Emergency Response Prior to MINITOR
Before modern pagers and radio technology, alerting volunteer firefighters in rural areas often relied on someone physically running to the fire station to activate a siren mounted on its roof. This was the reality for many rural communities – a slow, unreliable system where precious minutes could be lost. By the time a firefighter reached the scene, the incident could have escalated into something much more severe. These events posed a significant threat, and there was an urgent requirement for improved emergency communication protocols.
That’s when Motorola Solutions stepped in with the MINITOR, a device that addressed a critical gap in emergency communication. The introduction of the MINITOR paved the way for a safer future by moving beyond stationary sirens to equip individual responders with personal, portable alerting devices, ensuring efficiency and reducing delays.
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MINITOR, a cornerstone of emergency response for five decades.
MINITOR through the years:
The Birth of MINITOR
The original MINITOR was launched in 1975. The device provided the functionalities of standard workstation monitors in a portable, pager-sized device, making it ideal for volunteer firefighters serving rural areas. So, when an incident occurred, a pager voice alert was dispatched, promptly alerting firefighters of an incident taking place.
The MINITOR set a new standard, both for its technical abilities and its remarkably durable build.
“Responding to a call on Labor Day Weekend, I jumped on the back of the truck, putting on my gear at the same time. What I didn’t realize was that I knocked my MINITOR receiver off in the process. It must have taken a couple of bounces off the truck, which was moving at about 60 miles an hour! Later that night I went back to look for it, but it was too dark.
The next day, I drove to the fire-station with a friend who spotted my MINITOR on the highway between the two yellow lines! We went back, picked it up, and found that it was still working. In fact, other than a few tire marks on it and a low battery warning, it was just like new. I’m still using it today.”
– Bruce Mack, Frontier Volunteer Fire Co., Wheatfield, New York (1991)
Decades later, the MINITOR remains a dependable tool for volunteer firefighters. Built for the high-stress demands of emergency response, the MINITOR 7 stands as the latest chapter in a 50-year legacy of simple, reliable, and safe communication. Features like storing and replaying up to 20 minutes of messages, channel scanning, and crystal-clear audio, coupled with its robust, military-grade construction, are continuations of the MINITOR’s promise to deliver critical information when it matters most.
The MINITOR 7 carries forward a history of innovation born from necessity, ensuring that the legacy of rapid, reliable emergency communication remains relevant and effective for generations to come.
Learn more about MINITOR 7.
