THE STORY

What happens when your office is a helicopter, your worksite is the wilderness, and safety is a priority? You need a reliable, unified communications solution. That’s why Blackcomb Helicopters turned to JPS. To keep everyone – pilots, dispatchers, and staff – in communication during operations ranging from mountain rescue and fire suppression to film shoots to utility repair, Blackcomb adopted a Z-Series interoperability gateway system. With this solution, they leverage reliable radio system infrastructure, streamline dispatch, and regain operational flexibility.

THE CHALLENGE

Blackcomb Helicopters has multiple bases of operation in two Canadian provinces spanning an impressive geographical area of mountains, valleys, waterways, and wilderness. Though beautiful, such rugged topography makes consistent communications coverage a real challenge. A valid solution would have to share audio from pilot to pilot, pilot to dispatcher, dispatcher to dispatcher, dispatcher to staff, etc., and the types of communications systems involved would have to be everything from LMR radio to various IP network types. To be honest, before coming to JPS, Blackcomb already had one of those solutions – and it was falling short.

Their previous solution was inadequate because of its restrictions on specific equipment types and limitations on expansion, which were becoming unmanageable and complicating business operation. To work efficiently, Blackcomb needed additional dispatch flexibility, the capability to quickly and efficiently determine if or when a repeater/transmitter was introducing a fault and to reroute communications appropriately, and independence from multicast so that they could maintain direct line audio over the Internet, when required. In other words, they needed a communications solution that reflected their own operational model: flexible and reliable.

THE SOLUTION

To implement a unified communications solution between the radio systems and five of Blackcomb’s operating locations, JPS proposed a Z-Series Controller, a system of RSP-Z2 and NXU-2B gateways, and MCC-4 Consoles for dispatch. Each gateway connects to donor radios for the different repeated radio systems in its area. The MCC-4 Consoles, which are four-channel, IP-based, desktop PTT mics, allow personnel in offices and dispatch areas to access the radio systems. Meanwhile, the Z-Series Controller can view or manage audio connections configured on gateway resources. Especially helpful to Blackcomb, each of these device types has a small footprint, is accessed using any standard web browser, and does not require a dedicated computer terminal.

THE RESULT

Blackcomb Helicopters can reliably communicate between their pilots and dispatchers/other staff throughout their operating locations. This allows for faster flow of information to key personnel for decision-making and response coordination.

In addition to unifying their communications system, they’ve also improved it. Dispatch is no longer tied to a large console; the MCC-4 can be moved to where it’s needed. Occasional problematic repeaters or resources can be isolated and tested – without interrupting the rest of their network – thanks to the Z-Series user interface’s easy-to-use audio nets and its COR (RX) and PTT (TX) indicators. Plus, when Blackcomb has questions, JPS Customer Support has answers.

“JPS support has been exceptional and ensured the system-wide deployment went smoothly.” – Josh Eising, Blackcomb Helicopters