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Press Release
Wi-Fi Network boosts Public Safety
Communications
P.O. Box 8
Chesterfield, MO 63006
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
info@larimore.net
/ 636-537-3112
Wi-Fi Network to boost Public Safety
Communications in Brookline, MA.
Chesterfield, Mo., January 10, 2007 - A partnership
between Brookline, MA and a local Internet services company has lead not only to
inexpensive wireless access for residents, but a much greater use of wireless
technology by town employees - police and firefighters in particular.
Scott Wilder, a Brookline police officer who serves as the
department’s technology director, said public safety Wi-Fi communications in the
past, operated and relied on purchasing vendor specific wireless systems, in
Brookline’s case the police have 40 air cards costing $50.00/month each, which
is limited in capacity, has dead spots, and prone to interference from other
sources. Now with Galaxy Internet services, Brookline will be operating a Wi-Fi
network that covers the entire community and will save the police department
$2,000.00 a month.
The Galaxy Wi-Fi public safety network, will allow Brookline’s
public safety officers access to their in-house data bases, allowing the
officers’ the ability to log into their Larimore Public Safety software
applications, giving the officer’s more than direct access to enter reports
remotely from their notebook computers. Basically, stated Wilder “ We are giving
our officers on the street the ability to access all programs, as if they where
on a workstation in the department. Officers will also be able to access GIS
databases with 3D images of the interior of the buildings, traditional mobile
data applications, video/ video surveillance, Voice Over IP as well as the
department’s internal email client.
“If some emergency requires the setting up of a command post,”
Wilder said “all you need are a few laptops, and you’ve got full communications
power.” Scott Wilder, a member of an “interoperability” subcommittee of the
Metro Boston Homeland Security Region, also sees implications for mutual aid
among neighboring cities and towns.
The Brookline Police Department and the Town of Brookline will
be the first agencies in the country to run this 4.9 border-to-border Wi-Fi
network for public safety and at the same time deploying a commercial 2.4 GHz
wireless network for municipal, citizen and business access. The 4.9 frequencies
is a FCC licensed frequency for public safety only. Wilder feels that this is a
huge advantage for public safety using 4.9, because there is limited
interference in the 4.9 band, and if any interference is found you have the
power of the FCC to remedy the situation. Potential applications for a 4.9
frequency network extend beyond enabling police and firefighters to have
real-time access to important information such as, their CAD & RMS software
systems provided by Larimore Associates, Inc. Wilder stated “with a broadband
network like this, we are building a wireless network for today, that will grow
with us in the future as more hardware and software venders get into the 4.9
arena.”
Brookline is now exploring the option of purchasing wireless
parking meters and utilizing Larimore Associates’ Parking Ticket System that
will allow for parking tickets to be created remotely by the meter maids and
upload the information to the software system when the ticket is written.
Brookline has been a customer of Larimore’s, an Integrated
Public Safety Software provider, since 1988.
For more information:
Contact Larimore at
info@larimore.net
or (636) 537-3112.
About Larimore Associates, Inc.
Larimore Associates, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated public safety
solutions. The company was founded in 1970 and continues to be one of few
companies in the industry providing customized software solutions for its
clients. Its products include Computer Aided Dispatch and a wide array of
Records Management Systems, encompassing 30 + modular applications such as:
Scheduling, Incident Reporting, Internal Affairs, Arrest Management and NFIRS
systems. The company is headquartered in the Saint Louis suburb of
Chesterfield, MO.
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