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INTELIX MZP USED TO
TRAIN NEW YORK'S BRAVEST
 Middleton,
WI - In the wake of 9/11, Fire Departments across the country
are upgrading their training facilities and equipment. At
the forefront is the New York City Fire Department who recently
completed a $45 million fire training facility at the Fire
Academy on Randall's Island. The facility is comprised of
a 6,000 square-foot Burn Building which uses computer controlled
technology to simulate conditions of a live fire in many different
types of construction, a state-of-the-art 35,000 square-foot
Learning Building which provides instructional opportunities
for firefighters in remote sites, and a 35,000 square-foot
Field House which contains a structural fire-fighting simulator.
To manage the complex audio in the Field House training
facility, Cerami & Associates, Inc., the designer of the
audio/video system, chose an 8 input x 40 output Intelix MZP
Paging and Program Distribution System for the routing of
pages and background audio program distribution. The flexibility
of the Intelix MZP made it an ideal solution for the rapidly
changing environment of the fire-fighting facility.
"The new FDNY training facility is a very large
and dynamic place: the sights and
sounds are constantly changing and the facility needed a matrix
mixer capable of handling a vast array of functions,"
explains Mike DeSantis of Sound Equipment Corp., Hawthorne,
New York, the equipment supplier for the project.
"The Field House simulates streets complete with
different buildings representing major types of construction used in New
York City, including private dwellings, commercial structures, apartment
houses and brownstones," said FDNY Chief of Training Nicholas Santangelo.
"Firefighters will practice varied operational techniques including
entry, search, ventilation and hoseline operations in each of these
structures. The buildings are designed to enable instructors to change
the interiors with each scenario."
The audio for the complex training facility
environment, including both paging and program distribution, is managed
by the Intelix MZP. Divided into 34 separate zones, the simulator
requires paging into each individual zone for instructions, cautions,
and alerts; however, because each zone presents a different auditory
environment, independent volume control in each area is required. The
MZP also routes relevant program distribution for "real-world program
sound," such as the hissing of steam and crackling of burning timbers.
When not in use, the MZP can be utilized to broadcast background music
throughout the facility.
 Control
is provided from a glass-enclosed control center overlooking
the field house. There, ten Intelix Comet-4 zone selectors
and two Intelix Comet Tail volume controls are rack mounted
for quick and easy audio selection. Background music and program
sound are provided from a local PC and CD player. Four additional
paging zones have been reserved for future expandability.
"This state-of-the-art facility will provide the
training that our firefighters deserve," states New York City Mayor
Bloomberg. "Since September 11th we have hired more than 1,800
probationary firefighters and are rebuilding the ranks of this great
department with the best equipped and best trained firefighters in the
world. Not only will our probies benefit from this enhanced facility,
but also all of our firefighters and officers will use this facility for
in-service training. The FDNY never stops learning, training or
preparing new techniques to keep New Yorkers safe."
For more information on the New York City Fire
Department and the Randall's Island Training Facility, please visit:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml.
For more information on the Intelix MZP Paging and
Program Distribution System, as well as Intelix's complete line of
audio/video distribution equipment, please visit
www.intelix.com, or call
1-866-4-MATMIX.
<<Photos compliments of New York City Fire Department
Press Unit>>
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