Honeywell Launches BDA Amplifiers to ‘Decrease Fire Response Times’
The Honeywell bi-directional amplifiers (BDA) are said to provide scalable solutions to support first responder emergency radio connectivity in challenging environments.
Honeywell says its new BDA line of amplifiers includes a choice of models that meet local, state and federal regulations in most situations.
ATLANTA — Honeywell has introduced a new series of communications systems and bi-directional amplifiers (BDA) that are said to cover the entire public safety spectrum.
The newly announced products are said to provide scalable solutions to support first responder emergency radio connectivity in challenging environments. The new products are also said to meet regulations of nearly any jurisdiction or city.
“It’s critical for first responders to stay connected with each other when responding to an emergency – not only so they know how to better respond to the situation but to also provide better protection to those who protect us,” says Alessandro Araldi, general manager, global in-building communications, Honeywell. “We believe that every building should be able to comply with this requirement, so we created BDA systems that are scalable for any building size, can communicate on any public safety band and are easier to install, use and maintain. Making buildings safer is key to our business at Honeywell and we believe they should be safer for anyone who is in them or use them, for any purpose.”
Honeywell BDA Amplifiers Meet a Range of Needs
The newly announced line of products includes a choice of 5W BDAs, fiber DAS systems, PSC/digital fiber DAS with redundancy support and digital 700/800 MHz BDAs that incorporate a dealer-friendly interface wizard that includes automatic calibration capabilities.
Honeywell points out the new BDA line of amplifiers also includes a “no noise” function that reduces uplink noise and potentially harmful interference to public safety radios to help keep communications clear and noise free.
The global company emphasizes that according to a 2017 study from the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) survey by the Safer Buildings Coalition, 56% of fire departments have experienced a communications failure in a building during an emergency event. These new solutions Honeywell continues, address these situations by allowing first responders to remain in contact with team members regardless of their locations within a building.
Honeywell outlines some of the benefits of the BDA amplifiers that include:
- Complies with almost any jurisdictional requirements: The BDA amplifiers adheres to the latest code requirements for Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) and is UL2524 2nd Edition listed. The portfolio supports all major public safety spectrum bands, including VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, FirstNet Band 14, and 800 MHz, offering cost-effective and scalable solutions for buildings of all sizes.
- Enhances in–building radio frequency for first responders: The products can provide 100% in-building radio coverage to exceed the latest standards for emergency communications, including two-way radio signal strength to first responders in hard-to-reach areas of a building.
- Increases flexibility of a building’s ERCES system: Honeywell states the new amplifiers offer professionals versatility in frequency selection, power output (27dBm to 37dBm), wide band filters (up to 4BWA) single or dual band, and options with Class A and/or Class B, providing solutions that do not require rip and replacement for upgrades or changes in jurisdiction requirements, as well as configurations that allow the products to be integrated with fire alarm systems.
- Complies with Buy American Act: meets the definition of Domestic Construction Material under the Buy American Act.
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