Digi radio link is boost for security

SITE management and security staff working at Chambers Business Centre in Hollinwood are the first commercial users of O-Net — the new digital trunked radio network operated in partnership with Oldham Council and infrastructure provider Arqiva.

The technology, known as Tetra or Terrestrial Trunked Radio, was first deployed nationally for the “Blue Light” services but is increasingly being used by other commercial users on private networks.

Handsets are from UK based manufacturer Sepura, who also supply Greater Manchester Police as well as many other forces throughout the UK.

The site manager at Chambers is Ian Shepherd, who said: “We were looking for a system to replace our analogue on-site radios. We have a six-acre site and a labyrinth of buildings and found that conventional radios struggled.

“In our business communications is so important and O-Net enables us to react to situations quickly and improve our customer care and safety.

“Employee safety was also a factor in choosing O-Net, which enables our staff to have direct contact with the CCTV control room at Oldham in an emergency via a dedicated button.

“The control room is manned 24/7 and handsets are also equipped with GPS functionality, so we know exactly where help is needed.”

Chambers security staff also provide night-patrol and call-out cover for a number of other multi-occupancy business centres in the area.

“With coverage better than 97 per cent of the borough, even in areas like Saddleworth which have proved technically challenging for radio communications in the past, O-Net has proved to be the ideal solution,” he added.

The first inter-operational use of the system was during the Saddleworth Band Contests in June when it was used to help co-ordinate private stewards, First Response staff manning road closures and the council’s licensing officers.

The operation was co-ordinated from the CCTV control room at Oldham.