DOWNEY - Raytheon Company has been chosen by Los Angeles County to replace legacy emergency dispatch consoles with new ones that can easily be expanded for emerging public safety technologies such as Long Term Evolution, a high-speed, wireless broadband data network. Under a $12.5 million contract, Raytheon will replace all public safety communications consoles for the sheriff and fire departments, allowing them to be more responsive to their communities while raising efficiency and lowering maintenance costs.

"Our first responders deserve the best equipment to save lives," said Mike Prout, vice president of Security and Transportation Systems for Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business. "Raytheon provides innovative technologies that every sheriff's deputy or firefighter can rely on."

When the twin-screen consoles are in place, public safety dispatchers can readily see which units are available and have the shortest response time in handling both routine and emergency incidents.

For L.A. County, the changes will also bring about increased interoperability between jurisdictions. For example, county Fire Department dispatchers will now have the ability to directly connect with nearby fire agencies at the touch of a button. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFire) and Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties can form talk groups on radio channels that provide immediate communications with dispatchers. This will enhance both efficiency and safety in responding to multi-agency wildfires and other emergency situations.

"This type of interoperability is exactly what first responders need in this era of multi-agency, multi-discipline responses," said John Lenihan, Battalion chief, L.A. County Fire Department.

"These radio consoles are the first step in improving interoperability throughout the region," added Capt. Scott Edson, commander of the Sheriff's Department Communications and Fleet Management Bureau. "They allow our Public Response Dispatchers to more efficiently serve the deputies in the field, including 'patching' other radio systems together in a time of need. Raytheon is again helping us do even more to protect our deputies and the communities we serve."

TJ Kennedy, director of Public Safety and Security at Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business, noted that, "The hardware and software integration will be done at Raytheon's Public Safety Regional Technology Center in Downey, Calif., near Los Angeles. It is the only one of its kind in the country focused on developing open architecture and open communications standards for public safety professionals. And, it was designed to help first responders integrate new solutions and learn how future technologies can benefit their communities."

Raytheon is currently installing new mobile data laptop computers in more than 2,000 Sheriff's Department vehicles to increase safety and help deputies perform more efficiently.

********** Published: June 21, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 10