April 3, 2020
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.