When you consider that a high percentage of 9-1-1 calls are placed using cell phones indoors, it becomes readily apparent that in-building cellular coverage is a public safety concern.

Current fire codes focus on legacy first responder radio technology called Land Mobile Radio (LMR). The increased use of cellular technology by first responders and the public has created the need to improve in-building cellular coverage to augment legacy LMR frequency bands.

Surveys have revealed that over 75% of employees use smartphones to be alerted to or to respond to emergency incidents while at work.

Among first responders – firefighters, law enforcement, and EMS – over 66% said they use smartphones while performing their duties during emergency incidents…

• Firefighters may not use smartphones to communicate with others while in the middle of a fire, but command personnel working on an incident often do.
• EMS personnel most likely will have heart monitors hooked up to a mobile connection that’s feeding data back to the hospital from an incident.
• Law enforcement officers have laptops in their cars that are used to send and receive information, and those systems are often tied to a cellular connection.

The growing use of smartphones and similarly connected devices by office workers and public safety responders highlights the need for reliable connectivity and in-building cell signal coverage, enabling them to send and receive crucial information while dealing with a variety of emergency situations.

Learn more about expanding cell signal coverage throughout your building or campus. Contact MABC today… Portsmouth: (757) 673-2200, Richmond: (804) 273-6500 or click to email.