How does Blu Eye 2 work?

In almost all of Europe, emergency services (ambulance, fire brigade and police) use a digital communication system. In the UK, this system is known as Airwave. It is based on the worldwide Terrestrial Trunked Radio standard, TETRA for short. Just as the GSM signal is the standard for your mobile phone, TETRA is the standard for mobile communication for the Public Order and Security services. 

When a police officer, paramedic or firefighter logs the Airwave radio in his (unmarked ) car into the network, the communication equipment sends an ultra short synchronisation signal every few seconds. It is precisely this signal that Blu Eye picks up from the ether and converts it into an audible and visual alert on an information display in your car. The distance at which the first generation of Blu Eye and the new Blu Eye 2 signal an emergency service varies from a few hundred metres to about one kilometre. That means plenty of time to anticipate the situation and quickly move to the side and/or reduce your speed.

What is Airwave?

Airwave is the communication system for the emergency services. Police, fire brigade, ambulance services and related organisations use the digital system for their mobile communication. More than 300,000 emergency workers communicate 24/7 via Airwave with their control rooms and each other. They use the closed system during daily work, but also at major incidents and disasters. 

The free-standing masts and rooftop locations of Airwave are connected by switching stations. The masts and switching stations ensure that emergency response workers can communicate with the control room at any time anywhere in the UK and beyond via their fixed and mobile radios.