Control Room Suite for a Major Power and Energy Company

For a power and energy company headquartered in Virginia, ACG provided a complete control room communications suite.

Problem:

A utility company supplies electricity and natural gas to several states in the U.S., and has a facility that sits on a major river system. It transfers natural gas from cargo ships where safety and operational continuity is critical to the company, stakeholders, and the surrounding community. To be effective, their processes require synchronization of private security with state/local and federal governments, and the requisite first responders should a hazardous event occur.
While this facility has their own internal trunked radio system, they needed an updated, more sophisticated and extended communications control system that integrated radio to outbound telephone lines with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, fire departments, emergency medical teams, US Coast Guard, local Navy base, park rangers, sheriff, county officials and the State Police.

Solution:

ACG designed and installed a compact interoperable communications system which added all LMR radios, digital and analog phone lines, integrated into a desktop touch screen system. This installation eliminated the need for the plant’s security team to carry three radios along with their cell phones, and the console operators do not need separate radios or desktop phones. The control system included a populated corporate phone book, first responder phone numbers, and speed connect buttons allowing instant access to key affiliates via phone lines or radio channels.

The return on investment is three-fold:

Seamless emergency response: Security no longer needs to fumble with antiquated radios and search for phone numbers. In an emergency situation, a few seconds of better response could mean of lives saved and millions of dollars in resources spared.
Reduces number of individual subscriber devices
Improved operational efficiency

ACG’s expertise in radio and IT interoperability allowed them to provide this utility company with a fully integrated system. We developed a nimble, customizable and agile system that other solutions providers aren’t able to do. In a facility environment at risk to disaster, technology and network security solutions are critical to communication.