Washington College Enhances Campus Safety with MOTOTRBO Digital Radios
A Case Study on Improving Communication and Collaboration
Introduction
Washington College, a historic liberal arts institution, faced significant communication challenges due to ongoing campus expansion. Its analog two-way radio system struggled to penetrate newly constructed buildings, creating coverage gaps and compromising the safety of campus public safety officers. To address these issues and enhance productivity across departments, the college deployed Motorola's MOTOTRBO™ digital two-way radio system.
"Budgets are always somewhat limited so we've learned to work smarter. The tools we've invested in, including the surveillance cameras, emergency broadcast system, the MOTOTRBO radios; all of this allows us to utilize resources to collaborate and maintain a secure environment on campus."
- Jerry Roderick, Director of Public Safety, Washington College
Situation: Expanding Campus, Declining Coverage
Founded in 1782, Washington College has doubled its building square footage over the past 25 years. The construction of larger, more sophisticated structures with advanced electronic and mechanical features created significant radio frequency (RF) challenges. The existing analog two-way radios could no longer reliably penetrate these new buildings, leading to critical communication gaps. While cell phones served as a backup, they did not offer a complete or reliable communication solution. This lack of consistent coverage posed a direct safety risk to campus officers.
Furthermore, the campus public safety team utilized a mutual aid channel for direct collaboration with the city's 911 dispatch center and first responders. However, increased noise and interference on this analog channel sometimes led dispatchers to lower the volume, increasing the risk of missed emergency calls.
Key Challenges and Goals:
- Increase radio coverage to eliminate campus-wide gaps.
- Extend communication range beyond campus boundaries.
- Enhance collaboration with external public safety resources.
Solution: Implementing MOTOTRBO Digital Radios
Washington College's Campus Public Safety team, in consultation with Jeff Vadakin from Magnum Electronics, a Motorola channel partner, explored solutions. A demonstration of the MOTOTRBO digital two-way radio system confirmed its ability to provide seamless coverage throughout campus buildings, including basements, and extend communication range to the waterfront, over a mile away.
The MOTOTRBO system offered advanced features such as enhanced call signaling, privacy-scrambling, and Transmit Interrupt, enabling dispatchers and officers to prioritize critical communications during emergencies.
Recognizing the system's benefits, Director Roderick advocated for its adoption by other departments. The college deployed two MOTOTRBO repeaters atop an existing campus cell tower. MOTOTRBO control stations were installed in the security office and the Buildings and Grounds office, allowing for direct dispatch capabilities.
Key Components of the Solution:
- MOTOTRBO XPR™ 6500 portable radios
- MOTOTRBO XPR™ 6350 portable radios
- MOTOTRBO control station (including XPR™ 4550 mobile radios, desktop microphone, speakers, and power supply with battery backup)
FCC Narrowbanding Compliance
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated a transition from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz channel efficiency by January 1, 2013, to improve spectrum efficiency. MOTOTRBO digital radios provide a seamless path to this 12.5 kHz operation, allowing users to transition at their own pace. For more information, visit www.motorola.com/narrowbanding.
Results: Enhanced Safety, Productivity, and Collaboration
The implementation of the MOTOTRBO system has yielded significant improvements across Washington College:
Campus Public Safety
- Greater Coverage and Extended Range: Virtually eliminated coverage gaps, ensuring reliable communication indoors, outdoors, in basements, and up to a mile away at the waterfront.
- Enhanced Collaboration: A shared channel facilitates seamless communication with local hospital, police, fire services, and the 911 center, vital for campus safety and security.
- Faster Response: Improved situational awareness and rapid relay of critical information from officers (using text messaging and data capabilities) to external agencies speeds up response times. Motorola ML910 ruggedized laptops in squad cars integrate with campus wireless cameras.
- Emergency Alerts: The emergency button and Caller ID features allow officers to immediately signal for help and enable dispatchers to listen in and assess the situation, improving response accuracy.
- Working Smarter: The system allows for more efficient use of limited budgets by leveraging technology to extend existing resources, integrating surveillance cameras and an emergency broadcast system for a secure campus environment.
"MOTOTRBO proves that it's not just about adding manpower. It's about using the right communications tools that help us extend our existing resources."
- Jerry Roderick, Director of Public Safety, Washington College
Buildings and Grounds
- Increased Productivity: Supervisors can efficiently coordinate repair and maintenance activities across campus. Integrated data capabilities support automated work order tickets.
- Eliminated Missed Messages: Replaced unreliable cell phones, ensuring work crews receive all messages and requests, even when inside buildings.
- Reduced Operational Costs: Eliminates monthly cell phone fees, significantly lowering departmental expenses.
- Increased Work Efficiency: Greater range compared to analog radios ensures constant contact for workers, even when off-campus.
- Greater Safety: Programmed with the shared public safety channel and emergency button, providing direct contact with campus public safety and city 911 in emergencies.
Athletics Department
- Campus to Waterfront Communication: Enables reliable communication for coaches and staff at the waterfront, a mile from campus, for rowing and sailing events.
- Submersible Radios: MOTOTRBO portable radios meet IP57 standards, withstanding submersion in water for up to 30 minutes, crucial for water sports.
- Weather Alerts: A dedicated channel provides NOAA weather forecasts, allowing staff to monitor conditions for outdoor events.
Supporting Technology and Partnerships
Motorola offers a range of accessories designed to complement the MOTOTRBO system, including IMPRES™ Smart Energy System batteries and chargers, speaker microphones, and carry accessories.
Magnum Electronics, an Authorized Motorola Sales and Service Partner, provided expertise and support, earning Motorola's MOTOSTAR Excellence Award multiple times for their business results and customer focus.
Washington College as a Community Resource
Washington College actively collaborates with local emergency planning committees and has served as a community resource during critical events, such as providing mass immunizations during the H1N1 crisis and offering emergency shelter for evacuated factory employees. The MOTOTRBO system enhances the college's ability to coordinate effectively with external agencies during such emergencies.
"We need to communicate directly with the fire and rescue people who might be coming onto the campus in an emergency. It would have been a lot easier during those two events if we'd had the MOTOTRBO system to coordinate with the other responding agencies."
- Jerry Roderick, Director of Public Safety, Washington College
