Solacom Technologies has been chosen by service provider FairPoint Communications to supply, implement, and support equipment for a next generation 9-1-1 solution for Vermont’s new statewide public safety network. The system provides an in-state, dedicated 9-1-1 platform to ensure reliability and availability to serve more than 600,000 citizens of Vermont.

Solacom will provide many core elements of the new network, including:

• Emergency Services Routing Proxy (ESRP)
• Legacy Network Gateway (LNG)
• Border Control Function (BCF)
• Automatic Location Identification / Location Information Server (ALI/LIS)
• Guardian Intelligent 9-1-1 Workstations (IWS)
• and a Network Operations Center (NOC) to monitor the health, efficiency and quality of service (QoS) of the public safety network.

The Solacom system will also seamlessly integrate GeoComm’s Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF) and mapping solution to accurately determine the caller’s location in order to dispatch the most appropriate response. The new mapping capability allows call takers to answer and manage 9-1-1 calls directly from the map display.

This will be the second statewide implementation of an Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) installed and serviced by Solacom, along with FairPoint, who announced the completion and turn-up of the State of Maine ESInet last fall. The new ESInets are based upon the architecture, protocols and standards set forth by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). The move from circuit-switched telecommunications to packet-based IP technology will be the foundation to enable Next Generation 9-1-1 services in Vermont.

Six Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) throughout the state, along with the Vermont Enhanced 9-1-1 Board, will each receive new Solacom Guardian Intelligent 9-1-1 Call Taker Workstations (IWS) that equip telecommunicators with state-of-the-art response to 9-1-1 calls. Workstations will include mapping software to display the location of emergency calls. Guardian IWS provides additional call control functionality not seen before; for example, operators have complete control of each participant of the call allowing them to create private conversations or join two separate calls together dynamically allowing parties who call into the system to communicate real-time, regardless of where the callers are located within the state. In addition, the Guardian Call Taker Workstations are designed to be future proof so that next generation capabilities can be added.

The new system will bring a new level of 9-1-1 service to the citizens of Vermont, and will provide a greater level of redundancy, including geo-diversity. “There will be multiple levels of redundancy built into the Solacom system to ensure a robust network capable of withstanding natural disasters and emergency events,” said Tony Parrott, Solacom vice president of sales.

About Solacom

Solacom Technologies builds some of the world’s most reliable critical communications systems that integrate Voice, Video and Data to deliver advanced IP-based interoperability solutions for public safety 9-1-1, security and other mission critical applications. With a legacy of innovation in air traffic control and public safety, our engineers have pioneered many industry advances over the past 30 years. For more information visit www.solacom.com.