The Boxborough Police and Fire Departments look after the City of Boxborough, a small town of about 5,000 people in Massachusetts, USA. They provide 24/7 police and fire coverage with the Police Force providing 13 full-time officers, and the Fire Department 29 firefighters.
We feel proud and fortunate to be able to support and work alongside so many inspirational individuals, groups and organizations who are also dedicated to ensuring safer and more resilient communities. We share the devotion to this cause and are proud of the supporting role we play in providing critical communications and services that help the people who keep each of us, our friends, our families and properties safe.
The mission set for us by our founder Sir Angus Tait is to ‘build lasting benefits for our clients and the communities in which we... Continue Reading
The City of Lexington celebrated the Go-Live of their new P25 digital communications system, which replaced an analog VHF system dating from the 1960s.
The system is being used by Lexington Police and Bluegrass Airport with plans for the fire service to switch later this year.
The Go-Live event marks the completion of a two year, $10 million project, for Fayette County Kentucky and Bluegrass Airport. In 2012, City of Lexington purchased a Cassidian 800MHz P25 trunked system and that year Tait won the contract to supply 550... Continue Reading
Coverage considerations will dictate the number and locations of your radio sites (also referred to as towers). Together with frequency availability and traffic patterns, they will determine whether the system should be simulcast, multicast or a hybrid of the two.
Coverage engineering may be the most complex area of the radio system specification and design process and is one critical area where your investment in a competent consultant will be well justified.
Measuring coverage
There are many ways to describe coverage performance. It is typically... Continue Reading
When Jim Wells County, an expansive county in South Texas and home to more than 40,000 citizens, first met us, they faced the threat of an outdated analog radio communications system that was unreliable and endangering the lives of the County’s law enforcement and emergency responders.
We committed to understanding the issues the County faced – a unique geography, limited funds, dated equipment and a tight schedule and delivered a three-site hybrid P25 digital and analog simulcast system. The Tait solution is now helping the County’s 400 law enforcement and emergency response agencies operate more effectively and safely. Continue Reading
We’ve talked about the dangers of getting locked into the wrong P25 solution before. And yet, we still hear about people getting tangled in the proprietary web some vendors weave.
Genuine open standards are non-proprietary, so you are never under the control of one vendor. Choosing open standards will increase your choice of certified vendors and bring down prices, improve technical quality, and avoid the risk of being locked into a sole supplier. Continue Reading
The main difference between P25 Phase 1 and Phase 2 is system capacity, so the primary reason for opting for Phase 2 is additional capacity.
Phase 2 TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) doubles the number of talk paths compared with Phase 1. P25 Phase 2 TDMA creates two logical channels in one 12.5kHz physical channel. Because the Phase 2 control channel is unchanged from Phase 1 there is compatibility between the phases. Continue Reading
Decisions used to be easy in the world of analog conventional systems – just add channels/base stations when and where needed, at the existing or new radio sites, maybe re-program some radios, and you were done.
With the advent of digital networks and wide area trunking technology, the answer is no longer so clear. Ever-increasing technical complexity and continuous competition make the situation even more challenging. Even securing ball-park estimates for your options may be very difficult to obtain.
Replace or upgrade?
At first sight an upgrade... Continue Reading
Technology plays a valuable role in connecting law enforcement agencies with communities. In this article, Louis Quijas, Security Technology Alliance Senior Vice President (Special Ventures), focuses on the role of technology in overcoming the challenges they face.
The role of technology in overcoming Public Safety challenges
Today’s police chief faces growing challenges from identity theft, organized crime, compliance costs associated with legislative change, ongoing budget constraints and the increasing use and cost of technology.
“By using technology properly, I can keep officers... Continue Reading
You know the feeling. Your shiny new phone is in your hands, with all its miraculous, life-changing features and apps. But no matter how tech-savvy you are, you’re never quite prepared for the learning curve. It doesn’t respond how your old one did. You missed the first few calls. The menus are different, and those crazy factory settings! Even worse if you are over A Certain Age – the icons are tiny and they all look the same!
In a few days’ time, all’s well, and you are using your new toy like you were born to it.
When your officers get issued with new technology, they... Continue Reading
