Effective public safety systems have become a key element of healthy, thriving communities throughout the world. Such systems ensure that help is available to those who need it, when they need it. They also provide a central point from which emergency resources can be coordinated during a disaster or other public-safety emergency. Without effective, interoperable communication systems, however, such operations are flying blind. Hurricane Katrina is an extreme example of a disaster that was made worse by a lack of effective emergency communications.

Driven by such concerns, the Government of Huila in Neiva, Colombia, decided several years ago to create a centralized, public safety and emergency communications center.

The project, which started in 2004 and was completed August of 2006, is now providing the citizens of Huila with a model public safety and emergency services center.

Huila and Meltec join forces
Huila is one of 32 departments—equivalent to states or provinces—that form the republic of Colombia. It was the Government of Huila that chose Meltec to equip the new communications center.

Meltec is a distributor and integrator of telecommunications solutions that include two-way radios, dispatch systems, wide-band wireless, satellite and digital voice systems. The company’s services include system consultation, design and installation, as well as system repair and maintenance. Although Meltec works primarily with public and private security entities and governmental agencies, they have also done projects for industries such as mining, oil, transportation, agriculture, construction and trade.

When asked how Meltec was selected for this project, Adriana Correa, Operations Manager at Meltec responds: "Meltec won the bid for this project because our proposal fulfilled all of the technical requirements the government defined for this project."

Updating emergency services for Huila
Prior to this project, Huila had no centralized communications center. What they did have was a single, radio-operator position staffed only eight hours a day to work phone lines and various Motorola radios. These were supported by UHF and VHF communications through Motorola repeater sites located in Cerro Neiva and Cerro Gabinete. But the Government of Huila recognized that this system was outdated, inefficient, and not serving the needs of the public.

They decided to construct and equip the Urgency and Emergency Control Center (C.R.U.E.) – a new, integrated system that would include radio dispatching, telephones, and digital voice recording. The C.R.U.E. would be designed to:

The Model 4010 is the centerpiece
Meltec chose the Zetron Model 4010 radio dispatch console to serve as the centerpiece of the communications solution for the new C.R.U.E.

The Model 4010 is a self-contained, single-position console that can accommodate up to 12 radio channels and two telephone lines. The system for the C.R.U.E. consolidated the various Motorola radios they had been using previously, as well as telephone and other key equipment, onto a single console. In addition, special software was included to help medical staff provide callers with emergency medical information if necessary.

Ensuring interoperability
The Model 4010 would also provide the C.R.U.E. with the interoperability necessary to communicate with other institutions and agencies, even those that use different radio equipment. Without interoperability, agencies that use dissimilar equipment can find it difficult if not impossible to communicate with each other. Agencies whose systems support interoperability, on the other hand, are able coordinate, manage and share emergency resources and information much more easily and effectively.

A smooth implementation
According to Pedro Silva, inspector of the contract between the Government of Huila and Meltec, Meltec played a major role in the smooth implementation of the new system. "Meltec provided excellent support during and after the deployment," he says. "And the training Meltec provided was also very good. The operators quickly understood the system, and they now use it without any problems—it is very user friendly."

2,500 calls a month
Although the C.R.U.E. receives approximately 2,500 calls per month, it is well equipped to provide effective emergency and public safety services to the citizens of Huila 24 hours a day, every day.

"The system is very complete," says Silva. "It is easy to configure and manage. In addition, the Zetron console has worked perfectly and does an excellent job of providing the functionality the C.R.U.E. was looking for."

Clearly, the project for the C.R.U.E. has proven to be a success: "Now, people can call the emergency center and find an immediate answer to their emergency needs," says Silva. "They are automatically attended to by medical staff, and they can also get additional help immediately if they need it."