Alpha Paging vs Text Message

[mr_tunz]

OK I an looking for some help here. I help run a small dispatch center in rural Nebraska about an hour north of Omaha. We have spots were cell reception is ok and some where there is none.

What are trying to decide if it is possiable to go to texting verus alpha pagers.
I know there are something that text can do that alpha cant do and there is things that are good about alpha paging. Any help and disscussion would be great.


Thanks in advance

BOB

 

[morganAL]

Hi Bob,

I am the IT admin for a 911 Center and we do dispatch for Paid and Volunteer fire agencies. We use software that receives an ASCII text file from our CAD software and then automatically sends messages to the department dispatched. The software has the ability to send pages via SMTP (email) which ultimately ends up as an SMS message, SNPP, WCTP, or dial a paging company modem. Locally, almost all of the volunteer departments have dropped their alpha-paging service and pagers because of non-existent customer service and the absence of a local rep from the paging company. They have almost all started using their cell phones and receiving the message via SMS. Personally, I like sending to SNPP better than the other methods as it seems to be the fastest. We actually run our own email server in-house because of the volume of email that we generate daily destined for SMS/Text messages. The advantage to the pagers is that the groups are usually created by the paging company so you only have to send one message (at least that is how we had it set up) whereas with the cell phones, we have to create the groups in the software and we wind up sending the same message out multiple times.

 

[mdulrich]

I have have seen times when there are substantial delays on text messages on cellphones. I have personally even seen instances where a text shows up the day after it was sent.

Mike

 

[zerowatts]

I have have seen times when there are substantial delays on text messages on cellphones. I have personally even seen instances where a text shows up the day after it was sent.

Mike

To chime in I have seen this as well across all the major networks, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T/Cingular and AllTel, the last one being most notorius for it. I would hate to think of emergency messages being sent via SMS through carriers that are already clogged due to smartphone bandwidth hogs. The problem will only be getting worse.

 

[Jay911]

I have a somewhat crude, kludgey way to accomplish SMS paging, but it does the trick.

The current version of my dispatch center's CAD software doesn't do SMS paging, only alpha paging over a closed paging network. I have a tapped scanner and a computer running PDW, a pager decoding software program. The scanner listens to the POCSAG pager's frequency and PDW is configured to filter out messages sent to my agency. Filtered messages are passed on to an email address (one in my department's mail service). That email address is a relay that forwards mail to a number of different email addresses. The list of forwards includes the email-to-SMS/text addresses of all my department members' cell phones, like 1234567890@pcs.rogers.com (which would send an SMS to 123-456-7890 on the Rogers phone network). The downside to this setup is that (a) PDW cannot send to different email addresses based on receiving different pager addresses, so it only works for my department group page, not individual pagers. (2) PDW seems to freak out after a number of weeks' use and starts receiving nothing but garbled pages - at which point simply closing and restarting the program fixes it. I have set the PC to auto-reboot weekly in order to get around this second problem.

 

[kf8yk]

OK I an looking for some help here. I help run a small dispatch center in rural Nebraska about an hour north of Omaha. We have spots were cell reception is ok and some where there is none.

What are trying to decide if it is possiable to go to texting verus alpha pagers.
I know there are something that text can do that alpha cant do and there is things that are good about alpha paging. Any help and disscussion would be great.


Thanks in advance

BOB

We use text messaging as a means of secondary alerting for fire/EMS calls and for fire/EMS/law administrative messages. Primary alerting for the FD's is still tone/voice paging and voice announcements on the 800 MHz trunk system.

We use our internet connection for all message delivery, primarily using SMTP with some SNPP or WCTP when carriers allow it.

Our biggest problem has been with the carriers spam/content filtering. Having one public IP generating hundreds of identical messages at the same time often causes the spam filters to go on the defensive. Trying to get on each carriers 'whitelist' has been a real PITA. We are looking at various SMS gateways to work around this.

 

[zerowatts]

We are looking at various SMS gateways to work around this.

Kannel: Open Source WAP and SMS Gateway Kannel is an open source gateway that I have used for mass messaging, since you have your own server it should be a cakewalk to integrate.

 

[morganAL]

This is exactly what we do and I see that same exact problem. Verizon seems to be the most sensitive to a large number of messages coming from the same IP address. Our CAD system generates the message and puts it in a specific folder on the server as an ASCII test file. Then the paging software (PageGate - SMS Messaging Software from NotePage) re-formats it to either SNPP, WCTP, or SMTP. I didn't mention it in my original post but this system is secondary to the radio system. Primary dispatch is on UHF repeaters using 2-tone sequential paging and voice.

We use our internet connection for all message delivery, primarily using SMTP with some SNPP or WCTP when carriers allow it.

Our biggest problem has been with the carriers spam/content filtering. Having one public IP generating hundreds of identical messages at the same time often causes the spam filters to go on the defensive. Trying to get on each carriers 'whitelist' has been a real PITA. We are looking at various SMS gateways to work around this.

 

[zerowatts]

One of the most popular gateways is called FrontlineSMS. I don't remember why we don't use that one, but if I recall it may have had something to do with us being a for profit company. The features were incredible and very little needed on server end. In fact if memory serves me any windows laptop you can up on ebay or craigslist for $50 would suffice as server. It even has a nice GUI if I remember correctly.

 

[iamhere300]

Remember people... Using a paging provider or SMS Text service does NOT comply with NFPA or ISO standards. Be terrible for your ISO 5 department to suddenly be an ISO 10 department because you dropped your tone/voice paging.

Now, it is amazingly cheap for an agency to set up their OWN alpha paging system.

 

[mr_tunz]

Remember people... Using a paging provider or SMS Text service does NOT comply with NFPA or ISO standards. Be terrible for your ISO 5 department to suddenly be an ISO 10 department because you dropped your tone/voice paging.

Now, it is amazingly cheap for an agency to set up their OWN alpha paging system.

Where did yiu find that information at I cant seem to locate that in the NFPA policy??

 

[cifd64]

That's because the NFPA does not set Policy.

 

[iamhere300]

Where did yiu find that information at I cant seem to locate that in the NFPA policy??

NFPA 1221, chapter 9, 4, 2 1. One of the references.

While NFPA is strictly a guideline, it is the standard to which you will be held to in a court of law.

ISO however can hit your patrons right in the pocketbook.

 

[jeffmarshall911]

While I agree with the intent of the prior posts, only 10% of any ISO rating is associated with the receiving and handling of fire alarms. At absolute *worst* case a 0% credit of this section results in a single classification change (i.e. ISO 5 to ISO 6), which in most cases is statistically marginal to property insurance costs.

At the core, ISO is concerned about maintenance and ownership. Using your own transmitters and systems (that are routinely tested, have alarming system, have backup systems, etc., etc.) could help you get closer to full credit in that sub-section (max 5% points) while relying on other's systems, such as SMS generally gains you zero credit since your department is not in control of the system (i.e. there is no guarantee that your emergency message will get through in a timely manner). Even contracts with paging companies that have Service Level Agreements don't qualify.

Without spending too much time on the soapbox, this really has a big impact for those departments that are considering all digital radio systems. The traditional two-tone voice pagers are not yet digital-able so many are (barely) maintaining a legacy system just for paging or going to alpha pagers off of a contracted system and losing available ISO credit.

I'm a big advocate of understanding ISO and what it means to raw dollar costs to your community and your community partners. Spending time to understand your rating, the actual FSRS (and the new proposed one), requesting new periodic audits (and learning from them) and using Fire Chiefs Online to assist in your pre-planning are worthwhile endeavors that can completely change how your community views your FD.

/Jeff

 

[iamhere300]

While I agree with the intent of the prior posts, only 10% of any ISO rating is associated with the receiving and handling of fire alarms. At absolute *worst* case a 0% credit of this section results in a single classification change (i.e. ISO 5 to ISO 6), which in most cases is statistically marginal to property insurance costs.

At the core, ISO is concerned about maintenance and ownership. Using your own transmitters and systems (that are routinely tested, have alarming system, have backup systems, etc., etc.) could help you get closer to full credit in that sub-section (max 5% points) while relying on other's systems, such as SMS generally gains you zero credit since your department is not in control of the system (i.e. there is no guarantee that your emergency message will get through in a timely manner). Even contracts with paging companies that have Service Level Agreements don't qualify.

Without spending too much time on the soapbox, this really has a big impact for those departments that are considering all digital radio systems. The traditional two-tone voice pagers are not yet digital-able so many are (barely) maintaining a legacy system just for paging or going to alpha pagers off of a contracted system and losing available ISO credit.

I'm a big advocate of understanding ISO and what it means to raw dollar costs to your community and your community partners. Spending time to understand your rating, the actual FSRS (and the new proposed one), requesting new periodic audits (and learning from them) and using Fire Chiefs Online to assist in your pre-planning are worthwhile endeavors that can completely change how your community views your FD.

/Jeff

Well said, BUT, as explained to me by two ISO field employees, and ISO home office personnel, in order to reach at least a 9 you are required to,

"Alarm notification
Alarm facilities and arrangements must be such that there is no delay in the receipt of alarms and the dispatch of firefighters and apparatus."

And their interpetation of this, (And of course theirs is the one that matters) is that a commercial service did not allow for this to be met.

If you can't be a 9, then you can't be a 5!

 

[jeffmarshall911]

That's not how the PPC works. Here is the schedule:

Items Considered in the FSRS

It's quite clear on what minimum requirements exist for the upper values (e.g. 8, 8B, 9). Only 8B makes note of "at least 5 points in FSRS Section 400, "Receiving and Handling Fire Alarms." If a FD cannot attain any of the other credits in the Fire Alarm section then using SMS or external Alpha pagers is the least of their worries.

FWIW,

/Jeff

P.S. Sorry to the OP for the hijack of the post.

 

[iamhere300]

That's not how the PPC works. Here is the schedule:

Items Considered in the FSRS

It's quite clear on what minimum requirements exist for the upper values (e.g. 8, 8B, 9). Only 8B makes note of "at least 5 points in FSRS Section 400, "Receiving and Handling Fire Alarms." If a FD cannot attain any of the other credits in the Fire Alarm section then using SMS or external Alpha pagers is the least of their worries.

I will remember that on the next department I work with for their ISO. So clear - no worries about divergence, interpetation, etc.

Oh for it to be so easy.

Flash Intro Page is also a great reference.

 

[rfradioconsult]

ANY emergency service that relies on a public service provider for alerting or communications (cellular, ESMR, paging service, etc) is courting disaster. When you relinquish control of your comms you are putting your public safety responsibilites in the hands of others, espececially when it comes to paging carriers. A lot of paging carriers are a mere heartbeat from going under, maintenance is reactive and not proactive, with a lot of sites in danger of having their electrical service disconnected for non-payment of the bills. You don't rent your appratus from Rent a Wreck, don't depend on someone else to provide your critical comms.

 

[iamhere300]

Reminds me of the fair sized town in Alabama that switched all their fire, pd, etc over to a major PTT/cellular/ESMR company. A year later they were advertising for a new radio system.

 

[radioman2001]

For emergency service dispatch tone and voice is king, but I second the implementation of your own digital paging system. Terminals run less than 10K and can page out instantly. Groups can be configured as needed for even more dispatch time savings. Also digital pagers have the ability to save the information for the user to refer to again when it's needed. My experience's with texting has not been good, I have found that numerous times my texts are delayed by as much as 1 day. Voice mails even worse, a week.