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Control Centre Basics

A modern Emergency Communication Control centre contains a complex array of systems, which are not easily understood by people outside of the emergency communication industry.  The following description presents an overview of the various systems involved, with just enough detail to enable the reader to understand the system’s functionality.

 Modern Emergency Communication Control Centres usually consist of four separate clusters of systems, namely :-

• A video system, which provides visual information,
• An audio system, or Integrated Communication Control (ICC) system, which provides for the transmission and reception of audio information,  and is the functional backbone of the centre,
• A networking system, or Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, which provides for the transmission and reception of data, and
• A database system, which provides for the storage and access of digitally recorded data.

The diagram entitled “Communication Control Centre Basic Clusters” illustrates the four basic system clusters above the dotted line, and what theses clusters consist of beneath the dotted line.

In a Micromation Control Centre, virtually all the equipment is integrated into a single system, which permits the operators to monitor and control all the systems from their operating positions. 

The following short descriptions give an overview of the various systems.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) System

This system permits the operators to view various remote areas from the control centre.  The CCTV cameras are often remotely controlled via pan/tilt/zoom/focus controls available to the operators.

The CCTV system consists of remotely mounted CCTV cameras, with remotely controlled pan/tilt heads in the field.  The control room equipment consists of CCTV monitors, pan/tilt/zoom/focus operator controls, a video switching matrix, usually under computer control.

Multichannel Video Recorder

This video recorder records all the video cameras on a continual basis. 

Video Alarm Monitoring

An extension of the CCTV system permits the automatic detection of movement within specified sectors of fixed cameras, with the ability to raise an alarm when movement is detected.

Communication Control System

This system facilitates the fast and efficient handling of all incoming and outgoing verbal communication, including telephone lines, cell phones, two way radios and trunking radio.  It permits the simultaneous handling of the entire centre’s telephone and radio traffic by each operator, and presents all operators with a complete overview of the centre’s incoming as well as outgoing calls.

One communication console with two separate speech circuits is provided per Operator.  All the consoles communicate with central equipment cubicles. The central equipment cubicles consist of a powerful unblocked switch, with interfaces that communicates with the outside world via fixed line, primary or basic rate ISDN links, cellular phones, radio circuits, microwave or satellite links.  It may also communicate with a computer network system via CTI (computer telephony integration) ports, and a communication MIS (management information system) via a fast serial port.

Voice Paging/Intercom/Alarm System

This system is used to summon local staff, e.g. vehicle crews, and alert them as to the nature of the incident, and the vehicles they need to report to in order to handle the incident.  Slave intercom stations may be mounted in the various crew’s quarters, which not only provide two way communication with the Centre’s Operators, but also act as alarm systems when the crews are required to be called out for duty.  The public address facility may also include a background tape/CD/FM music function.

The Voice Paging/Intercom/Alarm system consists of specialised hardware, as well as individual slave stations mounted in the crew’s quarters.   It normally receives dispatching alarm instructions via a serial port from the computer network server.  One or more main stations also provide manual operation of the system.

Auto Attendant System

This system answers incoming callers when the control centre operators are all busy, tells the Callers that all the operators are busy, and asks Caller to wait for the next free operator.  The Auto Attendant then gives the callers a message about the activities the control centre is currently handling, in case that the Caller are phoning the centre to report a known incident.

The Auto Attendant system consists of a specialised industrial computer containing voice circuit ports, controlled by software accessible to the Supervisor.

Voice Emergency Notification System

Centres which have to deal with large scale emergencies, where many vehicles and people are involved, find that manual emergency call out procedures are too slow, and prone to errors.  The emergency notification system provides an automatic paging and personnel registration facility, where the staff can be marshaled very quickly.   All required staff are contacted by pager, fixed line telephone or cell phone, and given a recorded message which they need to acknowledge.  The system then knows the full staff complement that will be turning out to the incident or disaster.

Call Status Display

In centres where optimum performance is required from the operators, a Call Status Display is used to show the operators real time call statistics on a large LED display, such as the average ring time of incoming calls, and number of calls handled in a specific time period.   These real time statistics can be also displayed on the supervisor’s workstation. 

The Call Status Display system usually consists of a large LED display, driven via a serial port by computer software.

Multi-Channel Voice Recorder System

This system permits the voice recording of all verbal communication in the centre for instant operator recall, archival and legal protection/evidence purposes.  Some units are also able to record the Caller’s CLI (calling line identity).  Modern professional recorders offer instant recall, with CD or DAT archival.  

The voice recorder usually consists of specialised hardware as well as channel selection software which is accessible to Operators via the computer network.

Speaker Systems

This system includes a host of selectable loudspeaker options.  Digital, analogue and hybrid systems are used, depending on the centre’s operational requirements and budget.

Three different speaker systems are available.

• Broadcast speaker systems permit each operator to select up to 8 different channels on his or her broadcast speaker.  When any operator selects a channel that is currently being used for broadcast purposes, the system automatically mutes the broadcasting of that channel to prevent audio feedback.
• Monitor speaker boxes permit the operator to amplify his handset or headset audio.  Speaker muting is performed when the operator presses the push-to-talk switch
• Open Line systems permit the operator as well as the caller to talk simultaneously, without either party being muted or attenuated, (as happens with commercial speaker phones), and without needing a push-to-talk switch.

Call Taking System

This system is used for electronically recording all the necessary details pertaining to the Caller’s situation, and guides the Operator in asking and recording the answers to all the necessary questions.  It also files all the relevant details for later analysis.

The Call Taking system consists of a suite of software, loaded on each Operator’s computer workstation, archived and managed by the computer network server.

Mapping System

On line mapping permits the Call Taker to quickly find the location of the incident, and verify the position with the caller.  The Dispatcher uses a mapping system to locate the incident, the nearest essential resources (e.g. water), as well as to locate the site of the nearest Service Provider.  The GPS systems use mapping to show the Dispatcher location of the Service Provider’s vehicles.   Mapping systems can be highly stylised (showing streets and cross streets in a table), or very graphical (showing the topography of the area).

Digital Paging/SMS System

This performs a similar function to the Voice Paging/Intercom/Alarm/system above, except that it is used for the remote vehicle crews in the field.

The paging/SMS system consists mainly of computer software installed on the computer network server.  The associated radio and communication hardware is normally provided as a service by various radio paging companies, but can also be provided with the communication control central equipment cubicle.

Dispatching System

The dispatching system provides the operators with all the necessary information to dispatch the crew and vehicles to the location where they are required.

The Dispatching system consists of various suites of software, available on each Operator’s computer workstation.  The various suites include for the dispatching of Fire vehicles, Ambulances, Police, Traffic, Security, General Complaints, etc.   The Dispatching system is linked to the Call Taking system. 

GPS (Global Positioning) System

This system consist of specialsed units mounted in the vehicles, as well as communication equipment and software installed in the control centre.   It provides the Operators with the current location of all the vehicles, so that a free vehicle in the closest proximity to the incident can be dispatched. 

The GPS system is usually made available to all Operators via workstations on a dedicated computer network installed at the main control centre.

Vehicle/Fleet Management Systems

Often provider as an extension of the GPS system, it can also be used as an electronic tachograph to monitor the driver’s performance with regard to acceleration and braking, as well as monitor essential parameters such as engine oil pressure, engine temperature, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration and deceleration. 

In addition, it automatically monitors each and every vehicle to ensure that neither the vehicle, its crew, or the vehicles contents have been stolen or hi-jacked.

 
Note that real time monitoring and control requires vehicle mounted GPS equipment, but non-real time monitoring via vehicle mounted off line units are also available.

Finalisation System

This system permits the response crew to electronically report precisely what happened during the latest call out, as well as correct any information that may affect the billing of the service.

 
The finalisation system consists of various suites of software, according to the service being finalised.  It is normally resident in a remote station computer workstation, which is remotely connected to the main system LAN by a digital line, or alternatively connected by means of a computer modem dial-up network.

Report Generation System

The report writer system permits the supervisor to write his or her own reports compiled from the data captured and archived in the Microsoft SQL data bases.   Although standard reports are included in the suite of software, the standard reports do not necessarily suit all users.

Disaster Management System

The Disaster Management System, although using the many of the resources available to it from the Computer Aided Dispatching System and the Database System, will concentrate on presenting to management all the information on a vast array of resources which are needed to cope with a very serious incident, or a disaster.

Disasters requiring call-outs may use the Voice Emergency Notification system for the marshalling of resources.

Data Base Information Systems

These systems provide look up facilities for the Operators, and may be locally installed, such as the Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database, or remotely installed, such as the national traffic vehicle database (NATIS).  Also available are Hazmat, Poisons and various Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).  Typical databases have been illustrated in the diagram, but these databases are usually chosen by the Centre and would be applicable to the centre’s particular operation. 

 
The Database system consists of various different databases installed on a system server, available to all Operator’s on their computer workstation.

Integration of All the Above Systems

In order for the operators to be able to make optimum use of the above systems, they all need to be integrated together, and presented to the Operators in a concise and compact format.  It is obvious that all the above systems, if individually packaged, would take up far too much desk space, and would be totally unmanageable.   Micromation specialises in this integration process, and each Operator is given only a single radio/telephony console and a single computer workstation which handle all the above requirements.

Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS)

As all the above require electrical power during a mains failure period, Micromation is often called upon to supply either a central UPS system, or individual PC UPS units, depending on the number of PCs, and the standby period required.   The Communication Control System with its radio interfaces has an in built one hour standby supply, which can be optionally expanded to an eight hour standby period, without any separate UPS being necessary.

Control Centre Desking Systems

Control Centre Operators are required to work under high stress conditions, therefore their working environment becomes very important if they are to perform optimally.  Ergonomically designed high quality control desks reduce Operator stress levels, make the control centre a pleasant place to work in, reduce eye strain and EM radiation associated with VDUs.  Micromation’s “Modulinear” control desks allow all the installed equipment to be easily accessed for maintenance purposes, as all the panels, with the exception of the writing surface and instrument pod, are removable.

 
Emergency lighting, concealed behind the desk pelmet, allows the Operators to continue operating successfully, even if all the lighting in the centre fails.

Control Centre Civils

Micromation has architectural and interior design facilities to cater for centres which require civil work.   Control centres normally require close attention to be paid to electrics, acoustics, lighting, air conditioning, colour schemes, as well as control desk layouts throughout the centre.    If required, Micromation will design the entire centre from scratch, including all the civils.

Multi-Channel Voice Recorder System,  Control Centre Civils, Control Centre Desking System,