MILWAUKEE – (April 1, 2020) – Today, Johnson
Controls announces it is partnering with Westell Technologies, Inc.
to provide customers with mission-critical, in-building public safety
communications for emergency responders. The partnership expands the Johnson
Controls life safety product offerings to include network infrastructure and
hardware that gives police, fire and EMT radio signals inside buildings for
better public safety communications to help save property and lives.
A leading provider of
high-performance network infrastructure solutions, Westell’s technology serves
as a radio signal booster that allows first responders to safely communicate
anywhere in a building via wireless handheld device. The relayed network
eliminates the need for emergency personnel to remove protective headgear and
gloves to manually “plug in” and communicate with other responders.
"As part of our mission to
advance safety and security in buildings, we are pleased to partner with
Westell Technologies to enhance the communication networks that are critical to
our first responders,” said Peter Ebersold, senior product manager, Johnson
Controls. “The breadth of its products, quality and experience in the
infrastructure business makes Westell the superior provider of in-building
wireless equipment solutions.”
Today, many jurisdictions across
the country require a site survey in any building more than 75-feet in height
to determine if there is adequate reception throughout the building for
firefighter radios. Building materials such as low-emissions glass and concrete
stairwells can block reception for emergency responders, creating a need for
in-building radio communication networks. Westell offers a comprehensive
portfolio of solutions including Class A and Class B public safety
bi-directional amplifiers (BDAs), battery backup units (BBUs), passives and
antennas that are seamlessly supported by Johnson Controls turnkey in-building
public safety communication networks.
"As a leader in fire and life
safety solutions, we are pleased to partner with Johnson Controls as they
expand their presence into the in-building public safety radio enhancement
market,” said Tim Duitsman, president and CEO, Westell Technologies, Inc.
“Johnson Controls is a world-class organization with extensive building
technology solutions and this partnership adds critical public safety
infrastructure to complement their Simplex and Autocall product lines.”
Ideal for both new construction and
retrofit, Westell's NFPA and IBC compliant public safety solutions support VHF,
UHF, 700 MHz, 700 FirstNet (Band 14) and 800 MHz frequency bands covering the
RF spectrum utilized by first responder radio networks. Coupled with the TrueSite
Workstation, the Westell and Johnson Controls partnership provides the ideal
life safety solution for monitoring and communicating within campus
environments with multiple buildings.
For
more information on Johnson Controls fire and life safety solutions, visit https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/fire-detection/emergency-communications.