Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/144260
ON THE JOB NEWS EYE ON EDUCATION JUST HANDED DOWN DISCIPLINE MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS News AT&T; Public Safety Mobile Hackathon Carlson TVWS Range-Boosting Antenna The first-ever AT&T; Public Safety Mobile Hackathon took place in May in Palo Alto. Focusing on the power of technology to create mobile solutions that could benefit the first-responder community, the event challenged professional and novice app developers alike to create public safety apps that would help meet the unique needs of first responders. During the 28-hour competition, more than 70 participants created 11 mobile apps that offered real solutions to challenges faced by first responders. Presented with three challenges to hack toward, participants developed apps to assist public safety officials with team communications, situational awareness, and location tracking. The winning apps included: 1st Place: InstantAct – Provides public safety officials in the field with a more modern way of communicating via voice as well as providing location awareness to colleagues. 2nd Place: Trakr – Enables both citizens and police officers to upload data regarding small crimes. The location of this information would then be analyzed with a heat map, enabling police departments to best utilize their resources. 3rd Place: CERTify – Allows CERT coordinators to manage the day-to-day activities of its CERT managers, helping to track their training and credentialing. The scope of remote public safety connectivity just got an extension with Carlson's new High-Gain Yagi Directional UHF antenna for RuralConnect. The antenna provides a three-mile boost to the previous range of Carlson's RuralConnect radio, a TV White Space device that delivers wireless broadband to rugged locations where Wi-Fi and microwave connections are impossible. With the ability to reach distances of up to 10 miles from the base station, the Yagi antenna provides optimized high-gain performance on longer paths—well suited for medium-tower environments. The Yagi is the latest addition to Carlson's ecosystem of range-increasing accessories for RuralConnect. The antenna's heavy duty, all-weather environment capabilities make it an excellent low-density solution that keeps infrastructure down in the remote locations that need it most. Cassidian Expands 9-1-1 Response for Ridgecrest, Calif. Police TEMECULA, Calif. – Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, announced the selection and deployment of the new VESTA®/Sentinel® 4 Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) call taking system by the Ridgecrest (Calif.) Police Department. The purchase was supported by the state's five-year funding allocation for 9-1-1. In addition to the highly configurable desktop user interface, the VESTA®/Sentinel® 4 system also accommodates roles-based login with multiple layouts and workflows. An advanced dial directory provides superior contact management and dialing control. The VESTA®/Sentinel® 4 system is a primary building block within the integrated multimedia geospatial platform, which is currently under rapid development. This public-safety communications ecosystem encompasses call routing and call processing, mapping, MIS and analytics, emergency notification, P25 land mobile radio and LTE, and crucial managed services like real-time monitoring and response. 10 LAW and ORDER I July 2013 Las Vegas Inks Contract with Motorola for Interoperable Police Communications Network SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Motorola Solutions, Inc. and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (METRO), announced a $26 million contract for the implementation of an ASTRO®25 missioncritical Phase 2 700 MHz digital radio system that will expand P25 interoperability throughout Clark County and Southern Nevada. A Motorola ASTRO 25 700 MHz simulcast trunking network for the Las Vegas metropolitan area and a Motorola ASTRO 25 700 MHz trunking network for Clark County will enable interoperability and better coordination between METRO officers and other agencies in Southern Nevada. The communications system will also include Motorola APX™mobile and portable radios, upgraded dispatch equipment and helicopter radios. PDT Technologies and UZIEL Fighting System to Deliver Reality-Based Training ALAMO, Calif. – Practical Defense Training Technologies (PDT) and UZIEL Fighting System© announced a strategic channel partnership designed to address the training needs of law enforcement, military and private security personnel. UZIEL, a combatives training company, will now offer PDT's full line of reality-based training products, which includes personal protective equipment, training knives, portable ranges, targets and more. Through this partnership, UZIEL expands its close-quarters combat (CQC) curriculum, specifically in the area of edged weapons courses.