The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working to keep lines of communication open, separate, and clear between multiple first responder organizations. The goal is to have the right technology able to simultaneously coordinate victim care, prevent further injuries, and ensure that resources are available in emergencies.
Recently, field tests were held in Nebraska to see how effective the Hybrid Public Safety Microphone or commonly called “Turtle Mike” could be used to enable law enforcement, medical, fire and rescue, and public works personnel to merge Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and broadband systems to better communicate with each other in an emergency.
During an emergency, first responders, medical teams and others support the use of LMRs which have limited frequencies and bands and then augment the LMRs with smart devices using cellular broadband networks. As the LMR and broadband systems operate independently, the Turtle Mike allows responders to create a teleconference platform that can be accessed by both systems.
According to Tom Chirhart, Telecommunications Specialist at S&T’s First Responders Group (FRG) www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/first-responders, “The Turtle Mike is able to take the conversation of the frequencies and bridge them together enabling responders to talk radio-to-radio, or broadband-to-broadband, or radio-to-broadband.”
Phase one laboratory testing is currently concluding at the Public Safety Communications Research Program www.pscr.gov located in Boulder Colorado. DHS S&T and Interop Solutions are actively engaged in ongoing prototype development for the Turtle Mike solution, with the final product planned for commercial availability in 2015.
www.firstresponder.gov/lists/Technology/Profiles/attachments/50/Turtle%20Mike%20One-page.pdf has a Fact Sheet on Turtle Mike.