Interagency radio network keeps managers in the know.Citywide Disaster Services, Inc., a not for profit organization chartered in 1975, is expanding its Citywide1NY interagency radio network, making it available to property managers, security and fire safety directors, and chief engineers in commercial buildings throughout New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Keith Brooks, founder of Citywide Disaster Services, Inc. the decision to offer two-way radio A voice network that provides an always-on connection enabling the user to just "push the button and talk." Also called "dispatch radio," two-way radio has traditionally been used by police, fire, taxi and other mobile fleets. access over CW1NY stemmed from the knowledge that events occurring in and around the city can have repercussions repercussions npl → répercussions fpl repercussions npl → Auswirkungen pl far from the actual scene. "People in these positions have a responsibility to maintain public safety at their locations. They need to know what's happening around them and they need it quickly," said Brooks. They also need answers when situations arise. That was the case this past summer when a commercial property near Grand Central Terminal reported a brown-out over the CW1NY frequency. While other properties in the area got busy signals when they tried to reach Con Edison by phone, the on-site security director at 425 Lexington Avenue was able to speak via radio to someone from CityWide who provided a clear assessment of the situation as well as an estimated time for repair. "Our information comes from people in law enforcement, public safety and transportation, utilities, weather, marine and aviation units," explained Brooks. "They are located throughout the tri-state area There are a number of places in the United States known as tri-state areas where three states or holdings meet at one point (a tripoint), or in proximity to each other. The two most well-known are for the New York and Chicago metropolitan areas. , they are pre-screened and the majority of our information comes to us in realtime." CityWide also has direct radio communication with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and ). The Citywide frequency can be programmed into a range of UHF (Ultra High Frequency) The range of electromagnetic frequencies from 300 MHz to 3 GHz. In the U.S., analog television has used UHF channels 52 to 69 in the 700 MHz band. radios and serves as a valuable source of information for its participants. Although two-way access on this frequency is limited to commercial properties, the information garnered from CW1NY members is made available to residential properties via a second radio network called CityLink, the former Interlock A device that prohibits an action from taking place. , Interwatch and QueensWatch radio networks which had been operated by the Association for a Better New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of for more than 30 years. According to Jo-Ann Polise, former program director for ABNY's radio programs, the restructured network maintained the best features while incorporating several system upgrades and by establishing a relationship with Citywide1New York. "In addition to being able to summon police, fire department and EMS using their CityLink radio, subscribers who monitor their radios will hear periodic bulletins and situation reports," said Polise. "Past participants as well as new subscribers are taking advantage of this low cost opportunity to add an additional layer to their security and communications infrastructures." CityLink radios are equipped with an Automatic Identification Board (AIB AIB n abbr (BRIT) (= Accident Investigation Bureau) → oficina de investigación de accidentes AIB n abbr (Brit) (= Accident Investigation Bureau) → ) which causes important information about the participating location to appear on the dispatch computer monitor as soon as the transmit key is depressed. The value of the AIB was clearly evident when a doorman yelled "Fire! Fire!" over the air several months ago without providing any other information. CityLink dispatch personnel trained in 911 protocols and procedures and summoned the fire department to the correct location. The ubiquitous cell phone has given some a false sense of security. Recent events have shown that natural disasters, power outages, fiber cable cuts and software problems can cripple the telephone services of entire regions. Additionally, congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. in the Public Switched Telephone Network, such as the well-documented "Mother's Day phenomenon," can prevent access to circuits. Under the auspices of Citywide Disaster Services, CityLink Dispatch has been authorized by the Office of Homeland Security to utilize Government Emergency Telecommunication Services (GETS). GETS allows the authorized entity to communicate over existing PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) The worldwide voice telephone network. Once only an analog system, the heart of most telephone networks today is all digital. In the U.S. paths with a high likelihood of call completion during the most severe conditions of high-traffic congestion and disruption. Recent upgrades include digital recordings of all transmissions, enhancements to improve voice quality, and battery back-up capable of running the system for several days in the event of a power outage. The CityLink system previously confined to Manhattan and Queens now also operates in Brooklyn. The importance of timely information and redundancy in the area of security and communication is not lost to many properties, organizations, and institutions throughout the city. The current roster of participants includes the Glenwood Management portfolio of luxury residential properties, Rudin Management's commercial and residential properties, Manhattan Mini-Storage and Edison Parking locations throughout Manhattan, New York Law School History New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The Law School was founded in 1891 by a group of faculty, students, and alumni of Columbia Law School led by their founding dean, Theodore William Dwight, a prominent figure in the , several Business Improvement Districts, and an array of properties in Queens. The annual participation fee for either of the frequencies is $365. Commercial properties opting for two-way access on both CityWide and CityLink can do so for $600 per year. For information about the radio networks call 212-308-2180. |
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