Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions FAQs: ComTech Fire Station Alerting Systems Our Station Doesn't Have Computer Aided Dispatch. Can We Still Use Your System? Yes, the Model 10 can integrate with any combination of 3 audio sources and CAD. Can We Use Some Of Our Existing Equipment With Your Alerting System? Yes. Since our equipment was designed with nonproprietary hardware, it is capable of integrating into existing light, speaker and communication systems. In many cases we add low voltage lighting and speakers to enhance an existing system. Our Personnel Change Dorm Room Assignments Nightly. Can We Still Do Individual Dorm Room Alerting? Yes. The Model 10 has been designed with an optional touch screen interface which can change dorm room assignments with a touch of a button. For stations that change room assignments periodically, the front data panel on the Model 10 can program the room assignments. Is There A Pre Alert Notification Of An Incoming Call? Yes. The system will have an announcement such as, "Station 4, incoming alert" which allows station personnel to be notified of an incoming alert and also wake them in a manner which is consistent with a "heart smart" system. Is Your System Expandable? Yes. The basic Model 10 is capable of whole station alerting. If you wish to have individual dorm room alerting and/or apparatus specific light bars, expansion modules are available. Each expansion module has 16 inputs and 12 outputs. A fully enhanced Model 10 is capable of controlling over 500 functions is an alerting sequence. Also if you wish to have your alerting system cover more than one building, this can be accomplished by our Remote Expansion Module. The Remote Expansion Module has the same 16x12 configuration and can be located 10,000 ft from the system hub. Can I Use Low Voltage Lighting With Your Alerting System? Yes. Many fire stations use low voltage lighting for dorm room and hallways. This is independent of the existing 110 lighting system and is used to light the way from the dorm rooms to the apparatus bay. Our low voltage lights are red in color which help retain the night vision of system personnel. We Are In A Quiet Residential Neighborhood. How Do You Handle The Volume Of The Alerting Sequence? We design our fire station alerting and speaker systems with being a good neighbor in mind. Since most station personnel are in the house in the evening, we mute the outside speakers so the neighborhood remains quiet. The volume of the speakers in the house also lowers due to the house itself being quieter at night. Why Do You Recommend Putting Apparatus Specific Light Bars In The House? In most houses, there are places that can become quite noisy. In these instances, we recommend apparatus specific light bars to assist station personnel. For example, if there is an engine running in the apparatus bay while an alert is coming into the station, station personnel only have to look at a light bar to see if the call is for their particular company. Some examples of places for light bars are the apparatus bay, dorm rooms, weight rooms, TV rooms and outside basketball courts. What Kind Of Fail Safe Features Have You Built Into Your System? There are a few features of the Model 10 that will help to ensure the station will always receive their alert. If for any reason, the main hub should lose power, an audible alert tone will go thru the speaker system to notify station personnel of the problem. If the main logic controller is to fail, the alerting process will revert to whole station alerting. The system will lose its "bells and whistles" but the station will not lose the alert. Are There Any Recurring Monthly Expenses? No. The Model 10 Fire Station Alerting System is a stand alone piece of equipment which does not require any additional monthly expenses. How Does Your Warranty Work? The Model 10 Fire Station Alerting System has a one year factory warranty for parts and labor. This warranty is upgradeable to 3 years and service contracts are also available. If the unit is found to be in need of service, ComTech will ship a replacement unit to the station. The defective unit will then be shipped back to ComTech Communications. Preliminary trouble shooting can be done with the data panel on the front of the hub or thru your local service provider. Can We Buy Your System One Station At A Time Or Do All The Stations Have To Buy It At Once? Since the Model 10 integrates into your existing communication system it can be purchased on a station by station basis. We Have A Multi-Building Fire Station Complex. Can Your Alerting System Work Within Multiple Buildings? Yes. With the use of our Remote Expansion Module, the Model 10 is capable of handling an alerting process which requires going into multiple buildings. How Do We Make Changes/Modifications To Your System? The data panel located on the front of the Model 10 can handle most of the modifications that a station will need to perform. These changes include timers for lights and speakers as well as dorm room assignments. If you wish to reconfigure your systems' capabilities, it may require a software upgrade. If this is the case, we will ship a modem and download the changes directly into the system hub. Why Do You Emphasize That You Don't Use Proprietary Hardware? By not using proprietary hardware, we are able to easily integrate into existing systems as well as provide the best products available to suit our customers' needs. Is Your Alerting System A "One System Fits All" Solution Or Is There Room For Customization? The Model 10 Fire Station Alerting System was engineered with the most popular features built in. The versatility of design does allow for system customization. Please contact us and let us know what you have in mind. In Your System Can Stations Be Alerted Remotely Or Does The Alert Have To Be Generated From The 911 Dispatch Center? The Model 10 Fire Station Alerting System is capable of handling most types of radio signaling. This allows a department the option of utilizing a redundant signaling path in cases of emergency or on site dispatch. With this feature, other departments in the district can be set up as remote dispatch centers. For more information on how ComTech can help you improve your ability to respond, contact us at: 800-377-7422 800-377-7422 120 Main Avenue, Suite J, Sacramento, CA 95838