Some AV projects are memorable because of the technology. Others stand out because of the people and the story behind them. Our recent work with the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department brought all three together.
Go Media was honored to design and install the audiovisual system for TVFD’s new Operations Center, a modern multipurpose space designed to support meetings, training, presentations, video conferencing and operational needs. The finished room features impressive technology, but what makes this project especially meaningful is the remarkable organization it serves.
More Than 150 Years of Service to Thibodaux
Established in 1874, the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department has been serving its community for more than 150 years. Today, the department includes approximately 500 members, with around 200 active volunteers as well as retired members who remain part of its extended family.
For generations, TVFD members have volunteered their time, energy and expertise to protect their neighbors.
Maintaining a department of that size is no small undertaking. Modern fire apparatus can cost as much as $2 million, even before considering protective gear, training, equipment, facilities and the many other resources required to keep a fire department ready to respond.
Fortunately, the people of Thibodaux have developed a remarkable—and very South Louisiana—way to support their firefighters.
A Fundraiser That Became a Community Tradition
The annual Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair began in 1883, when the first event raised nearly $250 for the department. More than 140 years later, it has grown into one of the area’s biggest and most beloved community traditions.
Held over four days during the first full weekend in May, the fair brings together live music, rides, games, auctions, a parade, plenty of food and tens of thousands of visitors. Best of all, admission is free.
Approximately 60,000 people attend, and the most recent fair reportedly grossed an incredible $1,201,949. According to the fair’s official website, fair revenue provides about 40 percent of the department’s annual budget. Sponsorships and commemorative brick donations provide additional ways for individuals and local businesses to support the department throughout the year.
It is an impressive example of a community taking care of the people who take care of it—and it is hard not to appreciate a fundraiser that can help purchase firefighting equipment while serving up live music and a famous Firemen’s Fair burger.
Designing an AV System for a Modern Fire Department Operations Center
With such an extraordinary history behind it, TVFD needed an Operations Center capable of supporting the department’s work today while providing the flexibility to accommodate future needs.
That is an important consideration when we design AV systems for municipalities and local government organizations. These rooms rarely serve a single purpose. A space may function as a meeting room one day, a training environment the next and an operational information center when circumstances require it.
The AV system therefore needed to provide clear communication, flexible content sharing and intuitive operation without making the technology itself a distraction.
A 135-Inch Direct View LED Display Creates the Visual Centerpiece
At the center of the completed room is a bright 135-inch Direct View LED display. Its large, seamless image gives the room a natural focal point for presentations, maps, training materials, video calls, weather information and other operational content.
Direct View LED video walls are particularly well suited to large meeting and operations environments because they can provide excellent visibility across the room while avoiding the bezels associated with traditional multi-panel video walls.
For an Operations Center where multiple people may need to clearly see detailed information at the same time, display size, viewing distance and visibility throughout the room all become important parts of the AV design—not simply the size of the screen itself.
Integrated Audio, Conferencing and Presentation Technology
The display is supported by a complete presentation and conferencing system designed to make the entire room easy to see, hear and use.
Ceiling microphones capture conversation throughout the space, while evenly distributed speakers provide clear audio coverage for everyone in attendance. Presenters can use handheld, lapel or lectern microphones depending on the application.
The room also supports wireless content sharing and video conferencing, giving TVFD the ability to bring remote participants into meetings and share information from multiple sources. For organizations that regularly collaborate with people outside the room, properly integrated Teams and Zoom Room technology can make that experience significantly more consistent and easier for users.
The goal is not simply to put individual pieces of AV equipment into a room. Displays, microphones, speakers, conferencing hardware, presentation sources and control all need to work together as one system.
Simple AV Control for a Room That Needs to Work Quickly
A centralized touchscreen brings the system together and gives users straightforward control without requiring them to become audiovisual experts just to begin a meeting or presentation.
That simplicity was especially important to our design team.
Technology in a room like this should help people communicate. It should not become the main topic of conversation.
For AV professionals, ease of use is every bit as important as the equipment behind the system. A technically impressive room provides little value if users are hesitant to operate it or require support every time they want to change a source, start a video call or adjust audio.
Building Scalability Into the AV Design
Behind the scenes, the system was also designed with room to grow.
TVFD can add additional displays, sources or other capabilities in the future without having to start over with an entirely new AV system. Planning for that expansion during the initial design can help extend the useful life of the system and make future upgrades much more practical.
This type of long-term planning is particularly important for municipal and public-safety facilities, where technology requirements can evolve over time while the room itself may remain in service for many years.
A Multipurpose Operations Center Built for More Than One Mission
Although it is called an Operations Center, the room was intentionally designed to wear several hats.
It can support departmental meetings, officer and board discussions, training, presentations, remote collaboration, planning sessions and community functions. When operational needs arise, the large central display and flexible AV system also provide an effective way to distribute information to everyone in the room.
That versatility is valuable for volunteer fire departments, law enforcement agencies and municipal organizations, where one space often needs to serve several different groups and purposes.
We have seen similar requirements in other public-safety and law enforcement AV environments, where dependable access to visual information and clear communication can be fundamental to how the space functions.
Our work on the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Department Real-Time Crime Center, for example, demonstrates another way integrated technology can support public-safety personnel with centralized access to critical information.
A well-designed operations room is not simply about installing a large display. It starts with understanding who will use the space, what they need to accomplish and how the AV system can make those tasks easier.
Experienced With Louisiana Public-Sector AV Projects
Go Media has worked with municipalities, public-safety organizations, state agencies, schools, colleges and other public institutions across Louisiana.
As a longtime Louisiana State Contract holder, we understand many of the considerations that come with public-sector AV projects, from purchasing and planning through installation, reliability and long-term support.
Go Media’s Louisiana State and Federal contract vehicles also provide eligible government agencies with established purchasing options for professional AV systems and technology integration.
Still, every organization and every facility is different. Effective AV design requires understanding the specific environment rather than simply applying the same system from one project to another.
Proud to Support the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department
We are grateful that the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department trusted Go Media with such an important space.
The opportunity to learn more about the department, its volunteers and the extraordinary community tradition surrounding the Firemen’s Fair made this project particularly special for our team.
The new Operations Center may feature modern audiovisual technology, but it represents something much older: neighbors working together, supporting one another and investing in an organization that has protected Thibodaux for generations.
We are proud to have played a role in bringing the room to life, and we hope TVFD enjoys putting it to work for many years to come.
Planning an AV System for a Municipal or Public-Safety Space?
Whether you are designing an emergency operations center, fire department training room, law enforcement facility, council chamber, meeting space or multipurpose municipal facility, the AV system should be designed around the way your team actually works.
Go Media designs and installs scalable municipal AV solutions that bring displays, audio, conferencing, presentation technology and simplified control together into one dependable system.
Contact Go Media to start planning an audiovisual system for your next municipal or public-safety project.
