Memorial Day weekend, situated between rainy April and heated June can range greatly in temperatures, although much of the time it’s on the warmer side. Heat stroke can happen to the healthiest of individuals and is often exacerbated by standing still for a length of time in direct or indirect sunlight, without the reprieve of a breeze. If one of your loved ones collapses due to intense heat, an officer with a P25 radio will be fast on the scene.

From charcoal or propane grills to bonfires at the campsite, runaway fires are a very real concern during Memorial Day weekend, especially with the likelihood of alcohol consumption during the festivities. A cook who is supposed to be tending to the grill can become distracted by welcoming guests, or a group of campers may wander from the campfire they thought had been put out. Memorial Day weekend can be a busy time for firefighters, and these unsung heroes are able to communicate with each other during these crucial moments with the P25 radios.

According to research released by the National Coalition for Safer Roads, Memorial Day weekend has been deemed the riskiest holiday for highway accidents. Their studies show a notably high number of motorists running red lights over this holiday weekend. This may be due to a driver’s eagerness to get out of town for the lengthened weekend, an intoxicated driver, or perhaps because of frustration with the increase in road congestion. Police officers who need back-up during these critical periods are much more efficient with the interoperability of the P25 radios for faster communication.

Considering Memorial Day’s status as one of the most dangerous holidays to be on the road, as well as a time for an increased number of fires, you’re in better hands when your public servants are equipped with P25 radios provided by RELM Wireless Corporation.

The post Maintaining Memorial Day Safety first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Maintaining Memorial Day Safety appeared first on BK Technologies.

The basic requirement behind P25 Radio System’s concept is based on the innovation of the next generation. The design allows the mingling of analog and digital systems. The purpose is to maintain public safety operations using compatibility as an effective management tool gradually, replacing outdated radios and infrastructure equipment.  P25 standards involve digital Land Mobile Radio (LMR) services, using an open architecture system- the standard interfaces with operations. The benefits for the agencies are improvements in operations and measured investment in current technology with a clear vision of the future.

Compatibility Workings of P25

The open architecture makes it easier for older systems to add, upgrade and trade out components without affecting its performance.  Existing radios transmit information and the receivers pass the information forward.  The objectives in compatibility environments provide the following:

• Extending the equipment lifecycle using open systems architecture
• Maintaining reliable intra-agency and inter-agency communications
• Connection to new technology improves functionality and capabilities for public safety  
• Interoperability with compatible P25 Radio System standards allows users of multiple agencies to communicate directly without loss or interruption of transmission.  

Trusted Security and Encryption Options

Encryption options are available with the P25 Radio System. The function is to secure and protect both voice and data communications. The option allows the user to select encrypted or un-encrypted transmissions.  This application pertains to radio networks.  The system’s manager can remotely change the encryption keys in the field – industry refers to this application as Over the Air Re-Keying (OTAR). It heightens the level of operational security; ensuring communications are isolated when required. If you follow law enforcement conditions, this feature is critical to mission success in some situations.

Improved Function Quality with Compatibility

P25’s design understood the need for continuous improvements and focused on compatibility to instigate change.  Here is how it functions.  Analog wireless systems carry the information in the form of AM or FM frequencies.  Digital systems convert the analog signal to a digital data stream known as an algorithm, which contains the step-by-step set of operations to perform the function of transmission.  Since algorithms vary, P25’s compatibility standards maintain consistency. Further improvements to the radios include programmable emergency settings and GPS functions for managing fleets and personnel.  GPS is a reliable feature for incidents happening in remote areas. Noise control is always an issue; the P25 Radio System capability feature minimizes the background sounds transmitting clear audio communications.

P25’s goal is to uphold public safety through compatibility, matching industry compliance using open architectural standards.  Developed with industry agreements P25 generation features include:

• Enabling affordable capability evolution  
• Sustaining legacy lifecycle through transition
• Simplifying system integration  
• Isolating the effects of change  
• Continuous innovation developments

Industry standards

Looking to the future, P25’s conceptual group monitors the changes and standards needed for public safety professionals and equipment manufacturers. Innovation and evolution go hand in hand in developing effective use of technologies to maintain the P25 Radio System standardization process.

The P25 standards require a variety of interoperability, configurations and compatibility of services necessary to the public safety community. The features are obligated to match the level of standards imposed by public offices and government agencies. Feature compliance pertaining to software and hardware platforms ensures reliable and consistent communications, even under the most severe conditions.

Among the offices monitoring P25 compliance standards are government agencies, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Offices – International (APCO), dedicated to public safety along with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), USA serving trade and information technology industries.  All three organizations participate in the public safety standards.

Conclusion

The reliability and accuracy of communications are critical to public safety officials.  Open systems architecture offer great opportunities for innovation, while driving down the cost of new equipment over-time.  As a leader in digital radio techniques, P25 Radio System is simplifying the process by design. Contact our offices with any questions about upgrading and transitioning your radios and systems today.

The post Luck of the P25 Radio: Compatibility With Existing Systems first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Luck of the P25 Radio: Compatibility With Existing Systems appeared first on BK Technologies.

The main groups that depend on P25 radios are public safety personnel at the federal, state, and local levels. Firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel highly depend on these radios that offer them the necessary interoperability to effectively do their jobs. Military personnel have also come to depend on these radios to ensure that they have the communication needed to perform their duties.

While the P25 standard was developed for public safety officials in North America, these radios are not limited to public safety or North America. In fact, the interoperability provided by P25 radios has led to organizations from around the world adopting these standards to ensure they are receiving the type of communication that they need out of their digital radios.

The standards set by P25 brought communication through radios to a new level. By using P25 radios, the days of communication lapses becoming a problem when two departments attempt to work together during an emergency situation are gone. Now, multiple departments can come together with no communication issues to ensure the safety of each member of their department and for the community that they are protecting. RELM Wireless is proud to provide P25 radios to federal, state, and local public safety personnel across the country.

The post Who Are P25 Radios For? first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Who Are P25 Radios For? appeared first on BK Technologies.

Established in 1979, APCO-16 was a new standard dealing with the operation and functionality of trunked radio systems. While APCO-16 was a step in the right direction, it is analog and trunked only. APCO-16 elevated the standard of radios but it didn’t solve the problem of the lack of interoperability.

Ten years later, in 1989, APCO released a new set of standards, P25. These new standards dealt with digital technology and allowed for both conventional and trunked telephony. The most important aspect of these new standards was that it created the type of interoperability that was sorely missed by so many public safety officials.

In the past, when two public safety departments from two different areas came together, the communication was lacking which make their jobs much more difficult and put them in more danger during emergency situations. P25 has solved that problem so that public safety personnel can now better protect, not only themselves, but also their communities.

P25 has become the main standard of which all public safety departments should be following. While APCO-16 may be fine in many industries, interoperability is paramount in emergency situations which is why P25 is essential. RELM Wireless is proud to service emergency personnel from around the country with top-quality P25 radios to ensure that they are fully equipped to handle any situation that may come their way. It is this equipment that they depend on to keep themselves and their communities safe.

The post From APCO P16 to P25 first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post From APCO P16 to P25 appeared first on BK Technologies.

While it may seem obvious not to set off fireworks around wooded areas, some will undoubtedly do just that which carries the risk of starting a large, uncontrollable fire. When this situation occurs, local firefighters will be called into action to handle the blaze. It is their job to control the fire and keep it from threatening homes in the neighborhood.

But it is not just fireworks that pose a threat as the new year arrives. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day rank third and fourth behind Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when it comes to days in which the most fires caused by candles occur. This is largely due to people leaving flammable Christmas decorations, such as Christmas trees, up until after the new year comes.

When these unforeseen fires arise and start to spread, the firefighters battling these blazes need as much help as they can get. In these situations, communication is essential for the safety of the firefighters and of those they are protecting. P25 radios offer the necessary interoperability to ensure that, even if other departments join in the battle, all the firefighters will remain in constant contact. RELM Wireless is proud to serve these public servants by providing top-quality P25 radios to allow them to do their job to the best of their ability. It’s a partnership that will help everyone stay safe this New Year’s Eve.

The post P25 Radios Protect You on New Year’s Eve first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post P25 Radios Protect You on New Year’s Eve appeared first on BK Technologies.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 210 home fires per year that were caused by Christmas trees between 2010 and 2014. These fires resulted in $16.2 million of direct property damage. In a quarter of these fires, an open flame, such as a candle, was too close to the tree. While these fires are not as common as other sources of fire, they are more likely to cause fatalities.

Between 2009 and 2013, fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 860 home fires per year that were caused by decorations excluding Christmas trees. These fires resulted in $13.4 million of direct property damage. One-fifth of these fires started in the kitchen and one out of six started in a living room, family room, or den.

Given the number of flammable items that are often used for decoration during Christmas time, these fires can quickly get out of hand. To ensure the safety of the emergency personnel and the residents of the home, firefighters must work quickly to get the blaze under control. This takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and communication. These departments depend on P25 radios provided by RELM Wireless to keep them safe during these harrowing events.

The post P25 Radios Key for Public Safety During Christmas Season first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post P25 Radios Key for Public Safety During Christmas Season appeared first on BK Technologies.

Some of the most common crimes during the holiday season include shoplifting, robbery, drunk driving, and home burglary. When these crimes occur, they often require the attention of multiple departments and agencies. Communication becomes key when it comes to involving more than one group to prevent and assist in any emergency situations. That is where P25 radio systems become a necessity in order to provide seamless communication so that all parties who need to be involved may do so to their best abilities.

Keeping communities and families safe during the holiday season is not an easy task, but it should not be made more difficult with flaws in communication. RELM Wireless is a leading manufacturer of the P25 radios that have been proven to be more effective when it comes to communicating between neighboring departments. This allows departments to act in a quicker and more effective manner, possibly preventing any disruptions.

P25 radios are trusted by everyone from the federal government and military down to local law enforcement throughout the year, and are relied on heavily beyond just the holiday season. They give departments the information they need to do the jobs that people are relying on them to do. When crime picks up this winter, let RELM wireless be there to provide the P25 radios needed to keep all communities as safe as possible.

The post Tis the Season to Use P25 Radios first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Tis the Season to Use P25 Radios appeared first on BK Technologies.

With radio channels that are specifically selected by the user, conventional P25 radios offer instantaneous channel access. There is no switching needed for conventional P25 radios which are best suited for a smaller group of users.

Trunked P25 radios differ from conventional P25 radios in that the radio channels are assigned to the user automatically. Rather than instantaneous channel access, the channel access for trunked P25 radios depend greatly on the technology they utilize. Core switching is essential for the operation of these radios which are better used by large groups numbering around 300 or more.

While there are key differences between these two P25 radio systems, there are even more similarities. Some of the key similarities between these two systems include the fact that they both utilize native digital control signaling and that they have the ability to support analog and digital consoles. And like all P25 radios, they both have the main advantage of offering interoperability to users which is paramount for the public safety personnel that use these radios to communicate while protecting citizens.

After deciding whether or not to switch to P25 radios, the decision must be made about which system to use; conventional or trunked. Depending on the number of users that will be utilizing these tools and other factors, one of these systems will stand out as the one for you to use. RELM Wireless is a proud supplier of P25 radios that provide the interoperability needed allowing public safety personnel to protect their communities.

The post Comparing Conventional and Trunked P25 Radio Systems first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post Comparing Conventional and Trunked P25 Radio Systems appeared first on BK Technologies.

The P25 CAP came about from a partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications Research program. The purpose of this voluntary program is to give these users confidence that the devices they are using are actually P25 compatible. The program tests participating radios against P25 standards for performance, conformance, and interoperability to ensure that the radios are, in fact, P25 compatible. The results of the tests are then publicly published allowing the first responders who use the radios to see the results for themselves.

The impact that this program has is that it promotes the use of P25 radios by showing first responders which radios are P25 compatible and which are not. The more manufacturers feel pressured to switch to P25 radios, the more interoperability there will be for the public safety officials that rely on them. Inevitably, this makes these personnel and the public in general much safer.

P25 compliant radios are key for the safety of the public and those that protect them. But public safety officials want to be sure that the radios they use are P25 compliant. That is where the P25 Compliance Assessment Program comes in. By testing the products that claim to meet the P25 standards and publicly publishing the results, these safety officials that are charged with protecting the public will be able to see for certain that they are using the right product. RELM Wireless completed the assessment program in 2011 and continues to provide top-quality P25 equipment to public safety personnel around the country.

The post What is P25 CAP? first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post What is P25 CAP? appeared first on BK Technologies.

P25, the standards set for optimal interoperability in radio communication, has eight open interfaces; Common Air Interface (CAI), Subscriber Data Peripheral Interface, Fixed Station Interface, Console Subsystem Interface, Network Management, Data Network Interface, Telephone Interconnect Interface, and Inter RF Subsystem Interface. These eight interfaces allow for those using P25 radios to effectively communicate with others using P25 radios, even if they are using the radios of a separate manufacturer.

Of the eight interfaces of P25, none is more widely deployed than CAI. The importance of CAI is that it allows for two separate P25 radios to efficiently communicate or for a P25 radio to efficiently communicate with P25 infrastructure, regardless of the manufacturer. It’s the basis of what P25 is all about. Additionally, it allows for interoperability capabilities for both FDMA, the designation of multiple users to separate frequencies, and TDMA, the subdividing of a channel into time slots when the digital data is transmitted, channel access methods.

P25 is integral for many occupations, such as public safety officials, as it allows for interoperability among other P25 radios and infrastructure, regardless of the manufacturer that supplied it. Of the eight open interfaces of P25 radios, none is more widely deployed than CAI as it is the interface most responsible for interoperability. More and more users of radio communication are switching to P25 radios for the interoperability they desire and RELM Wireless is proud to be a leading supplier of these important communication products.

The post P25 Common Air Interface and It’s Effect on Communication first appeared on BK Technologies.

The post P25 Common Air Interface and It’s Effect on Communication appeared first on BK Technologies.