FIRST RESPONDERS STAY CONNECTED WITH APX™ 7000 P25 MULTIBAND RADIOS

Customer Profile

• Organization: Nebraska State Patrol
• Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
• Industry: Public Safety, Law Enforcement

Motorola Solution

• Multiband APX™ Project 25-capable portable radios
• ASTRO® 25 System
• 700 MHz P25 Digital Vehicular Repeaters

Solution Features

• Multiband operation for seamless interoperability
• Best-in-class audio
• Emergency button alerting dispatch
• GPS to identify location
• Text messaging for added information
• Designed for future expandability

Situation

Image: A group of Nebraska State Patrol officers in uniform stand in front of a white mobile command post vehicle. The vehicle has 'NEBRASKA STATE PATROL MOBILE COMMAND POST' written on its side.

The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) monitors public safety and enforces the law over 10,000 miles of highways throughout the state. Whether tracking a fugitive or responding to an accident scene, the demands on Nebraska State Troopers escalate whenever they pull off the road and step out of their patrol cars.

Typically working in remote, rural locations, Nebraska Troopers relied on portable radios limited by low-band, analog technology. This, compounded by Midwestern weather, stifled their ability to reach dispatchers, fellow officers, or other agencies at critical moments. "We had many dead spots where there was diminished or no radio coverage under the low-band system,” explained NSP Lt. Col. Thomas Schwarten.

When Nebraska collaborated with the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to install a VHF ASTRO® 25 statewide trunking network, Schwarten and colleagues insisted on APX portables to overcome their long-standing radio restrictions.

Solution

As Nebraska finalized plans with Motorola for a statewide interoperable ASTRO 25 VHF trunking network, the state selected the next-generation Motorola APX 7000 multiband portables for NSP Troopers.

Featuring a large LCD display for text messaging and a 1-watt loud audio speaker, an ergonomic shape for first responders, a GPS receiver, and multiband operation, the APX 7000 functions like a hand-held computer in radio form. "We were eager to use the new APX," Schwarten said. "It's a state-of-the-art radio, having the ability of multiple bands, GPS and the emergency button—all critical features for the safety of our troopers that we never had before."

Result

With the addition of 700 MHz P25 Digital Vehicular Repeaters (DVR), NSP Troopers gained reliable and efficient portable communications. The vehicular repeater boosts the portable's signal to communicate with towers and other users.

"When a trooper is out of the car in a very rural area and not in range of a tower, he'll basically use the patrol vehicle and the repeater system to take care of the connection for us,” Schwarten said. When within tower coverage, troopers can connect directly to a dispatcher. “That's one less step, one less issue to deal with. We're going right from the portable radio to the tower to speak to the dispatcher,” Schwarten added.

"The 1-watt loud audio speaker helps a lot. If a trooper is alongside a road, in a noisy environment, this helps the officer hear."

—Ron Lehms, Electronics Section Supervisor, Nebraska State Patrol

Agency Interoperability with the APX 7000

Image: A Nebraska State Trooper in uniform, holding a Motorola APX 7000 radio. A Nebraska State Patrol vehicle is visible in the background.

Frustration arises when public safety officers cannot connect with each other. Before the new statewide trunking network, this was a challenge for Nebraska State Troopers. "It can be very unnerving for a trooper when a local agency goes by, running with their sirens to an emergency somewhere and he has no idea what's going on,” Schwarten said.

The APX 7000's multiband capability has enabled new agency interoperability for NSP, which was lacking with previous low-band technology. "It will allow us the possibility of responding to urgent calls with local agencies to assist when available.”

Clear Communication at Long Distances

Image: A Nebraska State Patrol vehicle parked on the side of a road. A trooper is standing near the vehicle. A Motorola APX 7000 radio is visible in the foreground, resting on the car's hood.

With the need to communicate across Nebraska's wide-open spaces, NSP Troopers find the APX 7000 radio a revelation. During the network launch, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman used an APX 7000 to call an NSP dispatcher 450 miles away. "It's just phenomenal the crystal clear digital signal that is transmitted by those radios," Schwarten said. "It's hard for us to even imagine ... that you can be talking to a dispatcher 450 miles away and it sounds like you are standing next to him or her."

Audio quality is enhanced by 2-microphone noise suppression and a 1-watt speaker. "The 1-watt audio speaker helps a lot," said Ron Lehms, Electronics Section Supervisor for the NSP. "If a trooper is alongside a road, in a noisy environment, this helps the officer hear."

Designed with Emergencies in Mind

For first responders, a moment saved can be a life saved. The dual-display APX 7000 with text-messaging capabilities is engineered for easy reading in situations where voice communications might delay vital announcements. "For instance, when we put out an Amber Alert or other widespread message, we can put it in a text message and have it right in front of all troopers rather than do it on a voice call," said Lehms. The bright, high-resolution display reinforces messaging clarity.

"It's just phenomenal the crystal clear digital signal that is transmitted by those radios. It's hard for us to even imagine ... that you can be talking to a dispatcher 450 miles away and it sounds like you are standing next to him or her."

—Lt. Col. Thomas Schwarten, Nebraska State Patrol

An ergonomic design for easy handling and rugged construction for durability are also key APX 7000 traits. "It feels good in your hand—you don't feel like you're going to drop it,” Lehms said. He praised the water resistance and ruggedness, tested during a spring snowstorm. "The water resistance kept everyone working, which allowed us to do our jobs."

Ready for Network Expansion

Image: A scenic view of a highway in Nebraska stretching into the distance. In the foreground, a Motorola APX 7000 radio is placed on the asphalt.

"We were eager to use the new APX. It's a state-of-the-art radio, having the ability of multiple bands, GPS and the emergency button—a critical feature for the safety of our troopers that we never had before."

—Lt. Col. Thomas Schwarten, Nebraska State Patrol

NSP officials sought a radio that easily connected with new users on the system. This was crucial as the state deployed the ASTRO 25 statewide trunking network, which would include all first-responder agencies, local agencies, and public power utilities.

The APX's adaptability makes it ideal for agencies like Nebraska's Department of Correctional Services. "They're based in a confined location such as a penitentiary and they need radio coverage within the facility,” said Schwarten.

According to Terry R. Ewing, Special Services Administrator for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the APX portable radio is used by executive staff, wardens, and emergency preparedness personnel. "Corrections leadership has the ability to communicate with one another during routine and emergency activities and talk to external support agencies if needed,” Ewing said. “Until now, we did not have these valuable capabilities in a single radio.”

If troopers respond to a penitentiary incident, the APX 7000 allows dispatchers to separate transmissions into different talk groups, avoiding confusion when officers from multiple agencies speak simultaneously. "That's something that 9/11 taught us," Schwarten said.

Schwarten believes his agency is just beginning to realize the benefits of APX portables, including connecting numerous talk groups and switching easily between bands. "I think we're probably just touching the surface of what APX radios are able to do for us."

Learn More

Visit www.motorolasolutions.com/apx or call 866-850-8696.

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