Ross & Baruzzini

Our Rail and Transit practice offers proven successful experience analyzing all public transit rail and bus dispatch control center processes, and identifying for our client’s areas where changes in staffing, processes, or systems might improve overall system effectiveness more safely and economically. Typical improvements are focused on improving efficiency and safety and include new OCC staff, changes in staff responsibilities, technology improvements, and application of industry best practices.

Ross & Baruzzini's Rail and Transit group provides services for the planning, design, procurement, implementation management, commissioning, and maintenance the control and information management systems required for centralized, passenger-based, interstate, commuter, and light rail-train control operations to maintain safe, dependable, and cost-efficient rail service.

Macro, a division of Ross & Baruzzini has communications systems engineering expertise covering both wireless and land-lined telecommunications to support state-of-the-art control center systems. We specialize in the planning and engineering of land mobile radio systems, microwave backhaul, control center communications to field devices and other voice and data systems. Our staff designs modern communication infrastructures to support state-of-the-art applications. Macro specializes in the planning and engineering of mobile radio systems, microwave radio systems, and other voice and data telecommunications systems.

Macro has in place computer-based radio propagation prediction systems, up-to-date test equipment, and an extensive library covering theoretical and technical information. Macro maintains an up-to-date understanding of FCC and other regulatory and legal issues relating to telecommunications through its extensive professional relationships and activities.

Macro’s thorough understanding of the FCC’s rules, organization, and procedures, assures our clients of timely knowledge of regulatory changes, accurate interpretation of its rules and regulations, and efficient management of the frequency allocation process.

Our planners and systems engineers produce conceptual and final designs of control center for public transit operations.  Our control theater expertise includes site selection, staffing plans, layout of workspaces and wall-mounted large-format display status boards, and the application of industry human factor and ergonomic best practices, for control rooms that integrate bus, rail, police, and their related incident command operations.

Our Emergency Preparedness planning team has developed emergency response plans for a wide variety of public and private sector agencies throughout the United States. Our services touch every aspect of emergency management planning and operations—from situational awareness and incident response, to resource tracking and consequence management. Our integrated, comprehensive approach enhances an emergency manager’s capability to meet routine security challenges, natural and man-made disasters as well as larger-scale incidents. Our team develops and conducts all training and exercises in full compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS) and the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

Ross & Baruzzini is a leader in the planning and engineering of advanced information technology systems. Our approach applies systems engineering principles to the specialized world of information technology systems. We provide a comprehensive array of IT services, including technology strategic planning, capacity planning, information security, systems selection, knowledge engineering, change management, and asset and life-cycle management. Our experts understand how these systems fit precisely within the existing business model and operations. We plan, design, and deliver cost-effective IT solutions that provide an owner with the most current information technology advancements.

We investigate all legacy and enterprise systems and their functionality to determine which operational systems should be integrated to improve operational coordination.  A detailed requirements analysis defines these interfaces in the procurement specification for a new system. We design each component to integrate with all the other infrastructure system elements. Cyber security is a key focus of the design.

Our communications systems engineering expertise covers both wireless and land-lined telecommunications with extensive experience in large analog and digital wide area interoperable networks. We specialize in the assessment, planning and engineering of land mobile radio systems, microwave and fiber optic backhaul, control center communications to field devices and other mission critical voice and data systems. Mobile radio expertise that includes propagation prediction coverage analysis, signal measurement/verification, antenna site design, and licensing/regulatory support.

Systems at OCCs include Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) systems, traction power control and facility (SCADA) systems, Integrated Communications Switch (ICS) systems for voice communications, large display wall systems, Passenger information systems, CCTV surveillance systems, Incident Management Systems, Maintenance Management Systems, Track Allocation systems, Legacy systems integration, and information repositories. Our team provides planning, specification, procurement support, implementation support, testing, and commissioning services for all types of these systems as well as their higher operational integration.

Our service planning system-architects offer over 20 years’ experience designing, procuring, testing, and commissioning computer platforms for rail classification and consists, fixed-route and flex route-bus runcutting with ESRI GIS mapping, and paratransit client eligibility and reservations.  Our deep portfolio of successful scheduling system deployments for transit agencies include trip building, run cutting, blocking, rostering, operator bidding window dispatching; demand-responsive scheduling systems include reservation services, eligibility validation, and manifesting.

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a platform for remote monitoring and operation of remotely located field equipment. As a natural extension of our extensive portfolio designing highly integrated and centralized operations centers for transportation, public transit, and electric utilities, we maintain a cadre of industry-leading engineers who specialize in instrumenting and converging an expansive number of remote data sources into a cohesive, user-friendly, command and control environment. Our services include planning, design, technical specifications, procurement support, implementation management, testing, and commissioning.

The security systems design and engineering phase of a project works to translate the established security program into a fully coordinated and constructible design package. It is key that that design package focuses on the security needs of the facility on day one, while delivering the flexibility to adapt, expand, and maintain compatibility with the technologies of tomorrow.  Functioning as a member of the project design team, we focus on the integration of physical and electronic security systems to ensure that they are in harmony with the building aesthetics, design approach, and operational mission of the facility.  We specialize not only in the design and specification of security systems, but in the development of supportive infrastructure and coordination with other systems and trades, including architecture, structure, MEP, fire detection and suppression, information technology, lighting, door hardware, vertical transportation, and others.  The end result is a coordinated, turn-key security system that has been designed and implemented in concert with the overall project.

Ross & Baruzzini is a leader in the planning and engineering of advanced telecommunication systems. Our approach applies systems engineering principles to the world of wired and wireless technology. We provide a comprehensive array of telecommunication systems engineering services, including master planning, predictive modeling and infrastructure engineering, telephony/radio/WiFi/Cellular/Trunk Radio/Paging/Notification systems design and selection, performance and operation parameters, and asset and life-cycle management. Our experts understand how these systems fit precisely within the day-to-day normal, critical, and emergency communications as well as how to apply the correct standards and engineering methods. We plan, design, and deliver cost-effective telecommunication system solutions that provide owners with high-availability, reliable telecommunication systems.

Any organization has critical and sensitive business processes, IT systems, applications and data. Cybersecurity focuses on protecting these key components through layered security and defense in depth. The cybersecurity risk assessment focuses on identifying key administrative, technical and physical vulnerabilities with the current environment. Our flexible process can use different IT governance frameworks depending on the industry and IT compliance requirements. In order to identify threats and vulnerabilities, we perform scans and penetration tests to proactively identify gaps in our client’s network environments. We also evaluate your business continuity program and disaster recovery strategy to help prepare our clients to react to a cybersecurity event, incident, or potential breach. Working with our clients, we help them to embed cybersecurity in their day-to-day operations and to introduce cybersecurity as part of the architectural design for new systems and applications. Our approach to cybersecurity allows seamless integration of cybersecurity while educating users on the potential cyber threats and actors.

Our ITS team brings a wealth of experience to engineer smart technological solutions to our client’s operational needs on transportation facilities.  We begin with understanding the client’s current operations and future needs. From these needs, we plan an operational plan and technological solutions with considerable stakeholder involvement.  Our successful projects include traffic information, traffic enforcement, freight operations, airport ground transportation, airport curbside management, airside ground service equipment tracking, and highway traffic operations.