Surf Life Saving NSW won the Outstanding Critical Communications Project award at 2024’s ARCIA Gala Dinner, for their analogue to digital network upgrade project which incorporated Ubiik Mimomax’s Tornado radios.
Following a new designation as an emergency service in 2019, the expectation of the Surf Life Saving to respond to any emergencies within their capability, including bushfires and floods, meant an upgrade to digital was a critical priority. Operating a radio network spanning 11 regions with challenging coastal terrain in New South Wales, the upgrade project has positively impacted the communications for 129 Beach patrols, 90 Lifeguard Services and 65 UAV Services.
“Providing a communications network in a coastal environment creates challenges in that you need to design a network that provides connectivity in all the nooks and crannies along the coast – you simply cannot have blackspots when lives are at stake,” says Andrew Ugarte, Communications Systems Manager at Surf Life Ssaving NSW.
Incorporating the establishment of a new operations centre alongside the radio upgrades, the project has strengthened the service’s resilience and ability to respond rapidly. The Tornado radios were selected due to their ultra-low latency (which is critical for voice linking) and ability to maximise capacity in narrowband channels. “Our radio communications are just like using a phone – it’s very much two-way but with the challenge of our volunteers also dealing with the background noise of the ocean or of the boat engine,” says Ugarte. “We therefore needed latency to be kept to an absolute minimum so we can respond to messages without any lag time at all.”
Recognising a project which delivered outstanding results, the Outstanding Critical Communications Project award recognises the collaboration between Surf Life Saving NSW, the NSW Telco Authority, Ubiix Mimomax and other Australian technology companies to integrate the existing Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) with the NSW Public Safety Network. “Thanks to these partnerships, we have successfully operationalised the PSN P25 radio network with SLSNSW’s existing DMR radio network, allowing operators to access both networks from a single console,” says Ugarte. “This level of connectivity empowers us to work seamlessly with other NSW Emergency Services, equipping us with the essential tools to keep communities safe.”