AFL Recognized by Safer Buildings Coalition™ with 2021 Project of the Year

Spartanburg, SC – AFL, a leading provider of engineering and installation services and manufacturer of fiber optic cable and accessories, is excited to announce that it was recognized by the Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) as the recipient of the 2021 Safe Inside Project of the Year. SBC’s Safe Inside Project of the Year award recognizes outstanding projects in the in-building public safety communications market. It spotlights projects for their impact, quality of workmanship, innovation, and contribution to reducing noise and interference.



AFL was recognized for a project installation for a large communications carrier at Fifth + Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee. Fifth + Broadway is one of the largest mixed-use venues in the history of Nashville that covers a city block and consists of retail shops, restaurants, a residential tower, class-A office space, a museum, and a large above and below-ground parking structure. AFL provided a full turnkey Emergency Responder Radio Communications System (ERRCS) which provides coverage for first responders in areas where the existing public safety network would not reach.

“With a development of this magnitude—of over one million square feet of public safety coverage—a properly designed and implemented public safety-first responder system is critical,” explained Michael Orendain, Vice President of AFL’s Enterprise Services Optical Telecom Division. “Our solution was deployed in three phases over the course of a year. It was fiber-based and designed to avoid interfering with the existing Nashville Public Safety System.”

AFL worked closely with the City of Nashville Fire Marshall, Site Developer, and General Contractor while navigating the pandemic and an onsite workforce of over 500 workers per day to meet project deadlines and successfully commission the large-scale project.  

“Every member of our team was committed to the success of the Fifth + Broadway project and knew its importance to the City of Nashville and its First Responders. To be recognized by our industry peers and alongside so many other dedicated SBC companies is humbling,” commented Orendain.

The Safe Inside Awards were created to recognize outstanding initiative in the in-building public safety communications market. Categories included the Safe Inside Product of the Year and Safe Inside Project of the Year. Submitted products and projects were required to specifically pertain to the in-building public safety market and demonstrate an innovation that furthers the mission of improving in-building public safety.

“Much deserved congratulations to our Safe Inside Award winners. In the mission to improve in-building public safety communications, the efforts of those across our industry are what drives impactful change. It’s our pleasure as an industry leader to be able to recognize the most impactful, and successful initiatives,” said Safer Buildings Coalition Executive Director, Chief Alan Perdue.
 
To learn more about AFL, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
 
To learn more about the submissions of the winners, silver award recipients and finalists, click here.
 
SBC is the only trade association purpose-built to lead national policy and education for in-building wireless services. To learn more about the Safer Buildings Coalitions and its mission, click here.
 
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the electric utilities, wireline and wireless network operators, cloud content providers, and enterprise markets as well as industrial markets which support oil & gas, mining, defense and more. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.
 
Media Contact for AFL
Corie Culp, PR Manager, AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com
 
About Safer Buildings Coalition
The Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) is the only trade association purpose-built to lead national policy and education for in-building wireless services through serving the public safety, cellular and real estate communities. From its inception before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in February 2012, SBC has been at the forefront advancing ideas, codes, and Standards to make buildings safer for Public Safety personnel and the public they serve. Our members include Public Safety Operations, Radio System Operators, and Fire and Building Code Officials (AHJs); the Wireless Industry Ecosystem; Trade Associations; and Building Operators and other End Users. SBC is an independent, 501(c)(4) non-profit organization.
 
Media Contact for Safer Buildings Coalition
Max Shapiro
Safer Buildings Coalition Content Management Team
content@saferbuildings.com