From the Chief’s Corner: The Process of Evolving...

Posted on January 20, 2020

Happy New Year to all of you. I hope you are excited about what’s ahead for us here at the Safer Buildings Coalition. It’s hard to believe that it’s already 2020 – it seems like 2019 went by in the blink of an eye.

As you grow older, one of the things you tend to think about more and more are memories. To add to our memory box this year we decided that instead of buying presents we would take the entire family on a cruise right after Christmas. I spend a lot of time in airplanes, so we decided that rather than fly, we would rent a 15-passenger van and drive to the cruise port in South Florida. Most excited about this 800-mile adventure we were about to embark on were my two grandkids who are 5 and 8. But following the initial excitement period, it didn’t take long before most of the folks in the van were asleep.

Member Spotlight: Airtower Networks - New Name, New CEO, Same Mission

Posted on January 20, 2020

The January 2020 Safer Buildings Coalition Members spotlight zooms in on Airtower Networks, formerly known as Wave Wireless. 

In December 2019, Wave Wireless officially changed its name to Airtower Networks. Earlier this month, the company appointed former ExteNet COO, Oliver Valente as its new CEO.

"The name change is a result of the success of our growth into new markets and the evolution of our rapidly-growing company. Our business has undergone a significant transformation in the last few years and the new name better reflects how our company is propelling today's 5G revolution and beyond," Founder & President Manny Dureja explains.

What Do Office Tenants Want? What Do Property Owners Need?

Posted on January 20, 2020
By John Foley, Managing Director, Safer Buildings Coalition

You hear it at conventions and on webinars, and you read it in articles: “Wireless Connectivity is ‘table stakes’ in today’s commercial real-estate environment.” So, what does this mean for tenants and property owners?

From a tenant’s perspective, wireless connectivity is typically assumed to mean Wi-Fi and Cellular service as these most readily support the devices tenants most commonly use. Is reliable wireless connectivity a “can’t live without” amenity today? Put simply: It Depends. 

Hospitality, healthcare, higher-ed, sports and entertainment venues, malls, and casinos still head the list of buildings with a high likelihood of providing enhanced wireless connectivity. But for many other building use cases ubiquitous wireless coverage may still be a way off.

MEMBERS ONLY: Join us for the SBC Annual Meeting & Dinner and a great program at IWCE 2020

Posted on January 20, 2020
SBC will be back in Vegas with an even stronger program than in 2019!

If you haven't done so already, now is the time to clear your calendars for the 2020 Safer Buildings Coalition Annual Member Meeting & Dinner, which goes down on Monday, March 30th, at the IWCE Conference in Las Vegas. This is the SBC event you simply don't want to miss! Stay tuned for more information. 

Get Ready for the 2020 Safer Buildings Coalition Seminar Season

Posted on January 20, 2020

The 2019 Safer Buildings Coalition seminar series was a great success, and this year, we’ll be stepping up our game another notch. We’ll host more events and hit more cities than ever before. 

First up: Tallahassee, FL, on February 25^th, with many more dates to come shortly.

We’ve built a webpage that lists all of the locations we’ll cover this year. Check it out and plan accordingly: https://www.saferbuildings.org/seminars-2020-public

We’re looking forward to seeing you on the road this year!

NICET and Safer Buildings Coalition Announce New ERRCS Certification Program

Posted on December 20, 2019
Program will go live in 2020

The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) and the Safer Buildings Coalition will initiate development of a new engineering technician certification program for Emergency Responder Radio Communication Systems (ERRCS), with expected launch of the program in 2020.

This collaboration between NICET and the Safer Buildings Coalition is expected to quickly establish the value and credibility of proper training and certification with the goal of increasing competency across all industry stakeholders.

Read the full press release here

Happy New Year From the SBC President

Posted on December 20, 2019

As 2019 winds down, I would like to reflect on the year that passed and share some thoughts on what 2020 has in store for the Safer Buildings Coalition.  

2019 has been an exciting year for our organization. Our member base keeps growing, both in numbers and diversity. As of December, we've hit a new record, with more than 110 organization members and over 650 individual members.We started several important initiatives in 2019, including the creation of an External Affair Team, which works to make SBC more relevant in the public safety industry. We also expanded our stakeholder base by inviting companies that are not part of the wireless industry to join the Coalition. 

Our OEM BDA Matrix is live!

Posted on December 20, 2019
The new tool allows you to comparison shop, while OEMs can list and describe their offerings

Following countless requests from members of the AHJ community and the end-user market, the Safer Buildings Coalition's Codes and Standards Work Group has developed a feature-comparison matrix tool for BDA systems. The tool is now live on our website, and you can check it out right here: https://www.saferbuildings.us/bda-directory

From the Chief’s Corner: The Gift...

Posted on December 20, 2019

During this time of year there’s a lot of hustle and bustle around year-end activities, such as strategic planning, financial reports, sales quotas, social events, traditions and, most importantly, time off for the Christmas Holidays.  As a part of the Christmas season, many will have a keen focus on a unique gift for that someone special in their life.  So, what is a gift? Well, according to Webster’s, it is “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.”

Stroke Victim Called 911, But Couldn’t Get Help Without Address

Posted on December 20, 2019
Vital time lost as first responders could not locate emergency caller

Mobile 911 Calls Must Get Out with Location Accuracy. Thus reads the first of the Safer Buildings Coalition’s Three Pillars Of In-Building Public Safety Communications. And a recent incident in Chicago proved, with tragic consequences, the importance of this, and what can happen when first responders cannot pinpoint the location of an emergency caller. As a result, vital time was lost before the victim, who was having a major stroke, received help.