VoiceInterop Turnkey Systems

VoiceInterop, Inc. is a leading developer of VoIP emergency notification systems designed to replace aging airport crash phone systems.

Command Phone

Command Phone is a VoIP emergency notification system that is customized to your needs, from the simplest tower-to-ARFF ringdown to a massive group conference bridge that instantly brings together ATCT and ARFF plus police, operations, airport manager, and all airline offices.

The VoiceInterop Command Phone meets the requirements set forth in F.A.A. circular 150/5210-7D to keep crash phone operations on-site and bypass any systems that might delay the delivery of critical communications. The typical VoiceInterop crash phone system relies on a fiber optic network between critical points such as the ATC tower and ARFF station. A highly reliable server acts as the bridge to all endpoints, allowing flexibility in programming as needs change.

You can start small with just the tower and ARFF station. As the airport expands you can add additional endpoints in the Airport Operations and airline offices. You can choose which endpoints have two-way audio and which will be listen-only to minimize noise and distractions.

More Than Phones

Command Phone is more than just phones. You have the flexibility to include overhead paging speakers in addition to, or in lieu of, a conventional telephone station. Add a RoIP (Radio over IP) gateway to transmit the crash call over a radio channel to units out on the tarmac. The Command Phone system can even trigger the ARFF station alerting system to open the bay doors, turn off the gas stove, turn on the lights, and activate other functions at the start of the call.

Multiple Alert Levels

If your airport has its own communications center you are not limited to only the tower calling the ARFF station. Emergency calls for fire or rescue service on the airport concourse can be initiated from your comm center without calling the tower and other endpoints, as your needs and policies dictate. You can also make routine paging announcements over the ARFF station speakers without triggering the station alerting system. Some airports use an additional call level to broadcast announcements such as weather-related closures to all the airline operations offices.

Alert Button

Smaller airports that don't need the complexity and expense of Command Phone can use the VoiceInterop Alert Button kit. The kit features an industrial-strength button with indicator LEDs that sends a signal via your enterprise LAN to the ARFF station to trigger the station alerting system. The button must be depressed for a programmable duration (typically 2 seconds) to avoid false activations. When the green LED illuminates it indicates to the air traffic controller that the far end has activated the switch closure. A red LED indicates trouble reaching the other end of the IP link. The kit is simple, inexpensive, and effective, and it can be installed by your staff.

Operation

The air traffic controller would hold the alert button down for the desired duration programmed into the unit, typically 2 seconds to avoid false activations. When the green LED illuminates it indicates to the air traffic controller that the far end has activated the switch closure. The fire chief and F.A.A. should develop a protocol on how to respond when the button is activated. Typically the incident commander would call the ATC tower on the radio for details of the alert and decide on the proper response assignment. The simplicity of this system frees up the controller from having to place a conventional landline call to either the ARFF station or the municipal fire dispatcher center.