Intrinsically Safe Radios For Firefighters – SOLAS 2012 MSC.338(91) Regulation II-2/10.10.4

IMO Regulation
The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) adopted the following amendment to SOLAS regulation II-2/10 regarding fire fighters’ communication.
“For ships constructed on or after 1 July 2014, a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for each fire party for fire-fighter’s communication shall be carried on board. Those two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe. Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with the requirements not later than the first survey after 1 July 2018.”
Rcom can help you in selecting the most competitive and suitable solution for compliance with the Intrinsically Safe Radios For Firefighters regulation.

Please contact us via email on sales@rcom.nl or call us +31 (0)180-622442 for further information and advice.

Entel Products
Entel offers a comprehensive range of marine VHF and UHF intrinsically safe portables to comply with the new SOLAS regulations for Intrinsically Safe Radios For Firefighters.
The HT Series 2.0 Marine portables are designed to endure the everyday rigours of life at sea. Highly successful with fire brigades, petrochemical, shipping, and major blue chip organizations worldwide, the HT Series 2.0 is built without compromise to deliver loud and crisp audio using the latest commander noise reduction technology.
Conforming to European IP68, the HT Series 2.0 offers the highest submergibility rating of any manufacturer. This unique series protects against corrosion, withstanding total immersion in water to a depth of 5 meters for 1 hour to protect against the likely hazards encountered in any field of operation.

Following options of Intrinsically Safe portables are available:
ATEX Approved IIC – The HT942, HT944, HT982 and HT983 ATEX certified portables meet IIC T4. The most stringent ATEX ratings as per EU directive 94/9/EC.
ATEX Approved IIA – The HT842, HT844, HT882 and HT883 ATEX certified portables meet IIA T4 with 4 watts RF power. For those users not restricted to the IIC 1 watt regulatory classification.
IECEx Approved – The HT542, HT544, HT582 and HT583 intrinsically safe certified portables meet IECEx certification. Suitable for those users who do not need to comply with the European ATEX standard.

Accessories
Entel offers a range of professional audio accessories for Intrinsically Safe Radios For Firefighters. Fire Fighting teams prefer communication solutions with bone-conductive options that can fit easily with their existing BAs. Since customer’s specifications vary, Entel has a comprehensive range of audio accessories to address these requirements.
Should the customer demand a radio integrated Breathing Apparatus, Entel has two market leading products from Draeger and Scott Safety approved on its ATEX certificate to work with the radios.
Some of the ATEX approved audio accessories supplied to fire and rescue organizations globally are as follows.

EPT40/950 Bone conductive combined earpiece microphone
The combined mic/earpiece detects speech-induced bone vibrations via direct contact with ear canal wall. Because these vibrations occur whether one speaks softly or yells you only have to speak at a moderate level for high speech clarity, even in high noise areas. The earpiece connects via a quality in line connector to a large rugged waterproof press to talk (PTT) button that can clip on to a belt or other suitable position using the rugged revolving clip. The press to talk switch is easy to use, has a positive feel and can be used by a gloved hand or under clothing.
FEATURES:
• You can use this under a helmet or face mask
• Allows discreet communication with no visible microphone
• Utilizes a sound-pressure receiver making it easy to hear under noisy conditions
• ATEX approved
• Supplied with a waterproof PTT
• For use in high noise and blue-light/tactical environments

CXR5/950 Bone conductive skull microphone
The CXR5 is a high performance bone vibration microphone that provides clear audio reception in a noisy environment. Unlike other conventional headsets, the CXR5 is not affected by surrounding sounds while you are in communication. For transmitting your message a bone conductive microphone is placed on top of the head and the earpiece is over one of the ears.
The fully adjustable CXR5 fits on the head similar to a cap. The metal frame supports the bone conductive microphone which fits on adjustable straps. A robust cable exits the skull cap the rear and attaches via a quality in-line connector to a large rugged waterproof press to talk switch that can clip on to a belt or other suitable position using the rugged revolving clip. The press to talk switch is easy to use, has a positive feel and can be used by a gloved hand or under clothing.
FEATURES:
• A high quality rugged bone conductive skull cap
• You can use this under a helmet
• ATEX approved
• Supplied with a waterproof PTT
• For use in high noise environments

CXR16/950 Bone conductive throat microphone
The CXR16 is a high performance throat vibration microphone that provides clear audio reception in a noisy environment. Unlike other conventional headsets, the CXR16 is not affected by surrounding sounds while you are in communication. For transmitting a message, the bone conductive microphone is placed close to the throat and fastened securely around the neck.
A rugged ‘D’ shaped earpiece accompanies the throat microphone and connects via a quality in-line connector to a large rugged waterproof press to talk switch that can clip on to a belt or other suitable position using a revolving clip. The large sized press to talk (PTT) switch is easy to use, has a positive feel and can be used by a gloved hand or under clothing.
FEATURES:
• A high quality throat microphone with a comfortable soft-feel adjustable neck band
• You can use this under fire fighters clothing
• ATEX approved
• Supplied with a waterproof PTT
• For use in high noise environments

For any questions about this IMO regulation please contact us at sales@rcom.nl.