County's New Radio System-Update And FAQ's

[x635 4,066]

Read Radio Bulletin #1 (*pdf), the latest status report on the new County trunked, UHF radio system, which will help in Fire/EMS communications.

http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/re...letin062004.pdf

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Issue #1 June 2004

Andrew J. Spano, Westchester County Executive Anthony W. Sutton, Commissioner

Norm Jacknis, Chief Information Officer Department of Emergency Services

RADIO

BULLETIN

Westchester County is developing a New Radio

System. This project was approved with the support

of Westchester's Fire and EMS Personnel.

Recognizing that the Fire and EMS community

have an important role in the success of this

project, we have created this newsletter to keep

our Emergency Service partners informed of its

status. We intend to publish the newsletter periodically

and hope this will prove valuable in

continuing to keep you informed.

Radio Project Background

Westchester County is designing and building

an analog, trunked, two-way radio system using

UHF frequencies licensed to the county for dispatch.

This endeavor was begun in response to

recommendations of the Fire and EMS Advisory

boards. Many of these recommendations were

discussed at a meeting with County Executive

Spano in July 2001.

The Radio System design is intended to satisfy

two objectives:

•To provide voice communications between the

Emergency Communications Center (60

Control) and emergency vehicles being

dispatched to events;

•To provide voice communications between

units dispatched to a mutual aid request as

well as to coordinate resources and share critical

information prior to arriving at the scene.

The new system is not intended, nor is it

designed, to be used as an on-scene ground

communications system. Further, it is not

intended to replace any existing Fire

Department's or EMS Agency's individual

radio communication systems.

The project plan currently calls for the County

to supply and install one mobile radio transceiver

and one portable transceiver in each frontline

Fire/EMS vehicle in Westchester. A frontline

vehicle is defined as any in service piece of

Fire Apparatus, Ambulance, Chief Car or

Paramedic Fly-Car, in service daily in the county.

(This number was determined to be 600

vehicles in a survey conducted by Commissioner

Kelly in 2002.)

In response to communications lessons learned

following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the

County expanded the system to include placing

radios in local Police Departments, hospital

emergency rooms and in transportation assets.

The need for interdisciplinary communication

capability in a terrorist event or catastrophic

emergency was well demonstrated during the

terrorist attacks.

Westchester County has also acquired a JPS

Communications, Inc. radio interoperability unit

and installed it in the Department of Emergency

Services Communications Van. This vehicle is

available to respond, upon request, to scenes to

ensure that agencies/departments with different

radio systems can communicate with each other

by connecting their radio frequencies.

Radio Frequencies

As a result of the decision to go forward with a

trunked system, one of the initial actions taken

by the County in this project was to apply to the

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to

upgrade its existing frequency licenses for use in

a trunked radio system. The requirements and

restrictions for a trunked system are more

Frequently Asked Questions

During our many conversations concerning the

new radio system, we have noted some questions

that are often repeated. The following are

answers to these questions:

1. Our department has received funding for

new radio equipment. What should we buy?

The new UHF trunked radio system includes

the provision and installation of one mobile and

one portable transceiver for each primary piece

of response equipment/apparatus. If an agency

chooses to outfit secondary or backup equipment

with radios, equipment can be purchased separately

at the County Contract Price directly

from a Motorola Authorized Dealer. Equipment

purchased in this fashion must be programmed

by the County to be included in designated talk

groups.

Since the system is designed for Vehicle-to-

Control, Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Command-to-

Control communications, the number of radios

programmed will be limited to these functions.

MCS 2000 mobiles and MTS 2000 portables are

the preferred models.

2. Will our current radio system work with

the new trunked radio system?

The UHF trunked radio system is only compatible

with radios that have trunking capability

and are programmed in the system. The programming

restricts unauthorized users and provides

system security.

3. What will happen to the existing low

band paging system?

Currently the project plan calls for continued

use of the existing low band alerting system for

paging, siren activation and station alerting.

4. How will the existing UHF fire-ground

system be affected by the new system?

Agencies using the UHF ground operation

radios will continue that use and are encouraged

to expand their utilization of that system. The

County UHF radios will be capable of using both

the trunked and conventional UHF frequencies,

including all the fire- ground frequencies.

5. Can all our members have trunked

radios?

There are no current plans for programming

large numbers of individuals into the system,

since it has been designed for Vehicle-to-Control,

Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Command-to- Control

communications. On-scene "ground operation

communications" will be managed on the existing

fire-ground frequencies. This was designed

into the system to assure safe communications.

The trunked UHF radio system has been

designed to accommodate future expansion.

When additional funding and bandwidth can be

acquired, the system can be expanded to include

additional infrastructure, upgrades and

enhancements.

6. I heard that the County is getting special

pricing on radio equipment. Can our

agency get the same pricing?

Westchester's contract with Motorola includes

the ability for any agency to purchase equipment

at the discounted pricing. Based on your

municipal or agency's policies, you may be eligible

for the discounted radio equipment process.

7. Are the new radios difficult to use?

The radio's operation is similar to existing,

multi-channel radios. The project plan includes

County-sponsored training for all system users.

8. Do we have to pay for new radios?

The Radio Project includes supplying and

installing a mobile radio transceiver and a

portable radio transceiver in each "first line"

Fire and EMS Vehicle free of charge to individual

agencies. In addition, the County will program

additional equipment purchased by an

Agency at no expense to that Agency. However,

the Agency will be responsible for the installation

cost of additional equipment it purchases.

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stringent than a conventional radio system. The

FCC granted the upgrade in early 2002. In

February 2003, the regional coordination agency

also verified verbally that the County frequencies

were compatible for use in a trunked system.

The license provided a base of six channels (12

frequencies) at any point in the county, with one

to three additional channels that could be used

in selected parts of the county.

County Procurement Process

With the FCC license in hand, the County began

its required, but complex and multi-stage, procurement

process. A search was conducted for

selection of a project consulting firm. RCC

Consultants Inc., a nationally known radio engineering

firm, was chosen to complete the system

design and assist in the development of bid specifications

for the system. A County committee

comprised of representatives from the

Department of Emergency Services, the

Department of Transportation, the Department

of Information Technology and the Law

Department reviewed the specifications. The

communications committees of the Fire and

EMS Advisory Boards reviewed and unanimously

approved the specifications.

Tower Site Selection

And Acquisition

A critical part of this project was the identification

and location of radio towers for the transmission

equipment. The engineering consultants

determined that 8-9 strategically located

towers would satisfy the goal of 95% mobile

transceiver coverage, 95% of the time. Note that

95/95 coverage exceeds common industry standards.

Construction of new towers is a lengthy process.

Recognizing the time sensitivity of this project,

the County decided to minimize delay by identifying

compatible existing towers for use in the

project, while not compromising design objectives.

Initially the County selected existing towers at:

the Dunwoodie Golf Course in Yonkers;

Grasslands Reservation in Valhalla; United

Hospital in Port Chester; Mohansic Golf Course

in Yorktown; Benefield Boulevard Watertower

in Peekskill; Fox Lane School Campus in

Bedford; Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem;

and Adams Lane Tower in Pound Ridge.

Recently the Pound Ridge site was eliminated as

a result of a NYS Appellate Court ruling that

called for the demolition of the Adams Lane

tower. This results in a coverage "hole" of

approximately five square miles so the County is

actively seeking an alternative site in the Pound

Ridge area at the present time.

Three of the tower sites are owned by the

County - Dunwoodie, Grasslands and Mohansic.

The County has completed contract negotiations

on the rest of the sites. For tower related work

in the project, Westchester retained the services

of Tectonic Engineering & Surveying

Consultants, P.C., an engineering firm specializing

in radio towers. This work will include the

construction of new buildings and the upgrade of

existing buildings at various sites.

Vendor Selection And

Installation Engineering

The bid for the radio system was published on

June 23, 2003. Motorola was selected as the

successful bidder just before the end of 2003.

Subsequent to several rounds of negotiations,

the County signed a contract with Motorola for

the project in April 2004.

Motorola began engineering design work in

early 2004. They reported in early spring that

most of the County's frequencies licensed for the

trunked system suffered from significant interference

from co-channel and adjacent channel

users. The majority of the interference comes

from New York City agencies, but a portion

originates in New Jersey and Long Island as

well. This interference renders the frequencies

unsuitable for utilization in the southern part

of the county. The frequencies are not even

effective for use in a non-trunked, conventional

radio system there.

In late May 2004, a special team of Motorola

engineers returned to Westchester to investigate

and confirm whether or not the licensed frequencies

can be used in the northern part of the

county without interference. Results of the

investigation are expected shortly and we plan

to publish them in the next issue of this

newsletter.

New Frequency Acquisition

The County is currently involved in several

efforts to remedy the frequency situation. It

must be noted that Westchester has followed

regulations and properly completed each step in

developing this system. We have been placed in

this situation, through no fault of our own, by

the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

The County is aggressively working to compensate

for the frequency allocation mistakes of the

FCC.

We are simultaneously pursuing the following

actions:

•Westchester has retained a Washington, DC

law firm that specializes in FCC matters.

They are participating in meetings with the

FCC and are also making various filings on

our behalf.

•The County filed a request with the FCC

Media Bureau to include Westchester in the

areas eligible for UHF frequencies made available

through the conversion of TV Channel 16.

The FCC Media Bureau ruled in favor of

Westchester. Unfortunately, the majority of

these frequencies have already been allocated

to NYC. Although the favorable ruling

strengthens our position with the FCC and

with NYC, it is of little immediate benefit in

providing frequencies.

•The FCC is sympathetic with the position they

have placed us in and we have the agency's

assurance that they will act quickly on any

submissions for frequency approval

placed by Westchester.

•County Executive Andy Spano has met with

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg specifically to

discuss this issue and to request that NYC give

Westchester a number of frequencies from the

enormous bandwidth assigned to the City by

the FCC. Dr. Norm Jacknis, the County Chief

Information Officer, has met with his counterpart

in NYC several times. Other contacts

have been made with NYC, including the

NYPD - all aimed at having NYC share some

of the many frequencies assigned to them by

the FCC.

•The County has retained a consultant to locate

unlicensed or unused frequencies. Early indications

are that this search is yielding some

positive results. FCC filings are in the works

for some frequencies already identified in this

process. Engineering analysis is continuing.

•Westchester County has retained another

engineering firm to precisely identify which of

the originally licensed frequencies are usable,

and in which specific geographical areas of the

county they are suitable.

•The County has commenced discussions with

"frequency brokers" to explore the possibility

that they may be able to offer frequencies for

Westchester to purchase or lease from their

current licensed users.

While Westchester County pursues the actions

outlined here, work continues on the development

of the system. The frequency problem has

not stopped us from moving forward with the

Radio Project. We remain excited about the new

system and are dedicated to its successful implementation.

Feedback

We thank you for your patience, understanding

and continued support of this critical public

safety project. We ask that you address any

questions or suggestions to the Communications

Committees of the Fire or EMS Advisory Boards

for consideration, so they may be better tracked

and coordinated.

[WAS967 97]

Ugh. From what I have read, I am NOT optimistic. I fear this will just become another radio that goes unused.

[RES20CUE 40]

I keep on hearing that the radio's will start to be installed in apparatus in August and September this year?

This update doesn't say timelines. Does anyone know what's really going on????

[x635 4,066]

Anybody have any updates on this yet?

[RES20CUE 40]

The last I heard at the County Chiefs meeting, was that the radios will start to be installed in April/May next year.

[mpgfire93 4]

does anyone know the if there will be new frequencies, and will all emergency service agencies i.e. police, fire, ems, utilities be utilizing te same freqs?

[TRUCK6018 50]

does anyone know the if there will be new frequencies, and will all emergency service agencies i.e. police, fire, ems, utilities be utilizing te same freqs?

There is supposed to be new fire freqs. It's a trunked system in the 400 Mhz range.

It will not provide for interoperability between fire/ems/pd.