Safety of workers at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France is being assured by an on-site TETRA system equipped with real-time localization.

The network, installed by the French system integrator Sysoco, is based on a Thales DIGICompact TETRA system with Sysoco’s DIGIProtect over TETRA network tracking solution and Sepura STP8000 handheld radios. The radios will provide seamless voice and data communication for teams across the airport site to keep operations running smoothly, including baggage handling, engineering and fire and rescue, as well as security.

Replacing four legacy analogue networks, the digital radio system can locate every terminal operating on the network in real time, out of doors and indoors. It supports real-time guard tour management and provides man-down capabilities to ensure that workers are protected wherever they are. Safety of workers is a primary consideration for the airport, which needs to meet stringent safety standards in a variety of operational environments, including its secured parking areas.

Position reporting

DIGIProtect supports three methods of localization by the radio – using GPS when out of doors, radio beacons when indoors, and RFID tags. The radio sends its position reports via SDS data message. Some of the airport’s STP8000 radios are being equipped with DIGIBox, a special device developed by Sysoco incorporating an additional radio location board for indoor tracking and guard tour services.

Other safety features of the Sepura radios include an emergency button and motion sensing technology that generates automatic man-down alerts.

“From janitorial services to ground crews, communication is at the heart of operational excellence”, said Pierre Letta, marketing director of Sysoco. “Many of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport personnel work in hazardous or mission-critical environments and the airport control dispatching centre needs to track their every movement so they get assistance to them instantly, if required, and co-ordinate actions.”

With the ability to locate every radio in use, the airport will be able to improve the management and safety of its resources. Controllers will be able to locate airport vehicles – where mobile radios are installed – as well as individual personnel carrying the hand portables. To ensure pinpoint in-building accuracy, over 150 radio beacons are being installed across the airport’s indoor areas.