WC Emergency radio upgrade launches

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Emergency radio upgrade launches

 

By KEITH EDDINGS  

THE JOURNAL NEWS  

(Original publication: January 30, 2005)

Westchester to New York City, come in, New York City: Thanks for nothing.  

After months of delay caused by what Westchester County says was the city's unwillingness to give up a handful of radio frequencies it wasn't using, the county has begun a $16 million upgrade of the radio systems used by local and county emergency responders that will broadcast on other airwaves recently assigned by the Federal Communications Commission.  

The dispute with the city erupted when Westchester first tuned into the frequencies that the FCC initially assigned to the new radio system a year ago, only to hear the voices of emergency broadcasters in New York City who already were using them.  

The FCC urged the county to coax the city to turn down the volume on its broadcasts so they wouldn't reach so deep into Westchester or to ask the city to give up a few of the more than 600 frequencies it owns, including several it doesn't use.  

Months of talks — including at least one phone call from County Executive Andrew Spano to Mayor Michael Bloomberg — went nowhere. The FCC reluctantly assigned the county new frequencies, although some will present technical challenges that the county would not have faced if the city had made room on the spectrum, said Norm Jacknis, the county's information czar.  

"They weren't able to do anything," Jacknis said. "The official reason was that they'd committed all the frequencies to various purposes. Partly, it's the size of the city government. There are lots of different agencies in New York City controlling the frequencies, and they all stated they already had plans for their use."  

Jonathan Werbell, a spokesman for Bloomberg, did not return phone calls.  

The new radio system will eliminate the chaos that results when police, fire and other emergency responders using different channels can't communicate with each other at a major event, as occurred during the attack on the World Trade Center.  

All of the responders in Westchester will have access to the same airwaves, which would be apportioned and administered by the county. The system will complement local radio systems, not replace them.  

The federal government will pay half of the cost of the system. The county will pay its half using a 30-cent surcharge on monthly cell phone bills, which generates about $1.4 million annually.  

Emergency responders in northern Westchester will be able to sign onto the system by fall, about six months behind schedule because of the delay caused by the search for airwaves, Jacknis said. The south county will come on line a few months later, which Jacknis said will allow time to figure out how to place the antennas "to make sure we don't create interference" with New York City.  

http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/013...04p30radio.html

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The new radio system will eliminate the chaos that results when police, fire and other emergency responders using different channels can't communicate with each other at a major event, as occurred during the attack on the World Trade Center.

What about eliminating the chaos that occurs EVERYDAY on 46.26???? The information I heard on this system talks a lot about "major emergency" interoperabilty, but how will this new radio system affect everyday operations that make up 99% of our work and radio use???? The structure fires, cars fires, EMS calls, water conditions, lines down, MVA's, rescues, etc....how will this new radio system improve our communications everyday?? :roll:

And so now, some departments will have to operate off of three completly different radios. Ugh. :roll:

Also, I wonder what kind of dispatch equipment will be added at 60.