</strong>trict Warning Centre <strong>is</strong> responsible<br />

<strong>for</strong> the operational command of d<strong>is</strong>aster<br />

response. To th<strong>is</strong> end, a standalone workstation<br />

has been installed in the central fire station’s<br />

command office. Th<strong>is</strong> workstation <strong>is</strong> used as the<br />

communication and in<strong>for</strong>mation hub in the case<br />

of a d<strong>is</strong>aster.<br />

The volunteer fire services on the outskirts of the city<br />

and the fire services provided by industry in the<br />

industrial zones are then mobil<strong>is</strong>ed in addition to the<br />

resources of the professional fire service.<br />

Author: Tanja Oudot · Customer Service & Training<br />

The computer-aided d<strong>is</strong>patch system: capable and flexible<br />

The secur.CAD/fire d<strong>is</strong>patch system from <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong><br />

provides the Linz professional fire service with<br />

a modern, high availability system tailored to the<br />

specific needs of the fire service control centre.<br />

The system enables a rapid and secure response<br />

to every emergency call. The relevant in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

on all operation locations <strong>is</strong> prepared and<br />

d<strong>is</strong>played as befits the situation. D<strong>is</strong>patchers<br />

using th<strong>is</strong> command centre software have a clear<br />

and up-to-the-minute overview of the status<br />

of resources thanks to the vehicle status d<strong>is</strong>play<br />

and the Geographical In<strong>for</strong>mation System (GIS).<br />

They can view the status of all 66 professional<br />

fire service vehicles and the 15 volunteer fire<br />

service vehicles.<br />

Swap body vehicles and containers can be matched<br />

using a simple drag and drop procedure. The<br />

system automatically suggests the appropriate swap<br />

body <strong>for</strong> a container.<br />

The database contains around 2,000 streets and<br />

squares, 200 high-r<strong>is</strong>e buildings and 20,000 other


uildings. Furthermore, the data of large-scale<br />

industry, e.g. VÖEST AG and the Linzer Chemical<br />

Park, are included in the d<strong>is</strong>patch system. Around<br />

350 automatic fire alarms are currently linked to the<br />

Linz professional fire service; notifications from<br />

a further 50 non-automatic fire alarms arrive via the<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation centre.<br />

All strategically relevant data, from the acceptance<br />

through to the end of a m<strong>is</strong>sion, and all<br />

vehicles deployed in the operation, are recorded<br />

by the d<strong>is</strong>patch system and stored in a database.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> data <strong>is</strong> accessed by the fire in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

system FIS. Th<strong>is</strong> programme manages the<br />

d<strong>is</strong>patch of personnel, equipment and machinery<br />

as well as generating a report and a stat<strong>is</strong>tical<br />

analys<strong>is</strong>.<br />

Synthetic voice alarms<br />

When an emergency call <strong>is</strong> received, the operations<br />

control computer supports the d<strong>is</strong>patcher, in the<br />

selection of the nearest suitable vehicles and generates<br />

an automatic alarm. A special feature installed<br />

<strong>for</strong> the Linz professional fire service <strong>is</strong> the synthes<strong>is</strong>ed<br />

voice which announces the alarm. The advantage<br />

of th<strong>is</strong> system <strong>is</strong> that the announcement <strong>is</strong> always<br />

made in the same emotionless tone, regardless<br />

of the type of alarm or the stress-level of the<br />

d<strong>is</strong>patcher.<br />

The notification of the emergency personnel <strong>is</strong><br />

supported by a PLC (Programmable Logic<br />

Controller). Th<strong>is</strong> controller triggers the alarm signal<br />

and switches the corresponding lighting and<br />

speaker systems on. The announcement of the<br />

d<strong>is</strong>patch and of the resources to be deployed<br />

<strong>is</strong> repeated automatically. Gates, barriers and traffic<br />

lights are also automatically controlled.<br />

The d<strong>is</strong>patch software also supports an automatic<br />

telephone alert system to notify authorities using an<br />

interface software, which speaks the incident text.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> function can also be used <strong>for</strong> major incidents<br />

where a large-scale alert <strong>is</strong> called <strong>for</strong>.<br />

The professional fire service uses the special box<br />

alarm function <strong>for</strong> all resources. All vehicles are<br />

assigned to an appropriate box <strong>for</strong> th<strong>is</strong> purpose.<br />

Thus the in<strong>for</strong>mation on where the alert must<br />

take triggered <strong>is</strong> available throughout the system.<br />

If a vehicle <strong>is</strong> transferred to another station, giving<br />

it a dual function (<strong>for</strong> example, <strong>for</strong> the main station<br />

and the Northern station), the system automatically<br />

notifies the correct box and triggers the corresponding<br />

PLC actions, e.g. alarm signals or traffic lights,<br />

at that station.<br />

GIS maps in operation d<strong>is</strong>patch<br />

06 | 07<br />

D<strong>is</strong>patchers cannot be expected to know all of the<br />

detailed tactical in<strong>for</strong>mation relevant to operations in<br />

the greater Linz area. Th<strong>is</strong> makes a modern Geographical<br />

In<strong>for</strong>mation System with its soph<strong>is</strong>ticated<br />

functions and prec<strong>is</strong>e data and maps all the more<br />

important.<br />

In addition to the route, all important in<strong>for</strong>mation on<br />

the operation site and a map of the location are<br />

printed at operation d<strong>is</strong>patch control. The map gives<br />

the emergency response staff a rapid overview of<br />

the operation site and the surrounding area. Where<br />

buildings are endangered or at high r<strong>is</strong>k, the following<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation can be imparted with the d<strong>is</strong>patch:<br />

data on the main building and surrounding<br />

buildings<br />

d<strong>is</strong>patch plans<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation on operations in the vicinity<br />

alarm plans <strong>for</strong> particular operation types as well<br />

as in<strong>for</strong>mation on hazardous materials<br />

Two additional remote emergency call acceptance<br />

stations are occupied in the case of a major<br />

incident. The staff at these stations has access to<br />

maps and all in<strong>for</strong>mation relevant to the incident.<br />

The team thus has an overview of the current situation<br />

and can initiate the appropriate response<br />

activities.<br />

Fail safe<br />

A d<strong>is</strong>trict warning centre that <strong>is</strong> responsible <strong>for</strong> the<br />

safety of 200,000 inhabitants and 80,000 commuters<br />

over an area of 94km2 cannot r<strong>is</strong>k a failure of the<br />

command centre technology. For th<strong>is</strong> reason, the<br />

highest level of security in the <strong>for</strong>m of a mirrored<br />

system, an uninterruptible power supply and an emergency<br />

power supply are installed to provide back up<br />

<strong>for</strong> the operation and command & control centre.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


SOLUTIONS<br />

Mobile command unit and<br />

redundant command & control centre<br />

Picture: Stephan Kuhn<br />

Major incidents, natural d<strong>is</strong>asters, simple day-to-day operations: No matter what the situation, the<br />

overall success of a d<strong>is</strong>patch will always depend on the communications system used. Today’s<br />

mobile command units are expected to provide instant mobile access to central<strong>is</strong>ed databases, the<br />

Internet and telephone systems.<br />

When the municipal fire brigade of Herne (Germany)<br />

invested in a new communications system, the<br />

technology it chose had to be up-to-date, fast and<br />

– most importantly – failsafe. Th<strong>is</strong> particularly<br />

applied to communications between the stationary<br />

command & control centre (C&CC) and the deployed<br />

command vehicle. The “ELW2” command<br />

vehicle used in Herne doubles as a fully redundant<br />

C&CC and functions as a mobile operations centre<br />

in the coordination of major incidents. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> of<br />

Author: Angelika Maier · Marketing<br />

vital importance when hardware or software failures<br />

occur at the stationary C&CC. Using a vehicle<br />

resource as a self-sufficient and fully redundant<br />

C&CC <strong>is</strong> still a very new concept; throughout<br />

Germany, there are only two vehicle types that<br />

provide th<strong>is</strong> level of functionality. Both have<br />

been equipped by <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong>.<br />

The command vehicle type used in Herne contains<br />

three control workstations and a server. The


computer-aided d<strong>is</strong>patch system “secur.CAD” <strong>is</strong><br />

paired with powerful terminal server software to<br />

grant fast communications. Th<strong>is</strong> versatile system<br />

can be prec<strong>is</strong>ely adapted to individual incident<br />

locations, supporting the d<strong>is</strong>patchers in their operational<br />

and admin<strong>is</strong>trative tasks as efficiently as<br />

possible. The workstations are additionally equipped<br />

with the FIRECOM communications management<br />

system.<br />

router control centre network<br />

to Herne city network<br />

C&CC<br />

router city network<br />

C1 COM-server<br />

pcs00104<br />

COM-server<br />

PC <strong>for</strong> data exchange<br />

(Redolog files)<br />

main database<br />

Oracle 10g<br />

client 1<br />

client n<br />

“fl orian”-server<br />

Dynamic switching between communication networks<br />

When the command vehicle <strong>is</strong> located at the station,<br />

the mobile and stationary C&CC communicate via<br />

a WLAN connection at a speed of up to 108 Mbps.<br />

Once the vehicle <strong>is</strong> on the road and out of WLAN<br />

range, a satellite connection <strong>is</strong> establ<strong>is</strong>hed at the<br />

incident location. Thanks to its fast access design<br />

and straight<strong>for</strong>ward handling, the SatLink-BOS<br />

satellite system does not require special training to<br />

set up – it <strong>is</strong> up and running within minutes.<br />

When the satellite link <strong>is</strong> used <strong>for</strong> communications,<br />

data can be routed along four different networks:<br />

Vehicle network<br />

Control centre network<br />

EDP network of the Herne city council<br />

Virtual network<br />

Within th<strong>is</strong> framework, a broad range of communications<br />

can be facilitated. For example, data and<br />

d<strong>is</strong>patch plans at the C&CC can be accessed<br />

directly from the incident location. As the vehicle’s<br />

database replicates the data of the stationary C&CC<br />

(using an Oracle database server), the master data<br />

WLAN AP C&CC<br />

network<br />

WLAN AP repeater WLAN AP “ELW2”<br />

S S<br />

switch<br />

gateway <strong>for</strong> C&CC network<br />

router C&CC network<br />

router<br />

SATLink/VSAT S<br />

terminal server software<br />

secur.CAD<br />

terminal server<br />

SAT<br />

08 | 09<br />

of the two <strong>is</strong> identical. The same connection <strong>is</strong> used<br />

<strong>for</strong> telephone communications.<br />

When out of WLAN range, dynamic incident data<br />

(i.e., active operations) are updated 30 to no<br />

more than 60 minutes be<strong>for</strong>e switching. Th<strong>is</strong> means<br />

incident entry <strong>is</strong> possible directly in the vehicle.<br />

If the status messages <strong>is</strong>sued via the radio system<br />

are traced and updated manually, the d<strong>is</strong>patch<br />

can be monitored directly from the mobile control<br />

workstation.<br />

router<br />

router<br />

SATLink/VSAT M<br />

Router of C&CC network sends IP packages<br />

<strong>for</strong> city network to router of city network<br />

switch<br />

FC=FIRECOM<br />

Thanks to its soph<strong>is</strong>ticated technological infrastruccrange<br />

of functions. The following control situations<br />

can be facilitated:<br />

Mobile C&CC via SatLink<br />

“ELW2”<br />

gateway <strong>for</strong> “ELW2”<br />

hot standby database<br />

Oracle 10g<br />

FC-server<br />

terminal server client<br />

secur.CAD<br />

FC workstation 3<br />

terminal server client<br />

secur.CAD<br />

terminal server client<br />

secur.CAD<br />

FC workstation 2<br />

FC workstation 1<br />

Major incidents require a fully functional on-location<br />

C&CC to coordinate deployment measures. When<br />

the tactical functions are coordinated on location, the<br />

stationary C&CC only needs to provide support<br />

measures.<br />

Work<strong>space</strong> extension of the C&CC via WLAN<br />

When additional d<strong>is</strong>patchers are needed at the<br />

stationary operations control centre, the workstations<br />

contained in the ELW2 can double as additional<br />

work<strong>space</strong>s. In th<strong>is</strong> usage scenario, the command<br />

vehicle <strong>is</strong> located at the station and communicates<br />

via the WLAN.<br />

Mobile command unit with self-contained database<br />

Should SatLink be temporarily or permanently<br />

unavailable, operations can be controlled directly<br />

from the command vehicle. The same applies<br />

in case the stationary C&CC fails.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


A <strong>quick</strong> <strong>trip</strong> <strong>into</strong> <strong>space</strong><br />

Command &<br />

Control Centre<br />

PNMS-PC<br />

SOLUTIONS<br />

ISDN<br />

IP Network<br />

GSM<br />

There <strong>is</strong> no place <strong>for</strong> half-hearted approaches when it comes to an emergency. That‘s why speed,<br />

unwavering reliability and failsafe operation are the top criteria <strong>for</strong> alarm systems used by emergency<br />

services organ<strong>is</strong>ations. To meet these demands, LEBIG, the Austrian society <strong>for</strong> the development,<br />

operation and integration of command & control centres, has recently decided to adopt an alarm<br />

network meeting the highest standard of Sw<strong>is</strong>s quality.<br />

Author: Reto Bösch · Project Manager<br />

Alarming network<br />

controller<br />

Base station<br />

Base station<br />

Monitoring station


When an alarm appears on the d<strong>is</strong>play of a pager of<br />

the Red Cross of Lower Austria, the Ambulance<br />

Service <strong>for</strong> Lower Austria or the emergency helicopters<br />

of the Austrian motor<strong>is</strong>t association‘s<br />

aviation rescue services, the alarm message has<br />

travelled a journey that <strong>is</strong> as speedy as it <strong>is</strong> long.<br />

On its way from one of the LEBIG command & control<br />

centres, it will have passed to Telekom<br />

Austria‘s technology centre in Vienna, down a landline<br />

to the satellite uplink, up to the satellite,<br />

back down to the relevant base station and on to<br />

the pager in question – in a total time of less<br />

than eight seconds. Naturally, all of the connections<br />

involved are constantly being monitored and<br />

have been designed with a fully redundant structure.<br />

Even a backup satellite uplink <strong>is</strong> maintained at<br />

a separate location, providing around-the-clock<br />

availability.<br />

Each base station, of which there are currently<br />

close to eighty, features an individually programmed<br />

time correction of several microseconds<br />

to facilitate truly synchronous operation.<br />

All of Lower Austria can be alarmed simultaneously<br />

within seconds – at a single mouse click.<br />

From the idea to the implementation<br />

Synchron<strong>is</strong>able statewide alarm signalling was one<br />

of the key criteria in the choice of the new, longoverdue<br />

alarm system. With the d<strong>is</strong>continuation of<br />

public paging services run by commercial mobile<br />

network providers and the 1980s radio network, a<br />

reliable alarm network was no longer feasible.<br />

Instead of yet another directional radio system,<br />

an up-to-date satellite-based solution was to<br />

be implemented. LEBIG opted <strong>for</strong> the “best available<br />

network”. With th<strong>is</strong> dec<strong>is</strong>ion, the society in<br />

fact laid the foundations <strong>for</strong> the fastest and most<br />

soph<strong>is</strong>ticated alert network ex<strong>is</strong>ting in Austria today.<br />

Full implementation within just six months<br />

Currently, around 4,000 actual alarms are transmitted.<br />

Every alarm <strong>is</strong> assigned a priority level, which the<br />

system adheres to when simultaneously processing<br />

multiple alarms. System monitoring <strong>is</strong> so comprehensive<br />

that it <strong>is</strong>n’t even possible <strong>for</strong> one of the 1,400<br />

POCSAG pagers currently in use to drop out<br />

undetected. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> ensured by field strength monitoring<br />

routines.<br />

10 | 11<br />

Since the network was introduced six months ago,<br />

more than 800,000 genuine alarms have been<br />

<strong>is</strong>sued on it – which <strong>is</strong>n’t even remotely close to<br />

reaching the system’s peak load. Such a level<br />

of full-coverage capacity simply could not be facilitated<br />

with other technologies and solutions.<br />

September 04<br />

LEBIG starts planning a new alarm network. A<br />

number of solution concepts are researched.<br />

The satellite option emerges as the best long-term<br />

alarming solution.<br />

November 04<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> <strong>is</strong> selected as the technology provider.<br />

December 04<br />

Initial testing of end devices, integration of the<br />

alarming solution <strong>into</strong> the command & control<br />

centre, initial stages of network planning. Titled<br />

“Digitalpaging SPS Austria”, the pager network<br />

<strong>is</strong> also conceived to provide paging outside of the<br />

emergency services framework.<br />

February 05<br />

www.pagernetz.at goes online. Extensive field<br />

testing using test base stations.<br />

March-August 05<br />

The network <strong>is</strong> launched in Lower Austria, Vienna<br />

and parts of Burgenland. The base stations are<br />

activated.<br />

September-December 05<br />

Network optim<strong>is</strong>ation in response to initial per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

readings.<br />

December 05<br />

Network approval and handover. LEBIG as planner,<br />

owner and operator; <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> as systems<br />

technology provider.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


GLOBAL<br />

Locating mobile calls –<br />

towards a definite position<br />

Emergency calls are increasingly being made from mobile phones. In Switzerland, around 60 percent<br />

of all emergency calls came from mobile phones last year. Whereas it <strong>is</strong> commonplace <strong>for</strong> landline<br />

calls to be accompanied by the exact location of the calling station as well as the caller ID, mobile<br />

calls still lack any feasible geographical in<strong>for</strong>mation to qualify the calling number.<br />

What’s worse, mobile telephony can produce “stray<br />

calls” – emergency calls being directed to the<br />

wrong command & control centre. Stray calls happen<br />

in the border areas between command & control<br />

centres; the mobile caller may be located within the<br />

area covered by control centre “A”, but the call <strong>is</strong><br />

actually transmitted via an antenna that <strong>is</strong> located in<br />

the area covered by control centre “B”. The mobile<br />

network’s call redirection system automatically<br />

routes the call to control centre “B”.<br />

Author: Rolf Schurter · Member of the top management of the group<br />

Emergency control centres have long been wanting<br />

to remedy th<strong>is</strong> problem. The current state of affairs<br />

varies around the world:<br />

USA<br />

In the US, the FCC enacted a law to eliminate the<br />

problems outlined above as early as 1999. The law<br />

requires mobile telecommunications companies to<br />

supply the exact geographical location of the caller


System overview (landline & mobile networks)<br />

Landline<br />

operator<br />

Landline<br />

Mobile<br />

Mobile operator<br />

when transmitting emergency calls. In practice,<br />

however, th<strong>is</strong> regulation can only be complied<br />

with if the mobile phone that places the emergency<br />

call has an integrated GPS receiver. Even<br />

today, the large majority of mobile phones<br />

being sold do not feature a GPS receiver. It comes<br />

as no surpr<strong>is</strong>e that, to th<strong>is</strong> day, the regulation <strong>is</strong><br />

not being adequately en<strong>for</strong>ced.<br />

European Union EU<br />

1) Rerouting of emergency call with phone<br />

number to the nearest emergency call centre<br />

Weekly entry<br />

1b. Entry <strong>for</strong> each<br />

emergency call:<br />

»Push location«<br />

(ETSI TS102 164<br />

TISP AN ELP)<br />

Control centre<br />

location database<br />

Address<br />

of landline<br />

connection<br />

Location<br />

of mobile<br />

phone<br />

The EU has set up a task<strong>for</strong>ce that <strong>is</strong> currently<br />

working out the necessary regulations. No actual<br />

law has as yet been enacted. The env<strong>is</strong>ioned<br />

standard <strong>is</strong> still hampered by sceptic<strong>is</strong>m and<br />

uncertainty.<br />

Input: Phone no.<br />

Output: Phone no. & address<br />

Input: Phone no.<br />

Output: Phone no. &<br />

location<br />

1a. Rerouting of emergency call with phone number to<br />

the nearest emergency call centre<br />

Switzerland<br />

OFCOM<br />

Emergency call<br />

centre<br />

12 | 13<br />

In Switzerland, regulatory authority OFCOM<br />

enacted a law on 1 July 2005 (transition period until<br />

31 July 2006). Th<strong>is</strong> law requires mobile network<br />

providers to supply command & control centres<br />

with the cell ID alongside the call when routing<br />

emergency calls.<br />

In collaboration with Sw<strong>is</strong>scom laboratories,<br />

OFCOM has also tested the feasibility of analysing<br />

the TA (Timing Advance) value in conjunction<br />

with the cell ID to better identify geographical<br />

positions; un<strong>for</strong>tunately, the initial test results<br />

were not very encouraging. In some cases, the<br />

geographical positions actually became less<br />

accurate.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


GLOBAL<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> decrease in accuracy <strong>is</strong> caused by complex<br />

radiowave propagation within the coverage area<br />

(e.g., reflections bouncing off buildings), which <strong>is</strong><br />

especially problematic in urban areas. Despite<br />

such setbacks, however, command & control centres<br />

continue to demand exact geographical local<strong>is</strong>ation<br />

of incoming emergency calls. Analys<strong>is</strong> of the<br />

radiowave propagation perimeters of the individual<br />

radio cells <strong>is</strong> a major step towards th<strong>is</strong>. The<br />

transm<strong>is</strong>sion data in question <strong>is</strong> al<strong>ready</strong> stipulated<br />

within the current regulations, and as a result, the cell<br />

ID <strong>is</strong> being accompanied by valuable additional<br />

d<strong>is</strong>tribution data.<br />

Currently mobile users are watching very attentively<br />

future technological developments.<br />

Implementation 2006<br />

According to the technology of landline telephony,<br />

the described law <strong>is</strong> to be implemented using a<br />

“push/pull” process (see page 13):<br />

With every incoming emergency call, the<br />

command & control centre also receives<br />

the corresponding cell ID.<br />

The command & control centre calls up the<br />

associated geographical data from a central<strong>is</strong>ed<br />

database.<br />

The command & control centre stores these<br />

data in its GIS (geographical in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

system) and it exports the data to a street<br />

map.<br />

The future<br />

As indicated above, a more prec<strong>is</strong>e local<strong>is</strong>ation of<br />

geographical positions could still be facilitated<br />

by analysing the TA values in conjunction with a<br />

special<strong>is</strong>ed technological solution. <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong><br />

offers such a solution, using the Nero24 system to<br />

record the relevant mobile phone data. Th<strong>is</strong> system<br />

employs a GIS; it not only records the TA values<br />

but also the field strengths of nearby antennas and<br />

antennas detected by the mobile phone, as well as<br />

the mobile phone’s “short-term h<strong>is</strong>tory”. When an<br />

emergency call <strong>is</strong> received, Nero24 automatically<br />

processes the relevant mobile data and supplies<br />

it to the command & control centre. Th<strong>is</strong> facilitates<br />

nearly d<strong>is</strong>tinct local<strong>is</strong>ation. Note, however, that<br />

any implementation of th<strong>is</strong> solution presupposes a<br />

technological upgrade of the GSM networks.


Cross-border conference<br />

Two topics were central to the event: the international<br />

cooperation of command and control centres and<br />

GSM emergency call local<strong>is</strong>ation. Inspired by the<br />

seven presentations given on topics of current and<br />

future relevance in the alarm technology sector, the<br />

guests used the opportunity to exchange ideas<br />

with their colleagues during the breaks. Many found<br />

the conference particularly interesting due to its<br />

international nature and the resulting presentation<br />

of problems and solutions from a wide variety of<br />

perspectives.<br />

A word often heard was TETRA. In which areas<br />

<strong>is</strong> the technology applied? Can one use it <strong>for</strong><br />

transmitting alarms? BR Engineer Eigenschink,<br />

National Rescue Commander <strong>for</strong> the Red Cross<br />

in Lower Austria, summar<strong>is</strong>ed the matter succinctly<br />

as follows: POCSAG <strong>is</strong> used <strong>for</strong> alarms, TETRA<br />

<strong>for</strong> tactical coordination. The general opinion was<br />

that the separation of alarm transm<strong>is</strong>sion from<br />

other communication <strong>is</strong>, <strong>for</strong> reasons of safety, essential.<br />

Professionals from all parts of Europe<br />

appeared to be united on th<strong>is</strong> point.<br />

14 | 15<br />

The third International Alarm Conference took place in Zurich at the beginning of February. The<br />

eighty participants – dec<strong>is</strong>ion makers from interior min<strong>is</strong>tries, regional and national admin<strong>is</strong>trative<br />

authorities and journal<strong>is</strong>ts reporting on Public Safety – travelled to the conference, some from a<br />

considerable d<strong>is</strong>tance away. Besides Switzerland, v<strong>is</strong>itors attending the conference came from Germany,<br />

Austria, Belgium and Turkey. The event was moderated with charm and competence by Sw<strong>is</strong>s TV<br />

personality Anna Maier.<br />

Author: Hansjörg Ehrensberger · Corporate Communications<br />

Geographic borders are becoming ever less<br />

important as the command and control centres<br />

of different countries work together. Georg<br />

Giger from the St. Gallen command and control<br />

centre and Jacques Magnin from the Geneva<br />

command and control centre made a persuasive case<br />

<strong>for</strong> the cooperation of neighbouring command<br />

and control centres and their emergency services<br />

personnel. ‘Together we are strong’ <strong>is</strong> a motto<br />

with particular relevance in the case of an emergency.<br />

The alarm conference has establ<strong>is</strong>hed its position –<br />

particularly due to its international focus – as an<br />

insider tip in the Public Safety sector.<br />

The <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Magazine <strong>for</strong> Public Safety


EVENTS<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> on location<br />

CeBIT/Hanover (Germany)<br />

(09 to 15 March 2006):<br />

The CeBIT motto <strong>for</strong> 2006 <strong>is</strong> “Digital Solutions <strong>for</strong><br />

Work and Life”. After appearing with a partner in<br />

2005, <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> will be hosting its own booth<br />

again th<strong>is</strong> year. Situated in the trade show’s<br />

extensive area <strong>for</strong> mobile communications, the alarm<br />

system special<strong>is</strong>t will be presenting state-ofthe-art<br />

system solutions <strong>for</strong> command & control<br />

centres at Hall 11/Booth A24. <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> will<br />

also be using th<strong>is</strong> opportunity to present its new<br />

generation of digital and analogue pagers to the<br />

wider public. www.cebit.de<br />

GPEC/Leipzig (Germany)<br />

(02 to 04 May 2006):<br />

The General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference<br />

will be hosting more than 400 exhibitors from<br />

around the world th<strong>is</strong> year. <strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> will be<br />

presenting its innovative alarm and d<strong>is</strong>patch<br />

solutions <strong>for</strong> governmental authorities and securityrelated<br />

organ<strong>is</strong>ations, as well as its control centre<br />

Please send me more in<strong>for</strong>mation about the following<br />

topics:<br />

Alarm systems<br />

Receivers analogue/digital<br />

Company<br />

Surname | <strong>for</strong>ename<br />

Position | titel<br />

Street<br />

Town | Postcode<br />

Country<br />

E-mail<br />

software secur.CAD/police (Hall 2/Booth K16).<br />

A diverse programme of internationally focused conferences,<br />

special<strong>is</strong>t seminars and talks completes<br />

th<strong>is</strong> non-public trade show <strong>for</strong> police equipment,<br />

security technology and services. www.gpec.de<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Wireless Symposium/Berne (Switzerland)<br />

(17 May 2006):<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Wireless, Switzerland’s market leader in<br />

paging and wireless messaging in the Public Safety<br />

sector, holds a dedicated special<strong>is</strong>t conference every<br />

two years. Among the invited representatives of<br />

Switzerland’s emergency service providers, the symposium<br />

<strong>is</strong> recogn<strong>is</strong>ed as the event <strong>for</strong> finding out<br />

about the latest trends and developments in the areas<br />

of paging technology, alarm systems and safety<br />

communications. Th<strong>is</strong> year’s conference will focus<br />

on “Safety through <strong>space</strong> and time”, a topic<br />

predicted to meet with widespread interest among<br />

conference v<strong>is</strong>itors. www.sw<strong>is</strong>sphone.ch<br />

Affix<br />

stamp here<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Telecom Ltd.<br />

Fälm<strong>is</strong>strasse 21<br />

CH-8833 Samstagern<br />

Switzerland<br />

IMPRINT<br />

Edited and publ<strong>is</strong>hed by:<br />

Angelo W. Saccoccia<br />

Deborah Bucher<br />

Angelika Maier<br />

<strong>Sw<strong>is</strong>sphone</strong> Telecom Ltd.<br />

Fälm<strong>is</strong>strasse 21<br />

CH-8833 Samstagern<br />

Tel.: +41 44 786 77 70<br />

Fax: +41447867771<br />

info@sw<strong>is</strong>sphone.com<br />

www.sw<strong>is</strong>sphone.com<br />

Design:<br />

d'art V<strong>is</strong>uelle<br />

Kommunikation GmbH<br />

Adlerstrasse 41<br />

70199 Stuttgart<br />

info@dartwork.de<br />

www.dartwork.de

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