In a joint venture (JV) to improve response times to incidents and to avert the impacts of increasing crime levels in the country, communications technologies and solutions company Hytera Communications South Africa is partnering with Johannesburg’s emergency management services (EMS) and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department.

Hytera senior spokesperson Cedric Mark Rigney notes that these public safety agencies previously relied solely on a third-party provincial TETRA radio network for their communications, but the lack of maintenance on the network impacted on the operations, resulting in frequent dead zones which compromised officer communication and public safety.

To address the coverage blackspots and limited functionality in the existing system, Hytera deployed its PTC680 multi-mode advanced radios, which integrate TETRA and LTE networks in a single device. This approach ensures that officers can communicate in areas where there is no radio coverage, as the radio will “automatically and seamlessly” switch between networks.

The solution was designed with cost-efficiency in mind, as Hytera augmented and improved what the agencies already had, with a 3G or LTE network as a fallback.

“For frontline responders, maintaining constant and reliable communication is crucial; without it, officer safety – and by extension, public safety – can be jeopardised. By integrating two technologies into a single device, officers gain access to two modes of communication. Narrowband TETRA serves as the mission-critical communication channel, while the broadband LTE network acts as a backup,” Rigney says.

He notes that emergency responders will be able to relay critical information to the control centres and emergency rooms about the scene, as each official’s communication device will be equipped with high-resolution cameras for live video streaming using a long-term evolution network.

This JV will also help to enhance response times to various incidents and will allow municipal EMS to dispatch nearby emergency vehicles to an incident site and monitor proceedings using GPS vehicle tracking, says Rigney.

“To stay ahead of criminal activity, the use of technology is essential. Hytera’s Integrated Command (IC) solution can incorporate various alarm reporting methods, including data from social media platforms such as WhatsApp for easy incident reporting. The solution can also display Internet-of-Things alarms, such as panic buttons and gunshot detection alerts in the control room. The range of alerts that the IC solution can leverage makes it much simpler for anyone – even those with limited resources – to report crimes,” he adds.

Digital Technologies for Optimisation

The IC solution could use several digital technologies to improve the safety and responsiveness of emergency responders. These include AI technologies, automation systems and drone technologies.

Rigney suggests that Hytera can deploy AI to enhance various processes conducted by first responders. He cites, for example, the potential for AI analytics to aid responders’ situational awareness, by processing large datasets from communication devices. Incorporating AI can also help to ensure more prompt response times from officials by analysing communication and sensor data to identify trends and hotspots.

Hytera could also deploy drones to monitor evolving situations, as their high-resolution cameras can provide real-time data and aerial surveillance footage to improve decision-making in emergency scenarios.

“The drones can relay live footage back to control centres or to other first responders, offering a bird’s-eye view of the scene for better situational awareness. Drones can also be used to map out areas or to deliver essential supplies to hard-to-reach locations,” he adds.

In future, Hytera will focus on integrating AI-powered algorithms to assist in the process of automated incident information dispatching and call attendance. This will allow Hytera to deploy automated systems for prioritising and routing emergency calls, thereby improving workflow and allowing first responders to quickly attend to incidents or hotspots.

“Hytera is actively addressing user training to support the adoption of these solutions,” he concludes.