Monday, February 25, 2013

Kudos to Etowah County Alabama


While others talk about, and think about church, community, and church safety; Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin (above left)  and Gadsden State Community College President Dr. Raymond Staats, are doing something about it!  Working together, this dynamic duo has scheduled a series of security training sessions beginning on February 28th.

During three different sessions, Entrekin said police, church leaders and workplace managers will learn how to develop and implement the components of a thorough and complete safety and security program; the value of prevention and response plans and how to make them practical and reasonable; how to stay balanced, practical and reasonable about plans and procedures; and develop a safety manual that will be used; and bring about awareness, prevention and response about workplace violence or violence that occurs in the place of work or worship. Tina Lewis Rowe, retired Denver Police Department captain and retired U.S. Marshal, will lead the training sessions.

• Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon, business owners, managers, supervisors and teams will get help evaluating the big picture of safety and security and develop reasonable preventative and response plans. The seminar will be held in Wallace Hall at Gadsden State Community College.

• March 1 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., law enforcement will learn how to make people, places, property, programs and processes of any place of work and worship more safe and secure. The seminar will be held at the East Broad Auditorium on the campus of Gadsden State. Continuing education credits will be available for qualifying officers.

• March 2, 8 a.m. to noon will focus on church leaders, staff, volunteers, facility managers, security directors and teams. They will be given information to help make a place of worship safe and secure in every way, every day. The session will be held in Wallace Hall at Gadsden State.

Falcon Community Services encourages all who can attend to be present.  In the meantime, please click here to see a Press Release issued today than may be of interest.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Strategic Alliance Formed To Provide Enhanced Safety

Burch Falkner, President of Falcon Wireless Direct, today announced the establishment of a strategic alliance to address the convergence of access control, security cameras, and wireless communications services for business, institutional, and governmental users.

We were considering expanding our capabilities in wireless services to include access control and camera systems, but decided in favor of working with existing providers rather than starting two new ventures on our own. We had already decided to enter the energy management business, which we started in 2013 as a separate division which will support all three members of the new alliance.

Discussions with Terry Sullens of Eden Security concluded in the decision to expand an existing working relationship by adding a mutual associate involved in access control.  This new alliance strengthens the capabilities of all three organizations.

Rusty Moore of RM Security Systems adds the enhanced capability of providing affordable and efficient access control systems for the client base served by Eden Security and Falcon Wireless Direct.  This new alliance will greatly expand our capabilities in serving the unique needs of governmental, industrial, and institutional clients.

For additional information on some of our unique wireless products, please visit www.falcondirect.com/ritron or call us at 800.489.2611.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Falcon Direct at Alabama Sheriffs Conference

Steve Madsen, Falcon Direct's newly appointed Director of Public Safety Services was on hand at the Alabama Sheriff's Association Winter Conference held last week in Birmingham, AL.  The new SafeSchools Program was a major topic of interest.  This program could be of significant interest to other school administrators and law enforcement agencies.  For additional information, click here.

Our Just4Cops web site has also been completely updated with a family of services based on the concept of law enforcement working with members of the community to help protect people, property, and places where we live, work, and play.

One of the major items of interest was our new CrimeBuster portable stakeout and surveillance system as well as the PT-Tracker vehicle tracking system.  Check out our newly updated Just4Cops web site by clicking here.  We think you'll like to see what we can do for our friends in law enforcement!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

New SafePass School Security System!

Since our introduction of personal wireless call buttons for classroom teachers, we have discovered that many schools already have a means of calling for help from the classrooms.  Some have a call button on the intercom, others a program on classroom computers; some both.  While it would be nice to have a personal call button for teachers, it appears that the real problem is at the front door.  Many schools leave the door to the front of the building open.  Others lock the door with no provision for a visitor to announce themselves. Clearly, the problem starts at the front door! With the input of a local school principal, we introduced a completely new concept in school safety at a recent Alabama Sheriff's Conference.

As a result of her input, we are now offering an alternate to our classroom system, We call it the SafePass system. This new system is practical, affordable, and expandable.  SafePass begins with providing  a means of restricting entry, allowing authorized access, and quickly alerting others in the event of an emergency.  See www.info4u.us/spb.pdf for more information.

A demonstration system is available and we have members of our organization that can assist in applying for corporate endowments, grants, and fund raising programs.  The SafePass system can easily be expanded to provide the  functionality of a personal call button assistance in classrooms gyms, break and lunchroom areas at minimal cost.  Call us at 800.489.2611 or email ServingU@falcondirect.com for more information.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Looking for a workhorse portable radio?


Check this out!  

Our newest portable radio is the TP-5000 Series.  It is physically the same size and weight as the popular TP-8000 Series.  The TP5000 has the same power  (up to 5 watts) warranty (3 years), battery capacity (2200 or optionally 2600 mAh), and extra loud audio (1 watt).  Technically, the TP-5000 has 16 channels with voice annunciation instead of an LCD display, IP54 rated (like most other portables) versus the extra rugged IP67 rating for the TP-8000 series, and channel capacity (16 versus 512).  

If you want a great little radio at a fantastic price, the TP-5000 is the radio for you.  Accessories are interchangeable with TP-8000 series radios. Speaking of price, the TP-5000 is only $217, and we'll give you a $45 trade in allowance for any old radio or pager for a net cost of just $172!.  Specifications are available by clicking here. If you are ready to order, click here to order the TP-5116 VHF model or here to order the TP-5416 UHF model!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Sirens for Tornado Warning

We frequently receive calls asking if we sell tornado alert sirens.  We don't.  The reason being that we do not think they are effective.  Outdoor sirens are a relic of a time gone by before the general use of air conditioning, virtually sound proof vehicles, and every third person you see with something in their ear. 

The coded signals used to distinguish the different types of emergencies are totally useless.  Most people wouldn't recognize the difference between the mid week test, a tornado, or an invasion by aliens.  The cost is beyond reason, and maintenance is a nightmare.  If any type of mass notification system is used, it should be capable of creating a loud alert followed by a voice message.  Having said that, we will agree that there are places and times where mass notification is needed.

Recreational areas (amphitheaters, beach areas, campgrounds, golf courses, parks, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc) should be equipped with some way to notify people in the event of severe weather or other catastrophic events, but not at an average cost of over $25,000 per siren location.  Don't take our word for it.  Click here for the words of one who expresses our feeling far better than we.  Now, let's look at an affordable and efficient alternative. It's called a LoudMouth!


LoudMouth is an American made wireless Public Address system.  It is used in industrial plants, as you will see in a video available by clicking here, on University campus grounds (a case study is available by clicking here), and as a part of school safety systems when integrated into the school intercom system.  LoudMouth can be accessed and controlled from an ordinary VHF or UHF 2-way radio, and it can provide both an alerting tone and a voice notification message.

There are two versions of the LoudMouth - one with speaker (or speakers) and a model that connects to an existing PA system where wired speakers are already installed.  Both of them are priced well UNDER a thousand dollars!  A brochure on the LoudMouth is available by clicking here, and if you would like more information on how easily the LPA non-speaker model can be integrated into an existing PA system, click here.

You can install LoudMouth anywhere that AC power is available.  Since the current requirements are so moderate, the LoudMouth can be powered by low cost solar panels if desired.  No heavy duty poles or towers or required.  Lightweight LoudMouth can be mounted virtually anywhere without special skills or tools.  Want to see a live demonstration?  Just give us a call at 800.489.2611 or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com.  We'll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Lithium Battery Information

Many of you know that a tiny Lithium battery has grounded the long awaited Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The reason is that Lithium batteries can explode and catch on fire at high altitudes.  

International shippers have long known that you should never, ever, ever. ship a charged Lithium battery by air.  This is why batteries are always (or should be) shipped uncharged, which brings us to the reason for sharing this information with you.

We are not in the airplane business, although I once worked for Boeing.  We are in the wireless communications business which now uses Lithium batteries as the preferred alternative (in most cases) to Nickel-Cadmium or Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries.  The  main reason being based on the assumption that Lithium batteries do not lose capacity due to improper charging.  The fact is that Lithium batteries DO lose capacity, but not in the same way as a Ni-Cd battery.

We have received a number of warranty claims involving Lithium batteries lately.  In most cases, we found the reason was the result of improper charging, so we thought it might be helpful to tell you how to properly charge a Lithium battery.  First you first get your new pager or portable radio, turn it on and let the battery run all the way down.  It may be dead on arrival or shipped with minimal charging for testing purposes.  In any event, let the battery go completely dead.  Then turn the device off and charge the battery for 48 hours to make sure that you have it fully charged.  This creates a "memory".

Unlike a Ni-Cd battery, we can teach a Lithium battery to have a long memory by subjecting it to a long charge, the exact opposite of what happens with overcharging of a Ni-Cd battery.  If you don't initially charge a Lithium battery to full capacity, if will base it's capacity on the amount of time it has been charged.  If you charge the battery for only a few hours and put your radio or device in service, you are almost certain to have battery problems.  

Fortunately, if you have already improperly charged a battery, the condition can be reversed by following the same procedure applicable to the first time use of a new battery.  Totally deplete the battery, turn the device off, and charge for 48 hours.  Thereafter, the normal charge cycle recommended by the manufacturer (typically 3 to 8 hours) will be sufficient.

Charge a battery correctly and it will give you years of reliable service.  Otherwise, keep in mind that if it can ground a 787, it can also let you down when you need it.  We don't want that to happen!  By the way, if you need replacement batteries, give us a call at 800.489.2611.  We offer nothing but the best quality batteries at fair and affordable prices.