The safety and well-being of children in schools is of utmost importance. Parents, teachers, and school administrators have always been concerned about the safety of children on school premises. In recent years, there have been instances of violence and crime on school premises, which have further increased the need for better safety measures. Push-to-Talk over cellular (PoC) technology is one such innovation that can help protect the gatekeepers of our future.
Traditional radios that operate on analog or digital frequencies often struggle to connect in school buildings due to the building’s construction, which can cause signal interference and weaken the radio signal. The materials used in school buildings, such as concrete and steel, can cause radio signals to bounce and scatter, making it difficult for radio signals to penetrate walls and floors. These same difficulties can be found in the industrial private sector, event venues and hospitals.
Notably, during the Uvalde tragedy, the problem outlined above was on full display.While there were clear issues with the response, radio issues were top of mind for several first responders involved.
“Arredondo added that based on his prior experience, the radios didn’t work well in some of the school buildings, and that he would have turned them off in the hallways to avoid being detected by the gunman.”
Additionally, traditional radios often have limited range and can only communicate within a specific radius. This means that if a teacher or school administrator is outside of the radio’s range, they won’t be able to communicate with others in the event of an emergency.
To meet this challenge, PoC/RoIP radios can leverage both cellular connections and Wi-Fi to overcome many of these limitations. From a hardware perspective, these connections can be made via radio and phone app platforms. Wi-Fi signals and LTE,4/5G signals can penetrate walls and floors better than traditional radio signals, providing better coverage and range within the school premises. Moreover, e-radios can also leverage cellular networks, which can provide even broader coverage and range. This means that school administrators and teachers can communicate with each other and emergency responders from anywhere, at any time. The technology itself is easy to integrate, allowing multiple agencies and districts to interop. Ultimately creating efficient responses to threats while making sure everyone is on the same page without communication hurdles.
Finally, e-radios can provide additional features that traditional radios cannot. For example, e-radios provide real-time location tracking, which can be helpful during an emergency situation. School administrators and teachers can quickly identify the location of an individual who needs assistance, and emergency responders can respond more quickly and efficiently. With prices considerably lower than traditional radios, some may wonder about the durability of E-radios. Not only are radios like Echo911, dust proof, but they are also water resistant. E-radios can charge via USB and can even filter out ambient noise when transmitting. There’s more to it and plenty of information can be found at Echo911.com
Echo911 not only provides a cutting-edge radio system, it also has a comprehensive emergency dispatch & monitoring system that utilizes the latest technology and is overseen by highly trained individuals with a passion for public safety. Echo911 was started by first responders who still proudly serve several communities through police, fire, EMS and emergency management. Our team also offers free demos!
256.888.8911