Overview of this project
- 4 large training pods.
- 2 Lecture rooms.
- Large 4 station control room.
- Waiting / reception area.
- Indoor training area.
- Sitewide AV infrastructure over fibre.
Northamptonshire FRS had an aging training centre that was on it’s last legs, slowly falling apart as more equipment broke and was beyond repair.
Project brief
The video system was low resolution and was difficult to operate. CCTV was used to record the images however staff couldn’t access the video afterwards to archive an exercise.
The control room used a great many screens to show all the cameras and images and the system needed re-wiring whenever anything, even the slightest bit out of the ordinary, was required.
The system was failing and was significantly impacting productivity.
Following a tendering process Piranha AV were invited to design and install the new training suite.
The suite is more modest than some of our other projects both in scale and budget and was a refurbishment rather than a new build. We were given three weeks to complete the installation and train staff before the next assessment round started (including the removal of all the old equipment). A challenge we met with time to spare for the staff to thoroughly run through all their exercises and feel confident in their new suite.
Our design starting point was to include as many of the features, benefits and many years experience from our largest suites to give the service the best possible results for their budget. It was mentioned the suite may be relocated in future years so we also designed the system with expansion in mind and selected core components accordingly. The result is a mini version of our largest suites with very similar functionality only on a smaller scale.
Part of the works included joinery and painting and we brought in these contractors within the wider tender.
The training pod uses an 85 inch Sony Professional display to show the simulation.
A surround sound system delivers immersive audio to the candidate.
A high definition camera and microphone system records the images to an easy to use video recorder.
A ‘Recording’ sign switches on whenever the microphones are recording.
A lecture room includes an 85 inch Sony Professional TV display.
This can be used for local meetings and also display the camera view of the candidate.
Assessors usually sit in this room to review the candidates progress.
The suite is really easy to use with an iPad Pro providing a touch screen control system. A Custom app has buttons for all controls including presets for all exercise types that configures the wheel system from one button press.
The exercises are recorded onto SD Cards using TV studio style record decks that are ultra simple to operate.
In addition to the above, the suite also provides the following functionality:
- 1 Assessments.
- Fully matrixed system architecture: Any computer or camera image can be routed to any display or projector.
- Laptop inputs in each pod allowing the room to be used for meetings. Every exercise recorded using a simple to operate TV studio style video recorder.
- Master Touch panel in control room with all controls and manual overrides.
- Candidate navigation of simulation in the pod.
- Full high definition imaging throughout (1920 x 1080).
- XVR and Fire Studio compatible.
- Reused desks in the control room to save costs.
- Reused lecterns the lecture rooms to save costs.
- 1x Quad view multi-view / multi-window video processors with customisable layout options.