People at the their best.......

Some of our readers have never been to a City Council meeting.  I attend them on a regular basis as a part of the work I do.  Last night was special.  It started with the Mayor giving thanks to God for the blessings bestowed on the City of Brighton, Alabama.  This was followed by corporate prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance by all attendees.  Brighton is one of many small towns in  Alabama  that has been financially devastated by the closing of steel mills, heavy industry, and coal mines.

I was honored to be in the presence of people mostly forgotten by the rest of the world. The  community is mostly minority, and far below the poverty level.  One of the attendees, who spoke at the time reserved for complaints, was a local resident who sleeps in her truck to be more vigilant against those who would burglarize her home.  She is well educated, articulate, and a survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL back in 1963. Some would judge her as being a bit eccentric, but given the freedom to be herself by a community that neither judges nor envies others. 

The City of Brighton was in the news recently.  A call came in and the police department couldn't respond.  The reason?  None of the police cars would run. The County Commissioner representing the Brighton district appeared before the council to inform them that she had reached out to others and found a donor to provide four new police vehicles.  When she made the announcement, there wasn't a dry eye in the room, including mine. 

My reason for being there was to help the city find a way to implement a new program called No Time for Crime. Falcon Community Services developed the program to combine the resources of business institutional, and governmental participants in working together to make cities and counties better places to live, work, and play.  Part of the program involved getting new communications equipment for the city along with an interoperability solution for better communications with neighboring communities as well as improved community service.  

It was a good evening.  It's good to have a job that can help others.  It's WONDERFUL to see and work with people at their best! Better yet, by listening to the needs of the City of Brighton, we were able to develop a brand new program that might be of benefit in YOUR city, county, or regional metro area.  It is called (you guessed it), The Brighton Plan! If you would like to know more about The Brighton Plan, give us a call, anytime, at 205.854.2611.

Special Products for Special People - Sensear Smart Headsets!

What kind of fire truck is this?

Actually, it's a dive and rescue boat, but not your average boat.  It's an AIR boat with a noise level of around 98 dB. It's fast and it can go just about anywhere, but it's a noisy piece of apparatus!  So, that's why the crew needs hearing protection, just like firefighters do with conventional pumpers. Sirens and pumps are noisy. Fact is that they are so noisy that they violate NFPA and OSHA safety standards. Hence the reason for headsets, but there is also an issue of surrounding area awareness. That is why these guys are using Smart Muffs, offering the ultimate in communications, awareness, and protection by Sensear; and now available from Falcon Wireless  Click here for a short video that could be of interest.

Can you suffer hearing loss from being around fire trucks, or boats?  You betcha! This is evidenced by a pending case against fire engine manufacturers and a major siren manufacturer. Click here for details. If your department doesn't yet provide hearing protection for cab crews and pump operators, you may want to consider the fact that a department and/or an associated municipality can be charged with negligence for not providing hearing protection. A little money spent now could save much more later on!

If you would like to know more about headset systems that do more and cost less, you need to be talking to us! Call us at 800.489.2611 for additional information or to schedule a demonstration at your convenience.  You'll be glad you did!

New CS Series Radios from Falcon Wireless

 We're guessing that you have NEVER seen 2-way radios as flexible, reliable, and affordable as our new CS Series radios.  Three great radios to fit the needs and the budget of every user.  The VERY affordable CS-STD (shown above) can speak for itself at the push of a button, talk on 800 MHz trunked radio systems (with an assist from our optional BlueBox), activate alarms and sirens, identify itself, and even duplicate the paging alert tone of Motorola Minitor pagers!  And it can do all these things for under $200, and that's just for starters!  Additional information is available by clicking here.

Motorola and Minitor and registered trademarks of Motorola Solutions

A special message for Fire Department, Hospital, Law Enforcement and School 800 MHz radio users

700 and 800 MHz trunked radio systems generally provide great coverage and a lot of user benefits. As for interoperability, it's pretty good for open standard P25.  For ASTROÒ 25, EDACSÒ, and SMARTNETÒ, not so good. As for cost?  Trunked 700/800 MHz radio systems are expensive to buy, expensive to operate, expensive to maintain, expensive to upgrade, and even the accessories like batteries and speaker-microphones are expensive! That's why we developed the BlueBox!

BlueBox is basically a thousand dollar gadget that links 700/800 MHz radio systems to low cost VHF or UHF radios. Want a couple of examples of how this can benefit your department?  We'll give you SIX examples in our free BlueBox Primer for Law Enforcement.  We also have primers for fire departments, hospitals, and schools. You owe it to yourself to learn more about BlueBox!  For additional information, just give us a call at 800.489.2611 or email ServingU@The-Communicators.net and request your free copy of our BlueBox Primer.  Just let us know which edition would best fit your needs - Fire Department, Hospital, Law Enforcement, or Schools. There is no charge or obligation.Get ready to be AMAZED!

AstroÒ 25 and SMARTNETÒ are registered trademarks of Motorola Solutions.  EDACSÒ is a registered trademark of Ericsson, Inc.

Join us in doing something really good for your community!

Teamwork is a good thing.  That is why we are offering the opportunity for others to work with us in making our communities better places to live, work, and play! There is room on this team for everybody - other dealers looking for new opportunities, small broadcast stations, retirees, municipalities, neighborhood associations, even volunteer groups (as in volunteer fire and rescue departments)!  Click here for more information.  Who knows? This could be the next big thing in your life!

New Code Adam Controller Console Now Available!

Code Adam, as many of our readers know, is a missing child alert program named after Adam Walsh, son of the John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted TV program following Adam's disappearance from a Florida shopping mall.  

Following that tragic event, the Code Adam Alert program was developed, which is based on rapid mass notification.  Hospitals are at high risk of kidnapping of children.  In the event a child comes up missing, there is a need to broadcast an alert bulletin to all hospital personnel, simultaneously, over different types of radio systems.

The Code Adam Controller Console was developed to specifically address this need as well as the need for an affordable and efficient mini-console for use by small municipalities, secondary 911 dispatch centers and others operating multiple radios desiring to improve efficiency and reduce work space clutter.

The Code Adam Controller can simultaneously transmit an emergency message through multiple transmitters ranging from just two, up to eight.  The Code Adam Controller is compatible with most radio brands and models, but was specifically designed for HYT/Hytera radios such as the MD782.  Custom connector cables are optionally available for other radios as well.  The eight channel model CAC-HY8 is currently being used by the Perry County Alabama E911 center for control of HYT Model TM610 radios.  At the push of a single button, all repeaters used in the county (both fire and law enforcement) can be activated simultaneously.

An answering radio will trigger illumination of a corresponding green button indicating the identify and location of the associated repeater.  The operator can answer over an individual repeater by using the illuminated green control select button, or broadcast to all units by using the red button (See photo above).

A choice of microphones is available (goose neck shown) as well as operator headsets. Price varies on number of radios to be controlled.  Special pricing is available on Hytera control station radios or custom cables are available for Harris, ICOM, Kenwood, Motorola, Relm/BK, and Vertex radios.  The Code Adam Controller works with both analog and digital radios in the VHF, UHF, or 700/800 MHz range.

A wide variety of options is available, including 2-tone page encode, MDC decode, Message record, playback, and search (Monitor and keyboard required). Networking capability for use with PC's is also available.  Call us at 800.489.2611 for additional information or a quote.  

Got a pager problem since narrow banding? We've got your solution!

We just developed a nifty new product. 

We call it a a VoiceTXTR (pronounced voice texter).  In essence, the VoiceTXTR picks up 2-tone voice pager calls and immediately re-sends them as a text message to regular cell phones or an email message with an attached audio file of the message to smart phones.

If your voice pager doesn't get the call, your cell phone will (well, assuming you have cellular coverage), anywhere you cell phone works.  The heart of the system is the box shown at the left.  It can be mounted anywhere your paging calls can be picked up (911 or the local fire station would be a good choice).  You'll need AC power and an Internet connection plus a list of phone numbers of the people who will be using the system (we also need to know the company providing cellular service for each user).

The complete system is just $1,249 for the first 25 users.  Additional user groups of 25 are $75 each.  There are NO monthly service charges. See info4u.us/VoiceTXTR.pdf for additional information, or just give us a call at 800.489.2611 or email ServingU@the-communicators.net.  You'll be glad you did!

What In The World is a Super-City?

A Super-City is a place where the City Hall, Courtrooms, the Library, the Seniors Center, and the Utility office can be equipped to get assistance when needed really fast when needed.  A Super-City is a place where schools are made safer with affordable and efficient technology.  A Super-City is a place where churches can get the fastest possible response to all kinds of emergencies without the burden of a long term security services contract.  A Super-City is a place where merchants can do business with the peace of mind in knowing that their people, property, and premises can be protected with technology that can reduce response time from 10 minutes or more to 2 minutes or less.  

A Super-City is a place where neighborhoods are made safer and help, when needed, is available in a hurry.  A Super-City is a place where the high cost of emergency medical services can be significantly reduced while simultaneously improving response times.  A Super-City is a place where government, business, and the public work together to reduce insurance rates and improve the chances of obtaining federal grant funds for needed projects.  A Super-City is a place where people want to live.  

More people means more business.  More business means added tax revenues. Added tax revenues means lower taxes and better municipal services for the the entire community. A Super-City is ready for all emergencies with the infrastructure available to effectively coordinate first responders, both professional and volunteer.

A Super-City is a community working together with the common goal of making their city a better place to live, work, and play.  THAT'S what a Super-City is!  Your city can be one too!

Birmingham is in the planning stages. Evergreen, Gadsden, Greenville, Oxford, Piedmont, and Weaver have already taken the first steps in Alabama, as well as the City of Seminary, Mississippi.  Rochester and Monroe County, NY are well along the way to meeting full Super-City Status.  More info is available on the web at info4u.us/supercity.

Want to be a Super-City?  You can start at the level of your choosing or plan for a total community system possibly funded by federal grant assistance. Call us at 205.854.2611.  Do it TODAY!.  

January 2015 eNewsletter Now On Line

Everybody, well almost everybody, makes New Year's Resolutions.  Mostly this involves the statement "I'm going to do better" followed by whatever subject is applicable. So, after a quarter century of  doing business pretty much like everyone else, we decided to change EVERYTHING! You can read more about our changes, why we made them, and how they could effect you by clicking here.

Message to Fire and EMS AFG 2014 grant applicants. Read this before you file!

To all of those who may think FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant is one big sugar daddy with lots of money to give away, we have some news for you. Many applicants have completely ignored the standards and guidance pertaining to communications on the assumption that "they" are not going to enforce it, "I know because Billy Bob got away with breaking the rules, so they're not coming after me". Guess again!

The fact is that kindly old Uncle FEMA has a couple of rather significant cousins, notably the Department of Justice (DOJ) who provides oversight of FEMA's activities (and those who receive FEMA funding), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who has responsibility for enforcement and prosecution of violators.  Here's another bit of information.  They have a LONG memory, which can be made even longer through the Subpoena process. And, for what it's worth; charges for fraud, deception, and misappropriation of funds are felonies! This isn't some little civil matter that goes away with the slap of the wrist.  It is the same process that gave Bernie Madoff the opportunity to meet some new kids!  So, what's the point?

The point is simply this - DHS, FEMA, and SAFECOM, along with DOJ, and the FBI agree that rules are rules, and here are the rules, plainly stated in the guidance that every applicant certifies that they have read when making an application for a communications equipment grant involving federal funds. 

(1) All RADIOS will be be capable, when ordered, to operate in the digital mode in accord with current P25 standards, not "compliant", not upgradeable or convertible, or using a similar technical platform such as MotoTRBO, NXDN, Astro 25 or anything else other than P25, PERIOD! Click here for additional information.

(2) All RADIOS must be based on a common interoperable standard that will allow one brand of radio to talk to another brand of radio using a common P25 technical platform, PERIOD!

3) Maintenance of all RADIOS can NOT be used as an evaluation consideration that becomes the basis for selecting a sole source vendor with an exclusive third party service agency, PERIOD!

If the radios you intend to purchase, or HAVE purchased, or the system on which you intend to operate your radios violates one or more of the three considerations above, you could find yourself in a whole lot of trouble!  Could we be wrong in our understanding of the aforementioned standards?  Maybe, maybe not, but we can tell you this.  The Wall Street Journal recently disclosed that the Department of Justice is cracking down on potential abusers of federal grant funded projects such as the Assistance to Firefighters program.  We know of several agencies that are now being audited on applications going back to 2010, and at least one that has been handed over for a federal grand jury investigation.

If you are planning to file for AFG funding for communications equipment, we urge you to make sure that you address and resolve the three major issues above before submitting your application (Due on or before 5:00 PM EST,December 5, 2014. In the meantime, your may want to download and read DOJ Grant Oversight by clicking here.  We think you'll find it interesting.

BTW, if you would like some good suggestions on what DOES meet the guidelines, click here.  Good luck with your application!  Let us know if we can be of assistance in any way.

NEW PHOENIX SPEAKER-MICROPHONE RATED BEST IN CLASS!

YOU'VE TRIED THE REST, NOW GET THE BEST!

If you are tired of getting the best price, but not the best value; it's time to switch to the Phoenix speaker-microphone, an American made product tested to perform a minimum of 1,000,000 PTT activations, IP68 waterproof, and MIL-SPEC 810G military specification standards. The price is competitive and it's manufactured in the United States of America! 

Bedford County, Virginia is revamping their present LMR radio system with additional towers, new Harris XG-75 radios and Stone Mountain Phoenix speaker-microphones with the new patent pending CallCheck message store, record, playback and re-transmit feature. Two hundred speaker mic's have been ordered to date, with more orders coming in as outlying districts and departments are exposed to the Phoenix's audio performance, quality, features and rugged design. Click here for a video from Channel 13, WSET-TV in Roanoke, VA announcing the P25 upgrade with Phoenix speaker-microphones!  If you are involved with fire department communications, and planning to apply for 2014 AFG funding, you want to include the Phoenix speaker-microphone with the incredible new CallCheck capability!  Call us at 205.854.2611 for pricing, additional information, or a demonstration. You'll quickly see why others are switching from ordinary speaker-microphones to the Phoenix from Falcon Wireless! (Note: CallCheck feature is available for use with BK, Harris, and Tait P25 radios. Motorola to be available shortly). 

Don't forget, the 2014 AFG funding submission period ends on December 5th, 2014!  If you haven't yet filed an application, there is still time.  For some good ideas, click here! 

Digital Response Paging, the ultimate public safety dispatch system qualifies for AFG funding!!

In a recent blog posting, we commented on a proposal to use private digital paging as an alternative to the use of analog pagers such as Minitor VI.  Many public safety dispatch systems suffered from degraded coverage as a result of narrow banding. The are three possible solutions - Cellular phones using text messaging (which doesn't meet NFPA 1221 requirements), one-way private paging and the newest technology, known as Response Paging.

Response Paging has a number of benefits for public safety users.  Monroe County, NY (Rochester) was an early adopter of Response Paging (Click here for additional information). Not only does Response Paging resolve coverage issues, it also improves interoperability and incident command while simultaneously reducing the size, weight, and cost of first responder alerting devices. Response Pagers can also provide message retention/recall, private messaging, and greater user convenience.

The infrastructure and user devices qualify for funding under the 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (which closes on December 5, 2014).  Additional benefits of Response Paging include the use of these devices configured for use as emergency call buttons by disabled, elderly, and home alone citizens for Direct Alert notification to EMS responders within 5 seconds or less! These devices can be used in schools, hospitals, municipal and county offices. A similar device can be connected to smoke detectors and other sensors to automatically report fires, unauthorized entry or vandalism as well as in hospitals for patient alarm and Code Blue reporting.  An example of how this all comes together is available by clicking here.

Law enforcement can use the system to provide direct alarm notification from merchant premises to report burglary and holdup.The merchant pays only for the devices.  There are no monthly fees or any telephone (cellular or wired) required). It's still not to late to get an application submitted for funding!  For additional information, please give us a call at 205.854.2611 or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com.  

A message to Mayors, Fire and Police Chiefs - We can make your city a better place to live, work, and play!

We've got a system.  It's called SparkGap.  It consists of Hives, Hornets, and Harkeners. Together, they work to make your city a better place to live, work, and play.  A few of the benefits are shown above.  There are more! You can learn more about them by clicking here.

We can do some incredible things, like reducing response time from minutes (sometimes hours) to SECONDS!  We can help save lives and property while reducing the cost of providing EMS, Fire, and Police protection. We can free up your public safety personnel to deal with high level priorities while merchant and residential participants partner with you to help improve safety, reduce the cost of government services and insurance costs.  

As the word gets around, your community will become a go to destination for new business and homeowners. That means more revenues and happy voters.  Here's some more good news!  The cost of system can potentially be underwritten by federal funding, private endowments and user cost sharing.  One of the funding sources available is the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program.  The application period for 2014 opened on November 3rd and closes on December 5th.  Additional information on this program is available by clicking here or just by calling us at 205.854.2611. Better yet, schedule a meeting with us for our Community Planning Presentation.  Your choice of meeting place - Birmingham, AL or Norcross, GA, and day (including Saturday) between now and the end of November. Your time will be well spent!

2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program application period opens on Monday, November 3rd and closes on Friday, December 5th, 2014.

Want some great ideas on using Fire Grant funding to do some great things for your community?

Instead of focusing on equipment, how about considering PROJECTS to really serve your community while addressing some of your really key needs?  For instance, we can help you:

1) Establish interoperability with ANY radio system, 
    and in particular, meeting State Guidelines.

2) Provide a cure for problems caused by narrow banding

3) Provide improved safety for firefighters and citizens

4) Get you in compliance with ISO, NFPA, and OSHA

5) Help you provide faster response times

6) Reduce property loss

7) Provide better incident command capabilities

8) Develop community partnerships for greater efficiency

9) Introduce you to more cost efficient technology

10) Share residual benefits to serve other community needs

To help you with developing your grant application, we have prepared a free AFG Planning Guide.  For your copy, just click here! If you have any questions, or if you need assistance just give us a call at 205.854.2611 or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com. 

Looking for a solution to loss of range caused by narrow banding?

A special message for Fire Departments!

Everyone knows there is always more than one way to solve a problem. We also know that the first solution is not always the right solution. That's why we went to some of our customers and asked the question - What is the major negative impact of narrow banding on your radio system?

The two biggest problems reported were (1) loss of portable talk-back range in remote areas, and (2) Missing calls from dispatch on pagers/radios in remote areas.   

We then reviewed some of the available options to solve the problem.  The cost estimates, depending on the proposed solution offered by local area radio dealers and manufacturers, ranged from a high of $69,000 to a low of $22,500 for a department operating four mobile radios and a mix of twenty five pagers and radios.  We came up with a better way, and it qualifies for AFG funding in the 2014 grant application period expected to open within a few weeks.

Our solution for this same application can provide better coverage to an from dispatch plus the ability to push dispatch paging calls to cell phones as an email or text message.  In other words, we have ADDED redundancy to make sure that everyone gets the call, every time! Better yet, there are NO monthly charges.  You pay no more than $6,699 one time to take care of BOTH major narrow band issues (assuming a department with four mobiles and twenty five pager/radios - slightly more for larger departments) PLUS adding a free secondary dispatch message delivery system!

In addition, we have prepared a free AFG grant application planner with some great ideas on improving your communications while simultaneously better serving your community, getting a better ISO rating and improving firefighter safety. A copy is available by written request to ServingU@falcondirect.com.

Everything you ever thought was right about Firefighter communications is probably WRONG!

There are four essential functions related to firefighter communications.  They are as follows:

1) Getting personnel to the scene - Sometimes known as the dispatching process which involves alerting available personnel and monitoring acknowledgement and updates.

2) Mobile communications between fire apparatus and dispatch,  Noise protective headsets for hearing protection and NFPA/OSHA compliance and litigation avoidance are generally recommended.

3) Incident command communications involving communications between fire officers and firefighters on the scene.

4) Confined space and/or aerial ladder communications generally requiring hands free communications capability.

For years, fire departments have been encouraged to purchase ever increasingly more expensive radios and systems to supposedly serve all, or as many functions as possible, with a single device. In twelve step addiction treatment programs, this is known as stinking thinking.  In more polite circles, it is known as tradition, or following the crowd.  Whatever you want to call it, this combined utility concept is WRONG!  Here's why!

1) Volunteer firefighters don't need, or want, to lug around a one pound, two thousand dollar radio.  What THEY want is something light, with message retention, that doesn't cost too much if they lose or damage it.  What dispatch and incident commanders want is immediate reporting that the call has been received and some idea as to how many people will be making the run.  That little blue thing in the upper left hand corner (it's called a Hornet) can do this at a cost of under $400 each AND it's ISO approved!.

2) Firefighters enroute to the scene in vehicles using sirens need hearing protection.  Most assume that expensive headset intercom systems (either wired or wireless) are required. This is not true.  Hearing protection with intercom and radio integration does NOT have to be expensive. The mobile radio used in vehicles needs to be compatible with other systems used in the area, including P25 for SAFECOM approved interoperability. Better yet, we have a simple and affordable device that gives on-scene incident commanders the full power of a mobile from their portable for about half the cost of a vehicular repeater AND, we can operate in band (VHF-VHF) or cross band (VHF-800 MHz) We call it a BlueBox.  You'll call it incredible!

3) All firefighters who are members of a fire department do NOT need permanently assigned radios for on-scene use.  What they DO need is the ability to pick up a fully charged operational radio at the station (or assigned on scene) for those who make the run.  We have some of the most rugged and affordable portable radios available anywhere for less than $400 each with your choice of analog, digital, or both!

4) All kinds of "fixes" are offered for confined space and aerial ladder communications. None of them meet the exacting requirements for fire and rescue activities.  We've got one that DOES with full duplex, hands free operation, long range, and digital audio quality in a wide choice of headsets for a variety of applications for less than the cost of traditional solutions! It's called a Multi-Voice-Radio. There's nothing else quite like it!

The 2014 AFG grant application period should be opening within the next 30 days.  We would welcome the opportunity to work with you in defining a system that works for you. Demonstration system will be available in Birmingham, Alabama, Jackson, MS, and Norcross, Georgia. There is no charge for attending an orientation session at either location. Just let us know the date and time you would like to visit.  We'll have the coffee on!  We are also available for either day or evening meetings attended by multiple departments.  Just let us know where and when you would like to get together.  We'll be there! You can call us at 800.489.2611 or by email to ServingU@falcondirect.com. 

Baptist Hospitals link multiple facilities for efficiency and savings!

Multiple hospital ownership in regional geographic areas is a common and growing trend.  The benefits are obvious - More efficiency in times of need and cost savings by reducing redundant services.  In Montgomery, AL, Security Director Suzie McMahon, recognized the need to be in constant contact with officers traveling between hospitals and centralized dispatching.

The three Baptist hospitals in the Montgomery area - East, North, and South were already connected with a broadband network and Hytera digital radios were being used in all three locations.  As it turned out, the Hytera repeaters and portable radios were already capable of a feature called Site Roaming.

In essence, activation of this feature allows all radios on the system to be part of a common dispatch system while simultaneously providing travel between all three hospitals. Contact is retained at all times with the home hospital, enroute between hospitals and while at another facility.

Both the radio system and the broadband network remained operational during the single day required to make the necessary programming changes.  Better yet the total cost was about the same as a single portable radio.  If you would like to know more about Hytera radios and the can do capabilities of a supplier who knows the needs of hospital communications, call Phil Rich or Burch Falkner at 205.854.2611.  In the meantime, if you would like to know more about Hytera affordable digital communications, check out Hytera-Alabama.us. You'll be glad you did!

Big Hospital + small radios = More efficiency, safety, and savings!

Hospitals have very special communications needs.  Personal 2-way radios are used by administrators, clinical technicians, housekeeping, maintenance personnel, nurses, security, patient transport, emergency room and operating room personnel, along with Code Blue teams, anesthesiologists, lab technicians, even doctors (along with some others that we may have overlooked).

Unfortunately, HIPAA requirements, multi-shift operations, battery life, purchase and operating cost, coverage in large multiple buildings, and user reluctance to wearing bulky radios that stab the wearer in ribs, all contribute to the problems facing hospital administrators today. You may find it hard to believe, but a three hundred dollar radios addresses and deals with ALL these issues! It's called the PD362 by Hytera Communications.

Lets, review the problems and solutions solved with the PD362.  Let's start with battery life. There are no batteries that can operate 24/7.  Batteries have to be charged.  Some can be charged in one to three hours.  Others take longer.  Traditionally, batteries are changed at the end of shifts.  This causes a lot of mechanical wear and broken battery retainers.  The better solution is to use different radios for each shift.  That isn't practical for radios costing, six hundred dollars or more.  It makes perfect sense for a three hundred dollar radio which can serve three shifts with just two radios required for 24/7 operation.  Just change radios every 12 hours and you are never out of service with no battery changing!

Older analog radios wouldn't cover the St. Vincent's campus even with repeaters.  With the PD362, there are no dead areas and all communications are encrypted in digital format for HIPAA compliance.  Routine messages can be handled in a text format in complete privacy and the PD362 is SMALLER and LIGHTER than a voice message pager!  Better yet, there is no stick in the ribs antenna - not 7 inches, not 3.5 inches, but just 1.5 inches, and formed to fit the contours of your body! Oh, by the way, did we mention that the PD362 can operate on both digital AND analog frequencies anywhere in the UHF 430-470 MHz band?  It can! Click here for full specifications!

Here's another plus!  Users can be segmented into separate work groups even though they are on the same frequency and two groups can be communicating at the same time on the same channel!  And maintenance cost?  Not a problem!  The PD362 is covered by a three year factory warranty, and we can handle repairs  with next day exchange with our exclusive TimeShare program!  Want to know more?  Give us a call at 800.489.2611 or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com. You're gonna love the PD362!

Want to know more about the SafeCity Program?

How would you like to make your city a better place to live, work, and play?  For additional information, just click on the logo above for a brief one minute video and the opportunity to schedule a meeting to learn more at your convenience.  Give us a click - You'll be glad you did!  Or, if you would like additional information before scheduling a meeting, visit our web site at http://falconcommunityservices.com.

The KNG Series Radio By Relm Wireless - Built To Last A Long Time, like up to 82 years!

What P25 Radio Gives You The Best Value down the road?

Some would say, the Big "M".  Others (like us) would have a different answer. The fact is that there are four considerations used to evaluate "Value".  Let's start with where the product is made.  Made in America means American workers, paying taxes and purchasing goods and services in the USA.  Relm Wireless manufacturers just one thing - P25 radios, and they do it in Melbourne, FL USA!  They will be here when needed "down the road". We think that is important!

Now, let us introduce what may be a new term to you.  It's called Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF).  This relates to the time expected for the product to last based on the life of the individual components.  The KNG Series radios are built for a MTBF of 82 years of average use (or 721,058 operational hours if you prefer).  Putting it another way, 99.2% of KNG radios can be assumed to be failure free for the first year and 95% are failure free after ten years! So, the longer the MTBF, the more reliable the product.  Only Relm publishes this information.  Wonder why?

The third consideration is the purchase and maintenance cost.  Based on GSA pricing, KNG radios are hundreds of dollars less than comparable Big "M" products.  So it's good to save money up front, but what about "down the road"?  We know that the KNG radio is less likely to need repair so repair cost will be lower.  How much lower?  Consider this - The efficient repair of P25 radios requires highly trained (think expensive) technicians and VERY expensive test equipment which is generally beyond the means of the average radio dealers repair shop.  The result is that most repairs on P25 radios are made at factory repair depots with cost based on flat rate service.  A flat rate repair on a Big "M" portable is $394.  A flat rate repair on a KNG portable is $190, less than HALF the cost of repairing a Big "M" portable.

So far, a KNG radio is the clear winner on three of four considerations used to determine value. So how about the fourth? Glad you asked!  The fourth consideration is the cost of SUPPORT! Anyone who has ever owned a Big "M" product knows that you pay for firmware upgrades, software upgrades and technical support after the warranty period.  With KNG radios, you don't pay for support - It's FREE for the life of the product!  The winner by a knockout is KNG radios by Relm Wireless by any standard of comparison, but that's only part of the story.

There is a lot more to the Relm Wireless story.  If you like videos, click here for the story in short form. If you like charts and graphs and technical stuff in a downloadable file, click here. Or, if you would like for us to mail you a nice copy printed on high grade glossy paper, with a nice cover and ring bound for easy reading just give us a call and we'll mail you a copy - FREE! Our phone number is 800.489.2611, or you can contact us by email - ServingU@falcondirect.com. AND, if you would like a demo, that can be arranged as well.  You're gonna love the KNG P25 radios from Relm Wireless and Falcon Direct - GUARANTEED!