T-Series Chosen for Situation Room–World’s Most Critical Videoconferencing
BRIDGEVILLE, PA – Brightline provided videoconference lighting for what BBC News called “the most important information hub in the United States.” The first complete overhaul in more than 40 years took place in the White House Situation Room. This storied “nerve center” has been the setting for many of the most momentous events in recent American history.
President Bush speaks at the inauguration of the renovated White House Situation Room. The Situation Room underwent its first major overhaul since the Kennedy administration. Lighting in the revamped room features Brightline directional T-Series fixtures.
The Situation Room, operated by the National Security Council, is for use by the President and his advisors. They maintain command and control of U.S. forces around the world. It is a suite of rooms used for crisis and intelligence management and secure communication with outside parties.
In this photo from January 4, 2007, President Bush and Vice President Cheney participate in a secure videoconference in the newly renovated Situation Room with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Brightline motorized T-Series fixtures provide the VC lighting in the room.
Frequently depicted in popular culture (“The West Wing,” “24,” etc.) as the ultimate nexus of futuristic covert-communications technology, the Situation Room was in fact desperately in need of an ultimate makeover. Despite piecemeal renovations through the years, the 5000-sq-ft center, created in 1962 in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, still featured picture-tube-based monitors, pedestrian fax machines, and antiquated computer and phone systems. Blackouts and intermittent failures often interrupted sessions. This was particularly upsetting to President Bush, who placed a premium on direct, face-to-face communication with government officials and foreign leaders. When the inadequacies of the existing rooms became painfully evident following 9/11 and the Katrina disaster, the president mandated a total gutting and rebuilding of the entire Situation Room complex.
The Situation Room is undergoing its first major overhaul since the Kennedy administration. Lighting in the new room features Brightline directional T-Series fixtures.
White House personnel in charge of the remodeling selected a mix of Brightline’s motorized T-Series and Mini T-Series videoconference fixtures. The T-Series offers energy-efficient, broadcast-quality lighting in a format designed for installation in any type of ceiling. The light can be rotated into a desired directional position and returned flush to the ceiling for general room lighting. This enables users to finetune a look by placing light exactly where it’s needed. This maximizes the readability of the Situation Room’s plasma flat-screen televisions, including a direct video feed to Air Force One. The fixtures are also equipped with digital dimming operated via a DALI push-button control station. Intensity levels are modulated, in response to requirements of individual conference participants. Specialized advanced-phosphor lamps, optimized for high-definition video imaging, ensure consistent light quality and color balance for up to 10,000 hours.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair joins President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Rice, and others for a videoconference. Brightline motorized T-Series fixtures provide the VC lighting in the Situation Room.
The initial portion of the new complex, including the main conference room and “surge room”, opened on December 27. Further renovations to continue into the spring of 2007. According to Joe Hagin, deputy White House chief of staff, the overhaul transformed an outmoded security resource into “a real gem for the future.” Brightline is proud to supply some of the sparkle to this refurbished national jewel.
To watch a video tour of the new Situation Room narrated by Joe Hagin, please go to
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/video/index.html and then select “Situation Room Renovation”
from the video menu on the right.