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See the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System in the news!

2022

ATLANTADec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today announced it has agreed to acquire privately held US Digital Designs, Inc., a Tempe, Ariz.-based company, for a purchase multiple of ~14X EBITDA in an all-cash transaction. The company delivers alerting and dispatch communications solutions, which enhance first responders’ efficacy and enable faster emergency response times.

US Digital Designs’ EBITDA margins are accretive to Honeywell, and Honeywell is expected to achieve a return on investment of greater than 25% by the fifth year that US Digital Designs is part of Honeywell.

2021

A new computerized radio system is helping the Scott Emergency Communications Center dispatch first responders faster.

The system, nicknamed Samantha, began a few weeks ago and is part of the G2 Phoenix Fire Alerting System. Right now, the Davenport Fire Dept. is using the system. The rest of the county is expected to follow by the end of the year.

Firefighters working out of Burnsville Fire Station 1 aren’t used to some of the creature comforts they’ll get at the $18.6 million station being built to replace it. Each living unit will have its own bathroom. Noise-insulated walls will keep the sound of snoring from traveling a couple of rooms over. A selective alarm system will alert only those needed on a fire or ambulance call without waking the whole place.

That’s not all. Lighting will be tuned to the circadian rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. Daylight will pour in through generous window exposure. And the living areas will be fully sealed from the grime, contaminants and diesel exhaust of the working end of the fire station.

“This fire station has the newest in technology and innovation for advancing the fire department’s mission to provide firefighting services, emergency medical response and now, medical transport services to the city of Chula Vista,” Mayor Mary Casillas Salas said in a press conference to celebrate the new building.

As of March 2021, active construction is complete on the new 8,500-square-foot facility.

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — One Owensboro Fire Department station has a new alert system that allows them to respond to emergencies faster.

A new dispatch system at the Owensboro Fire Department’s Ninth Street station is expected to reduce the time it takes firefighters to respond to an emergency.

The Gilroy City Council unanimously approved a $233,039 contract with US Digital Designs to purchase a Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System.

When a call is received, the dispatcher will enter the address, type of call and call code, and the computer will send the alert to first responders.

2020

Seven years after it was approved by voters, the city of Round Rock celebrated the grand opening of its Fire Station No. 3 on Thursday.

To keep up with its increasing call volume, the Rincon Valley Fire District has installed a brand-new Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System.

A new station with the Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System is dedicated in Cathedral City, California.

A new station in Portage, MI featuring the Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System.

Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Portage’s new $6.1 million fire station puts an emphasis on cancer prevention for firefighters while also being built with unique areas and components to allow year-round training.

To support growth at the airport and in San Jose, plans are under way to build a $22 million state-of-the-art fire station (featuring the Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System) at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.

Consultant’s White-Paper on station construction, featuring the Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System.

Rachel Leathe/Chronicle

The Bozeman Fire Department (a Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System customer) saw an all-time high number of calls for service in 2019.

Station 11 provides coverage to the far-northeast side of Madison and EMS services to the Town of Burke.

Midlothian City Council meeting may have come right at the top last Monday night, when Fire Chief Dale McCaskill announced the long-awaited grand opening of the brand-new Fire Station No. 1 at the beginning of the meeting.

The Midlothian Fire Department will celebrate the opening of its newest state-of-the-art Fire Station on Friday, August 21, 2020

The rebirth of Fire Station No.1 in Midlothian was set to open the first week of June 2020. COVID-19 led to some delays, but the Grand Opening is now set for this Friday, August 21, 2020.

After nearly a decade of planning and a year of construction, the new Wausau Fire Station 2 made it’s debut Friday.

The Wausau fire department’s 2nd district has a brand new station on the west side of town. This brand new fire department replaces and old one that dates back to the 1970s.

When Lathrop Manteca Fire District’s Station 35 opened in River Islands – the agency’s crown jewel and home to its administrative offices – it did so with a state-of-the-art alerting system that changed the way that first responders are notified of calls.

The Bowling Green Fire Department has moved up in the ratings, being recognized by a leading analytics bureau for its ability to protect the community.

For firefighters working an overnight shift, it’s a jarring experience – and one with potential health hazards – to be wakened for an emergency call.
ARTURO FERNANDEZ/RRSTAR.COM STAFF

ROCKFORD, IL — City Council on Tuesday agreed to spend $425,071 to modernize its roughly 30-year-old Rockford Fire Department station alert system, enabling the department to send firefighters to separate emergencies simultaneously.

2019

The Lebanon Fire Department has rolled out a new station alerting system. “This system we’re getting a little more information on the front end to help us make decisions on what resources need to respond immediately,” said Chief Chris Christopoulos. The new system is the Phoenix station alerting system by U.S. Digital Designs.

(Article) At Lathrop, California’s newest fire station, the days of listening for tones to see whether a crew is getting dispatched to a location are over.  US Digital Designs worked with the department to implement the Phoenix G2 station alerting system to meet their individual needs throughout the station.

(Video & Article) The metro-Phoenix area is home to the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System as well as the Phoenix Fire Department, which was US Digital Designs’ first customer. Take a look at this amazing “day in the life” video and you’ll see product cameos in the video at :36, 5:26, 5:28, 5:31,5:56 and 9:23.

2018

(Video & Article) Madison firefighters didn’t have to wait long to see the benefits of their newest fire station. Station 14 opened Thursday. The department hopes to improve response time in that part of the city. Already Thursday morning, firefighters got to a fire call in just minutes and were able to save part of the building. “It can nearly double after the first initial five minutes and can double within a minute to two type of thing, it can make a huge difference,” said Asst. Chief Clay Christenson.

(Video & Article) In the case of an emergency, seconds matter. For years, people living on Madison’s southeast side had to wait between 10 to 15 minutes for emergency crews to respond. That response time will be cut drastically starting today, with the official opening of Fire Station 14.

(Video & Article) The state-of-art system replaces old and outdated equipment. Companies stopped making spare parts for the old systems. It was so bad, a KETV investigation revealed some firefighters resorted to using a “pop can alarms.” They set pop cans on top of 911 printers and would listen for them to fall when emergency calls come in. “From where we were six months or a year ago with the status and quality as it was, with the system reaching the end of its life, compared to where we are with this 21st century system, it’s just night and day,” Fire Union President Steve LeClair said.

(Article) The new Fire Alert System will replace obsolete communication equipment and officials say this new digital equipment can save lives by getting first responders to the scene of an emergency faster. “We’re learning that processing times can be reduced and we’re looking forward to that. Some of the technology also provides for a quicker alert in the dispatch center to the fire station,” says Fire Chief Dan Olsen.

The Phoenix G2 Message Sign at an Omaha fire station makes the news

(Video and article) Omaha Fire Chief Dan Olsen said, “We’re learning that processing times can be reduced and we’re looking forward to that. Some of the technology also provides for a quicker alert in the dispatch center to the fire station.” Officials believe the Fire Alert System will get first responders on the streets faster when answering emergency calls.

(Article) It replaces an antiquated system, installed in the early 2000s, that had been obsolete for several years. The old system had become prone to breakdowns. Parts were so scarce that county and city officials sometimes turned to eBay to find them. Repairs sometimes took weeks.The new system was pretty much completed by September. It is being well received by firefighters, said Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick of the Omaha Fire Department. “It’s pretty cool technology, definitely state of the art,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s come a long way.”

(Video and article) Jim Haden, Sioux City Fire Rescue EMS Director, says technology also HAS played a roll in lowering that response time. He says the new dispatch system has helped, along with having screens around the station with the address of where crews are headed.

(Article) The new system also has a computer-automated voice and “heart-saver” tones. “Instead of going from zero to 120 right away when the alarm used to go out with loud jarring tones, now it’s a gradual light and sound and a voice with no emotion,” said Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick.

(Video) Sioux City Fire Rescue’s Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph says, “A fire will double in size approximately every thirty seconds inside your home. So by shaving fifteen to thirty seconds off of our response time it’s huge. I mean that is a much smaller fire that we are arriving to which produces greater likelihood of good outcomes.”

(Article) Sioux City Fire Rescue on Monday began using a new station alerting system to dispatch rescue calls, which department officials say is a significant step forward in technology that will shave several seconds off response times. Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph compared the switch to an upgrade from a rotary phone to the latest iPhone or Android.

(Article and Audio) Sioux City Fire Rescue has completed testing and fully implemented a new radio dispatch system. As KSCJ News reported two weeks ago, the automated voice dispatch should result in faster responses for fire rescue and ambulance calls.

(Article) Sioux City’s Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph says the department estimates the new system initially will cut about 15 seconds from response times and as many as 45 seconds on some calls as personnel become accustomed to it.

(Video) “A fire will double in size approximately every 30 seconds inside your home, “says Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph. “So, by shaving 15 to 30 seconds off of our response time, it’s huge. I mean, that is a much smaller fire that we’re arriving to which, produces a greater likelihood of good outcomes. People escaping safely, you know if we’re needed for a rescue and smaller fires for us to put out, which keeps our people safe.”

(Article) The Oklahoma-based Shawnee Fire Chief Dru Tischer received his request from City Commissioners for permission to enter into a contract with U.S. Digital Designs for installation of a needed Fire Station Alerting System at Fire Station No. 2 (as part of the current renovation project) and in the City of Shawnee Dispatch Center.

(Video) The Omaha Fire Department is installing the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System at two of its fire stations, with more on the way. “It’s an upgrade that has taken hold across the country,” said Assistant Fire Chief Tim McCaw said. “This is the latest and the greatest.”

(Article) Firefighters in Barrington and Lake Zurich soon will start using the Phoenix G2 — a new, higher end alert system that, officials say, can shave off vital seconds when responding to emergencies in the area.

(Article) Firefighters from the Elkhart Fire Department are giving the thumbs up to a new dispatch system that has helped reduce their response times. Before the installation of their new Phoenix G2 station alerting system, they were dispatched with an outdated system that wasn’t always dependable.

2017

(Video) The Idaho Falls Fire Department will be getting to emergencies quicker with a new dispatch system. They recently began using a station alert system that they’re also tying in with dispatch. The system alerts the station through screens about call description, location and an automated voicing system that will speak out the information.

(Video) Firefighters anywhere will tell you, minutes can make a big difference when responding to a call. Especially when it’s a matter of life of death. With that in mind, the Elkhart Fire Department and Dispatch Center are installing a new system that could shave off a minute or more of response time. Until now, dispatchers have dispatched a call to the fire department as they always have. The dispatcher receives a call about an emergency, once the call is completed the dispatcher then alerts the stations nearest the scene.

(Video) Orange County’s Fire and Rescue team is getting high-tech assistance. A new station alert system has only been online for a few months but already first responders say it is getting results. Preliminary data for the station alert station actually shows that response times are cut as much as a minute per incident.

(Video) The Dubuque Emergency Communications Center is now using a recorded voice to make initial calls to first responders. “”The tone goes out, they have 60 seconds to be in the vehicle and out the door,” said Dubuque Fire Chief Rick Steines. “It takes all of that work off the dispatcher, sends the message actually quicker than the dispatcher can manually.”

(Video) The City of Idaho Falls, Idaho, has a new fire station downtown. Fire officials say the new facility has state of the art equipment that will help with quicker response times. “We have a thing called the [Phoenix G2 alerting system] that attaches to our dispatch that controls all the monitors. It controls the lights. It controls the station alerting, so we are pretty excited about that,” says Fire Chief Dave Hanneman.

(Video) The Burnsville Fire Department in Dakota County, Minnesota, is slashing their emergency response times, according to this video produced by their local community station, BCTV. “We have actually found that our response times—from the time they get up, to the time they get on the trucks—have actually decreased,” said Assistant Fire Chief Terry Ritchie.

2016

(Article) The Lincoln, Nebraska Fire Department will now be able to get first responders out of the station more quickly with the Phoenix G2 automated dispatch system. recently installed USDD’s Fire Station Alerting System, which includes its text-to-speech automated VoiceAlert software. “”Seconds matter,” LFR Battalion Chief Eric Jones said during a tour showing off the communications system.

(Article) The Lincoln Fire & Rescue Department, located in Nebraska, recently installed USDD’s Fire Station Alerting System, which includes its text-to-speech automated VoiceAlert software. “Samantha” is a female voice created by the same company that produced the sophisticated Siri for Apple, so it’s a high-quality voice, said Batallion Chief Chris Jones.

(Video) The Lincoln Fire & Rescue Department, located in Nebraska, recently installed USDD’s Fire Station Alerting System. In this video about the automated dispatch system, you’ll see our dispatch software, message signs, and more.

Cedar Park’s new Phoenix G2 Station Alerting System—manufactured by USDD—is already helping the community achieve its ambitious goal of averaging eight minutes for a fire call and six minutes for a medical call.

2015

(Article) Being the fourth largest fire department in North America, additional funds were drastically needed for the Miami Fire Department. Fortunately for them, they were awarded a 2012 AFG Grant, which helped the department acquire the Phoenix G2 IP-based station alerting system

(Video) The Davenport Fire Department, located in Iowa’s “Quad Cities” region, recently installed USDD’s Fire Station Alerting System. In this video about the new fire station, you’ll see our speakers, message signs, and more.

(Article) Alerting systems for fire departments have come a long way from using simple sirens, bells, or whistles. Read how US Digital Designs is among one of the 21st century alerting systems, which offers the best in cutting-edge technology to help fire departments improve response times and efficiently manage information.

(Article) Read how the St. Cloud fire department is using its new Phoenix G2 fire station alerting technology to turn on lights in the station, shut off the gas stove and even wake sleeping firefighters gradually to lessen the strain on their hearts.

(Video) See how USDD’s new station alerting client in Ramsey County (St. Paul, MN) is taking a new high-tech approach to its 911 system by using the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System. See how USDD’s VoiceAlert software digitizes calls and helps improves response times. Also learn how gradual audio and visual alerting awakes sleeping firefighters during an alert.

Learn how dispatchers in Ramsey County (Minnesota) are using new computer-aided dispatch and fire station alerting technology to notify their first responders of accidents and incidents.

USDD congratulates one of our new clients in Australia for building a state-of-the-art fire station facility with the latest fire station alerting technology. Station officer Gina Kikos said response times will be improved, particularly for house fires.

2014

This article shares how one of the highlights of the Fire Chief’s career was decreasing emergency response times by nearly one minute. See the other highlights from Chief Goddard’s tenure.

This video and article shares the plan to combine efforts to respond quickly to emergencies with an automatic plan. Two engines from two cities will respond simultaneously. In the video, you can view US Digital Designs’ Phoenix G2 Communications Dashboard at :22.

This article and video below shares how seriously the Cedar Park Fire Department is taking the health and wellness of their firefighters. One way they’re helping improve firefighter wellness is by installing the Phoenix G2 ramped LED illuminated speakers and lights. The other is by working alongside the University of Texas to study firefighter sleep patterns.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department plans to roll out a new electronic message board alert system citywide this year. The stations feature the US Digital Designs’ Phoenix G2 electronic message board alert system.

The new fire station features a Phoenix G2 electronic message board alert system that scrolls pertinent information – such as address and response times – as firefighters get ready in the apparatus bays.

Meet ‘Sara,’ the the new automated dispatching/alert system that is making fire department response times :30-:40 seconds faster

2013

“The Station Alerting System will be one of the most exciting features of the building”

2010

Fire Engineering Magazine

Media Contact
Want to get in touch? Reach out to our media contact Erik Hanson at (602) 687-1739 or ehanson@usdd.com
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