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San Antonio Regional Operations Center Relies on Flexible Video Wall

Bexar County 9-1-1 call center

The new Bexar Metro 9-1-1 Regional Operations Center (REOC) unifies the emergency operations of three Texas counties in one cutting-edge facility. The new call center is connected with an EOC and NOC utilizing two RGB Spectrum Galileo display processors, MultiPoint® Enterprise control room manager, and an Opto fiber optic matrix switcher.

Built to accommodate 104 operator consoles, the 13,878-square-foot Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) call center handles 9-1-1 operations formerly managed across 25 different locations. A large array of video displays at the front of the room provides vital visual data and call analytics. The main display area contains a total of 88 Planar 55-inch LCD displays, configured as a central 4x14 video wall with a 4x4 wall on each side. Flanking the main display area are two more arrays of six Samsung 75-inch LCD displays.

The Galileo display processor provides the flexibility to show the PSAP’s vital array of 43 inputs, including PCs, cable TV tuners and IP cameras, on any or all of the 104 displays. The Opto 160 switcher handles the task of routing the diverse mix of sources to any output.

Display presets are recalled via touchscreens at two supervisor stations and two additional stations in the EOC and NOC. MultiPoint Enterprise is used for keyboard/mouse control of 26 source PCs also allowing the operator to preview each source before routing it to the desired destination.

“The ability to have multiple supervisor control stations is a key feature, providing access to sources and allowing supervisors to manipulate the wall and change presets as needed,” said Art Salinas, Technologies Manager with Alterman Technologies, the integration company that installed the Bexar REOC system designed by the consultant firm of Technical Design Services, Inc.

With the Bexar Metro 9-1-1 REOC online, PSAP operators are pleased with the flexibility of the video wall technology. “It’s a great system with no real limitations,” Salinas observed. “The client has been pleased with the capability to control and preview the content before it goes onto the wall. As of now, they have about 30 display presets. They could have all 40 sources on the wall if they wanted.”

As operators become more familiar with the system and how to use the flexibility provided by the technology, additional presets will be set up to encompass new configurations. The technology is already in place to support that evolution.

RGB Spectrum is a leading designer and manufacturer of mission-critical, real-time audio-visual solutions for a civilian, government, and military client base. The company offers integrated hardware, software, and control systems to satisfy the most demanding requirements. Since 1987, RGB Spectrum has been dedicated to helping its customers achieve Better Decisions. Faster.