Siemens and Radio Solutions, Inc. (RSI) announce a strategic alliance to offer reliable and critical communications for first responders. The alliance teams Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement Systems (ERCES) from RSI, a Norwell, Mass.-based manufacturer of UL 2524-listed Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) with Siemens’ life safety industry expertise and national footprint. This combined effort will further bolster Siemens’ continued efforts to deliver increased safety by minimizing responder time and ensuring building occupants are protected at the highest level.
“Reliable radio coverage is essential for first responders during emergencies because lives depend on it. However, most commercial buildings, including hospitals and schools, lack sufficient coverage,” said Admir Surkovic, Founder and CEO/CTO of Radio Solutions, Inc. ”Our strategic alliance with Siemens expands our ability to ensure high quality deployments of our solutions, from high-rise towers to single story schools, from hospitals and municipal buildings to transportation hubs and tunnels.”
Modern energy-efficient construction materials, particularly those used in LEED-certified buildings, such as Low-E glass and metal-clad insulation dramatically reduce the ability for radio frequency transmissions to reach first responders inside buildings. Environmental factors such as proximity to the public safety radio repeater site or nearby buildings and other structures also affect how radio communications penetrate buildings.
“In the past, we were primarily asked to specify only fire detection and notification systems. Today, electrical and general contractors, as well as building owners are requesting more and more that we incorporate Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement Systems into our fire and life safety portfolio,” said Dave Hopping, President and CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. “And that’s where RSI and Siemens come together, to provide a complete in-building solution by increasing protection for occupants and first responders in buildings.”
The RSI solution boosts the signal level of the desired frequencies for emergency communication (uplink and downlink) and distributes that boosted signal throughout the building, using antennas, cabling and other components that transmit to and receive communications from first responder radios. This allows first responders to communicate over their radios during an emergency without coverage gaps.
UL 2524-listed for In-building 2-Way Emergency Radio Communication Enhancement System, RSI’s ERCES is also independent third party verified and conforms with IFC (International Fire Code), NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm Signaling Code), and NFPA 1221 (Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems).
About Siemens
Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries. SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source – with products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption. With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. SI creates environments that care. With around 71,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and its U.S. corporate headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. For more than 160 years, the company has innovated and invented technologies to support American industry spanning manufacturing, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. In fiscal 2019, Siemens USA reported revenue of $26.5 billion, including $1.23 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
About Radio Solutions, Inc.
Radio Solutions, Inc. (RSI) (www.radiosolutionsinc.com) is an industry leading Emergency Communications Solutions Provider. RSI’s UL-Listed Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement Systems (ERCES) improve in-building Public Safety communications in all types of structures: from high rise office towers to single story schools, from hospitals and municipal buildings to transportation hubs and tunnels. RSI was the first manufacturer to launch a fully compliant and UL 2524-Listed Bi-Directional Amplifier System. Incorporated in 2000, RSI is based in Norwell, Massachusetts, USA.
Contacts for Journalists
Siemens
Allison Britt
Media Relations
+1-630-399-2587
allison.britt@siemens.com
Aynur Saltik
Media Relations
+1-312-560-3679
aynur.saltik@siemens.com
Radio Solutions, Inc.
Derek Case
Global Director, Marketing and Business Development
+1-781-384-2910
derek.case@radiosolutionsinc.com