Martin County School District doubles as a storm shelter during hurricanes, making it challenging for radio frequencies to penetrate heavy metal and concrete.
Published: August 17, 2024 Author: CS Staff
Stephen B Calvert Clariosophic via Wikimedia
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Advanced RF Technologies, Inc. (ADRF), a distributed antenna system (DAS) and repeater provider, and Communications International (Ci), a systems integrator specializing in the design and implementation of communications networks, announces a partnership with Martin County School District (MCSD) to bring public safety and LTE connectivity to first responders, faculty, and students at South Fork High School and Crystal Lake Elementary.
MCSD schools often double as storm shelters due to frequent hurricanes in the region, which makes it challenging for radio frequencies (RF) to penetrate the heavy metal and concrete walls. The new emergency responder communication enhancement systems (ERCES) and LTE network systems provided by ADRF and installed by Ci ensure strong RF signals are brought indoors to every area of the schools including stairwells, elevators, and basements, according to a press release. The LTE systems will also provide redundancy for other connected school safety measures currently running on WiFi. These include the silent panic buttons in classrooms, autonomous emergency doors, and the surveillance camera network.
“We are committed to investing the resources necessary to protect children, our most precious resource,” said Frank Frangella, Chief of Safety & Security at MCSD. “Critical communication systems are essential for our districts’ police officers, firefighters, and EMTs to communicate effectively during emergency situations and ultimately save lives. South Fork and Crystal Lake Elementary are the first two schools to receive dedicated cellular connectivity networks, with plans for additional schools underway.”
The ERCES and LTE is built on ADRF’s ADXV distributed antenna system (DAS) and supports the public safety bands (including FirstNet Band 14) as well as commercial frequencies for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The company says it is one of the first commercial and public safety converged network deployments in Florida, where public safety and commercial LTE bands share the same infrastructure in accordance with the NFPA 1225 standards, including UL 2524, second edition.
“Every second counts in times of crisis, and there are severe consequences if students and faculty can’t call 911 or first responders are unable to coordinate on-premises,” said Joe Ioco, Vice President of Business Development, In-Building Wireless Division at Communications International (Ci). “This integration ensures comprehensive signal coverage throughout buildings, enhancing both security and peace of mind for students, faculty, and the district at large. And by leveraging ADRF’s innovative converged technology we were able to deploy public safety and commercial systems within a single infrastructure to reduce costs, improve installation efficiency, and minimize disruptions to school activities.”
“We are thrilled to support Martin County School District and our longtime partner Communications International in providing the equipment to keep first responders, faculty and students connected,” said Jim Lilienfeld, Sr. Regional Manager at ADRF. “Our modular ADXV DAS ensures Martin County schools can support their needs today and easily upgrade the system should they want or need to add RF bands to the system in the future.”