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Radio Deployment Begins On New Radio System
Over 2,000 radios, $ 12 million dollar investment
Viewed: 827 Times
Written By: Rickey Stokes
E-mail:thehoustonnewspaper@yahoo.com
Phone
334)790-1729
Date:04/07/2008
DOTHAN: The implementation is underway.
A project that has been several years in the making is becoming a reality today.
Dothan Police Chief John Powell and city staff has been working on a new $ 12 million dollar radio system for the City of Dothan. Efforts are also underway to bring Houston County into the same system.
The old system of the City of Dothan had many dead areas. That is places Police, Fire and Dothan workforce were unable to use their radios. The new system is designed to eliminate those areas of dead spots.
Chief Powell has worked on national and state grants to help purchase the system. He has worked with Nextel on a mandated rebanding program to get a lot of equipment at no cost. Powell even got a construction addition to the radio shop to handle the change over. He has been twisting arms, begging and laying out plans for financial assistance.
Helping on a national level has been Congressman Terry Everett and on a state level Senator Harri Anne Smith. The Alabama Homeland Security has kicked in some financial assistance.
The new system has three radio tower sites…the city shop, Westgate Park, and the Waste water treatment plant on Helms Road. The Motorola system has their own generators and complete operational systems at all sites. It was very impressive when we took the tour of the system.
When someone presses the mic on the radio, the computer looks at the three tower sites, makes a decision which site and the radio transmission is made. All within seconds where the user does to realize what has taken place.
The staff of the radio shop has been working hard for months. They have been involved in the installation of the system, learning all of the bells and whistles. Then when the over 2,000 radios arrived, the have looked at each piece of equipment, had the Finance Department assist with inventory, mark each piece of equipment, the program each piece of equipment.
Today the staff started the task of exchanging the old for the new. Both the old system and new system are broadcast together, bridged, so the transition is as seamless as possible. Those with old equipment and to=hose with new still talk together, until all equipment is exchanged.
The radio shop staff begins taking each vehicle in the city, exchanging the mounted radios for the new equipment. By the time they finish, they will be able to do in their sleep.
Chief Powell and the staff have planned for months for today’s implementation. It seemed to work well today.
Good job!
New tower site at radio shop
Boxes of new radios, everywhere at the shop
More boxes of radios
Randy at the radio shop
Inventory work
Finance Department conducting inventory
Ward Bell staff programming radios
A mobile unit
A portable unit
CSI helping inventory
And more radios
Generator for radio tower site
The brains building. Can't show inside. But, WOW!
Joey at the radio shop
A new installed radio in a fire vehicle
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Copyright © 2007, Rickey Stokes. All Rights Reserved.
Radio Deployment On New Radio System
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