Heat Mapping for WiFi & Emergency Responder Radio Communications
Dylan Mills and Hester Ng are now iBwave Public Safety Certified
Salter is pleased to announce our team members, Dylan Mills and Hester Ng, are now iBwave Public Safety Certified. The iBwave Public Safety Certification Program instills proficiency in indoor wireless design planning and deployment using modeling software for emergency responder radio communications systems (ERRCS).
Wireless communications systems are an ever-increasing requirement for any building. These systems include not only well-known WiFi, but also distributed antenna systems (DAS) for emergency responders and cellular communications. Low-e glass, required for energy efficiency, blocks cellular and emergency responder communication signals entering buildings. For emergency responders, such as firefighters, to use their radios anywhere in a building (preferred to the traditional jack plug), most jurisdictions now require new buildings to have their own radio systems. The requirements for these systems have been established under NFPA 72 with final acceptance by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, typically the Fire Marshal.
For wireless systems, the proper placement and configuration of the antennas is imperative; determining the placement after construction and establishing 2-hour rated pathways is costly. Software is available to prepare a predictive model for wireless systems before they are built. The output of this modeling is often called a “heat map” and illustrates the signal strength of a proposed antenna configuration. Salter has offered predictive modeling services for WiFi systems for several years.
With the iBwave Public Safety Certification of Dylan and Hester, Salter now provides this modeling for ERRCS. This service is offered in addition to our other low-voltage services of audiovisual, telecommunications, and security.