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Radiation Portal Monitors

Jan 2007

Synopsis

The Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program involves installation of radiation detectors at ports of entry around the country. Mercury IP Audio Communications systems are being used to conduct communications between CBP personnel and vehicle operators moving through seaport vehicle screening venues.

Key Challenge and Solutions

Distance between CBP personnel and vehicle operators:

Because Mercury allows communications to take place over standards-based networks, CBP was able to install Mercury equipment on the existing fibre optic network used for other types of video and data. Mercury is particularly well suited for seaports where CBP personnel are located at multiple sites and where physical presence of CBP staff at monitoring sites is difficult.

Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint & Conference communications: 

Many large ports require fast communications between geographically disbursed CBP personnel as well as one-to-one and group calls to vehicle lanes at local or distant radiation portal monitoring sites. Mercury supports any combination of one-to-one, one-to-many and conference communications across the entire enterprise. This allows CBP to increase productivity of personnel and move vehicles through monitoring sites in an efficient manner.

Weather and tamper-proof communications panels for vehicle operators: 

Trilogy offers stainless-steel panels that function reliably in harsh environmental conditions and are not easily damaged. The panels also allow CBP personnel to take control of communications so that vehicle operators can communicate in a hands free manner.

Equipment Used

  • Mercury Interface Unit (MIU)
  • Audio Expansion Board (AEB)
  • General Purpose Interface Board (GPI)
  • Audio Noise Reduction (ANR)
  • 8 Lever Key LCD Panel - Desktop
  • Power Distribution Box (PDB)
  • Access Communications Panel (ACP)
  • Beyer DT-108 Headset