LEXINGTON,
S.C. – August 3, 2017 – Avtec Inc., the nation’s leading independent provider
of mission-critical Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) dispatch console
systems, and Boone County Joint Communications (BCJC) have completed a major
upgrade of the county’s emergency communications system in Columbia, Mo., including the
deployment of advanced dispatching technology configured to ensure complete
failover redundancy.
The
new communications system includes the installation of 34 Avtec Scout™ dispatch
consoles positions – 21 at the main 911 center or Public Safety Answering Point
(PSAP), five at the PSAP’s training center and eight at a fully equipped backup
center located in downtown Columbia. Additionally, Avtec deployed eight mobile Ranger™
dispatch consoles in the BCJC’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and 49 Avtec
Outposts™ throughout the entire system to facilitate the integration of
multiple radio technologies and secure disaster recovery capabilities.
“One
of the attributes that makes this system unique is that it has complete
disaster recovery built into it,” said Avtec Regional Sales Manager Jeff
Ziegler. “It was designed to have zero points of failure."
Based on pure IP software, the Scout dispatch consoles
allow BCJC’s dispatchers to coordinate communications with multiple law
enforcement, fire and emergency medical services agencies. The Ranger consoles,
which can operate on Windows laptops, tablets or fixed workstations, are currently installed as fixed workstations
in the EOC. The flexibility and concentration of
features make Ranger ideal for personnel from multiple disciplines and
jurisdictions who need focused radio access for enhanced situational awareness
during emergencies.
According to BCJC Director Chad Martin,
dispatchers had been using the same radio consoles to coordinate with first
responders for more than 17 years. “The company that manufactured the old
consoles is no longer in business and their equipment has gone way past its
useful life,” said Martin. The Avtec
upgrades give BCJC the option of introducing Next Generation 911 technology in
the future, allowing citizens to one day text 911 messages instead of calling.
“We don’t know when that technology will become available, but when it does,
the Avtec system is designed to handle it,” said Martin.
About Avtec Inc.
Avtec provides pure Internet Protocol (IP) dispatch
console solutions for the transportation, public safety, utility, business and
industry, and government markets. Since 1979, clients have chosen Avtec’s
award-winning technology for their mission-critical dispatch centers. There are
thousands of Scout Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) consoles installed
worldwide. Visit www.avtecinc.com to learn more.
About Boone County Joint Communications
BCJC
is responsible for ensuring the safety of more than 160,000 residents in the
county and within the municipal boundaries of its county seat. BCJC dispatches
15 agencies to approximately 304,000 incidents per year, including nearly
70,000 emergency calls.