Verizon Frontline has announced the completion of a communications upgrade for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) with its Verizon One Talk.
"Working with, and through, our partner vendors and Verizon solutions architects, we were able to meet the short timeline to implement this solution so the FDNY could continue to serve and protect the citizens of New York's five boroughs,"
Alex Sims, Verizon Business Client Executive for New York City said.
The project saw the telco Verizon's public sector comms solutions arm replace a legacy central exchange (Centrex) phone system with a more modern and robust one.
First Responders' System Needs
FDNY, the US's biggest fire department, selected Verizon Frontline to provide an advanced, secure, and reliable connectivity solution after upgrading its Centrex system.
US government agencies have long relied on Centrex lines for their telecommunications needs, appreciating the outsourced management, feature-rich service, multi-location support, lack of on-site equipment requirements and with equipment costs having long since been paid for.
However, these systems are increasingly being phased out due to their limitations and drawbacks.
While Centrex offered initial cost savings and convenience, it has become relatively expensive as user numbers grow, lacks customisation options, and relies on shared infrastructure that raises security and reliability concerns.
In the US the usage of Centrex lines has fallen from 16.5 million in 2002 to 10.7 million in 2008 as users transition to IP-PBX (through VoIP).
Yet government agencies like fire departments have specific needs that other VoIP providers may not be accustomed to.
For instance, the FDNY responds to millions of emergency calls each year across New York City's 302 square miles.
The department has 218 firehouses, 39 EMS stations, and additional support facilities like fleet services, fire alarm and emergency medical dispatch, and health services.
Therefore, unique requirements could include a system that supports high call volumes, provide communications in rugged conditions and offer integration with computer-aided dispatch systems, to name a few.
