An article from The Clarion Ledger:
http://www.clarionledger.com/article...0343/1001/news
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Jackson and Hinds County, after more than a decade of planning, had expected to activate an $8.5 million Motorola radio system today, linking their emergency and law enforcement agencies and setting the stage for statewide connection.
But they will have to wait at least two more weeks, another delay in an oft-postponed process.
Days before the launch, Motorola had to reapply for a backup frequency for the Jackson Fire Department and Jackson police Precinct 1, Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said.
The licensing should have taken place a year ago, he said. During the licensing process, officials discovered there could be possible interference from a Louisiana frequency, he said.
"It could go live now," Graham said. "(But) we don't want to jeopardize officer safety."
Unfazed by the delay, Jackson Police Chief and Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said, "We're closer than we ever have been."
When activated, the 800MHz system, paid for with money from the Hinds County Emergency 911 fund, will allow city and Hinds County law enforcement and emergency operations officials to talk directly.
Jackson police and Hinds County currently use radio systems that are incompatible. Hinds uses the 800MHz while Jackson is on an MA/Com system dating to 1994.
Madison and Rankin counties and other municipal police departments in the tri-county area also use 800MHz systems, which means JPD also could communicate with those agencies.
JPD owns the radio equipment and the county is paying for the maintenance, Graham said.
He said the county is still working out a contract for the maintenance, which also will be paid through E-911 funds. The E-911 fund collects about about $2.5 million combined from annual fees from AT&T and cell phones.
Hinds County purchased 757 portable radios and about the same number of consoles for the upgrade.
New radios mean "all divisions can communicate without relaying via dispatch or being patched through," Graham said.
The radios are being paid for through an increase in the emergency service fee from 80 cents a month on residential phones to $1 and from $1.60 on business phones to $2.
The delay in launching the system is one in a series that have held the project up during the past year.
In one case, it got delayed while Jackson and Hinds officials hammered out an interlocal agreement for the use of the radio equipment.
It was delayed another time when Jackson considered relocating its communications center from Tombigbee Street to the county Emergency Operations Center on State Street.
The new system ultimately is expected to give the city and county access to a statewide communications system developed independently that will connect local police with state emergency crews.
The $200 million statewide Motorola project began last year on the Gulf Coast where work to install towers is progressing, said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
He said the statewide system could reach Hinds and Jackson some time in 2010, barring any funding issues.
Police Radios are Ready (Clarion Ledger Article)
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