In December 2013 a user satisfaction survey was completed by DBK in order to obtain an overview of the users experience with SINE. Users from the Danish Fire Brigades, Police departments, Ambulance services, The Danish Defence, Falck etc. responded to a questionnaire on  indoor- and outdoor coverage, SINE radios , 24/7 Helpdesk, fleetmaps and on the current ticket system.

Some Key Results from the user satisfaction survey are:

• The users continue to be very satisfied with the coverage and voice quality, both in normal everyday use and in noisy surroundings. The greatest challenges concerns indoor coverage.
• The users are satisfied with their radios. The majority find themselves to be adept in using the various functions in the radio terminals, however they value highly continuous information updates and practical exercises.
• Many users have contacted DBKs 24/7 Helpdesk. The majority of the users are quite familiar with which services the Helpdesk offers.
• The phone (mobile or fixed) is still the most popular way to communicate with the Helpdesk, followed by e-mail.
• The knowledge level on the current ticket system is limited. Less than 50% of the responders have tried the system and many do not know how to use it at all.
• Some users have become very proficient at updating fleet maps while others find it very difficult.

The Emergency Services represented in the user survey comes from all the five regions in Denmark. Generally the users have a positive attitude towards SINE but there is always room for improvement.  DBK is currently developing the new electronic database Fleeda which makes updating and version tracking of fleet maps much more user friendly. Also a new updated ticket system is in development. Both systems will be launched later this year. The users will, of course, be thoroughly introduced to as well Fleeda as the new ticket system when they are being released.

The purpose of the user satisfaction survey is to evaluate the users’ satisfaction with SINE and with DBKs services in general. The results give DBK an opportunity to optimize our service deliveries continuously.

The 2013 survey was executed in the form of an online survey including 359 Super Users, invited from the different Danish Emergency Services. 26 % of the invited Super Users responded to the survey.

What do you do when you are dissatisfied with the indoor coverage in the part of the city that is your responsibility? You do something about it – that is the attitude at Frederiksberg Fire Brigade.

It is not an easy job to establish SINE coverage in the Danish cities. The concentration of residents – hence tall buildings, closed backyards and underground parking lots –  can be a challenge when police, fire fighters, ambulance crews and other rescue operators  need to communicate using their terminals during an emergency operation. It is difficult for the signals to pass through building materials as concrete and steel.

Jack Creutzberg, System Administrator at Frederiksberg Fire Brigade, dug into the technology behind SINE and took up a dialogue with Dansk Beredskabskommunikation (DBK) on the subject. The result came in the form of a DMO repeater solution, which enhances the indoor coverage in buildings and other special areas that experience poor radio coverage.

The solution is ingenious however simple:  In enclosed spaces, for instance a parking cellar, the team leader brings with him a “suitcase” with a battery powered DMO repeater. When the outside rescue manager sees the signal strength beginning to fade, he tells the team leader to place the box on the floor. Continuing onwards, the team leader will, via the DMO repeater, have a clear and strong radio signal going further in, securing contact with the rest of the team. The DMO repeater has been tested during the last couple of month and the results are extremely positive.

“When we use the DMO repeater solution our rescuers can communicate unimpeded with each other. It’s a great improvement. The radio signals used to be unstable when the team leader entered a building with his fire squad, but that is not the case anymore”, says Michael Nyrand, Operational leader at Frederiksberg Fire Brigade.

When the tests are completed Frederiksberg Fire Brigade will complete a detailed report. But Jack Creutzberg and Michael Nyrand have no doubt that the solution is there to stay. The DMO repeater solution has improved the indoor coverage during operations significantly and thereby increased the safety for as well citizens as the rescuers in the fire brigade at Frederiksberg.