Rowan County Update

[KM4WLV]

Ok folks, I know I have promised to keep everyone updated on the progress of Rowan/Salisbury 800 system. I received my new XTS2500 at the FD yesterday & was surprised to see a number of new TG's in these radios. Now due to the rebanding every department in the county that had/has any LTS2000's or STX821's on the system will recieve from the City of Salisbury / SPRINT-Nextel replacement XTS2500's. They are also replacing accesories for each radio including speaker mics, at least 1 battery, and belt clips.

Each radio (fire wise) is programmed with Channel Announcement for the County Fire, City Fire, & EMS zones. All MTS2000's (Fire Depts) that are remaining on the system will be reporgrammed to match the XTS fleetmaps with the exception of the Digital TG's. Here is some info on the new TG's that we have, but you must forgive me as I have not had time to sit down with the scanner & come up with IDs yet (I just got the radio yesterday).....

There are 35 new OPS TG's that are set to replace the current FG (fireground) TG's used by the County & City. According to the 2nd in command at ROWAN, a time frame for implementation hasn't been nailed down as of yet. The current SHF DISP 1 will still be used for countywide law enforcement dispatch, however the new alpha tags will read LAW DISP 1. There are also going to be a total of 12 TAC channels for county LAW, which is being added to the current 5 TAC's.

Each volunteer / county department will have a station TG that runs in the clear (analog), and one station TG that is digital. City fire has also implemented 5 digital TAC TG's, however I'm not sure what they are going to be used for just yet, so stay tuned. There is also a new TG in the EMS zone that is for Rowan & Cabarrus Rescue. Not sure if this is going to have roaming options later, but as of now it is just a Rowan system TG. Also the current RMH - A which is used to encode to Rowan Regional Medical Center will still be used with a new alpha tag of RRMC ED.

Thats all I have for now, and as soon as I can get some ID's nailed down I'll forward them to Marshall so he can update the database. Hope everyone has a great weekend !!!!

 

[KE4ZNR]

Daniel,
As always thanks for your contributions and good to hear things are progressing forward there in Rowan Co.
Looking forward to updating the database with the info when
you get it.
Thanks again!
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[CFP387]

Now due to the rebanding every department in the county that had/has any LTS2000's or STX821's on the system will recieve from the City of Salisbury / SPRINT-Nextel replacement XTS2500's.

That's a good radio, however, I hope that it can tx better than the MTS2000's in all the dead spots in the county.

There are 35 new OPS TG's that are set to replace the current FG (fireground) TG's used by the County & City.

I'll have to admit that's a good idea. Eight firegrounds for the county departments was not enough TGs at times to handle communications during severe weather or accessive call loads. Having 35 TGs is going a little overboard though.

According to the 2nd in command at ROWAN, a time frame for implementation hasn't been nailed down as of yet.

That's probably because nobody has their ducks in a row just yet. They always like to get the cart before the horse. Buy the equipment, then find the time and money to train personnel.

The current SHF DISP 1 will still be used for countywide law enforcement dispatch, however the new alpha tags will read LAW DISP 1. There are also going to be a total of 12 TAC channels for county LAW, which is being added to the current 5 TAC's.

That's another good idea but I don't see the reasoning in why they would want to change the alpha tags though. Rowan SO does need more TGs because they usually exhaust what they have at peak times.

There is also a new TG in the EMS zone that is for Rowan & Cabarrus Rescue. Not sure if this is going to have roaming options later, but as of now it is just a Rowan system TG.

That TG may be used for mutual aid responses for traffic accidents along and near the county line in the Kannapolis area. Remember when Rowan and Cabarrus EOC's used to communicate on 280?

Also the current RMH - A which is used to encode to Rowan Regional Medical Center will still be used with a new alpha tag of RRMC ED.

Here's a good place to add a TG or two. They should have added another EMS to hospital channel for RRMC and one for the VA as well.

Thats all I have for now, and as soon as I can get some ID's nailed down I'll forward them to Marshall so he can update the database.

I appreciate all the information, Daniel. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new fleetmap is laid out. It's a little overboard, but what else could be expected from those guys we have "in charge"?

 

[KM4WLV]

Shannon,

If you want I can scan & email you a copy of the new XTS Fleetmap for county fire. Just let me know. Or I can fax it to you at work.

 

[CFP387]

Shannon,If you want I can scan & email you a copy of the new XTS Fleetmap for county fire. Just let me know. Or I can fax it to you at work.

I'd really appreciate it if you would. Check your PM for my fax number at work. I haven't purchased a digital scanner yet and I wanted to wait until I saw the fleetmaps before I did. Also, I don't know which Uniden model would be the best to monitor this fine system with either.

Another thing I wanted to mention yesterday was the fact that Rowan County needs an additional $12M to build towers to accomodate the new system. Digital signals fall abruptly and do not travel like analog signals so it's all or nothing. Wonder where they'll get the money? Wonder where they will put the towers?

Also, are we going strictly P25? If so, we can't be married to Motorola any longer because going 100% P25 will allow any other radio manufacturer in on our system. The City of Salisbury has been VERY careful to only allow Motorola on the trunked system since 1991. The buzz word "interoperability" sounds good, but will the powers that be really allow for it?

Something I look for in the future is more county fire departments going back to VHF. Rowan Rescue has recently purchased more VHF equipment presumably to communicate with the western-most counties that will probably always stay conventional. I still say that the best interoperability any public safety agency can have is a simple VHF radio.

 

[KM4WLV]

I think it would be a mistake for the system to moved strictly to P25, & you know they aren't gonna allow anything but Mother Moto on the system. And I still have a VHF in BOTH my vehicles. As far as tower sites, I think if they would put on on Youngs Mtn in Cleveland, one in North Kannapolis (Kinda like where CAB/ROW is) at the old SO building, and one in Pooletown where the NMUTA-3 repeater is on Bringle Ferry Rd, there would be a vast improvement in coverage. But as you said, where is the money going to come from?

As far as coverage the only 2 rough spots I have noticed so far for me was when I was on the way to Cleveland the other day, I was right at West Rowan Middle School & it was really rough, and then of course on I-85 between the 66 & 63 mile markers.

I also sent you a PM back. Got your fax number & got the fleetmaps sent to you for the XTS's & the new MTS programming.

 

[CFP387]

Thanks, Daniel! I'm looking forward to the update in the database soon.

 

[KM4WLV]

Ok folks,

I am trying to work on getting some IDs together, but I'm not feeling that great so it may be a week or so, so please bear with me. I'm sick right now & trying to do a little here & there. Thanks for you paitience, & please stay tuned.

Thanks !!!!

 

[CFP387]

I am trying to work on getting some IDs together...

Take your time and get to feeling better, Daniel. I don't think we are supposed to be 100% digital until 2013 anyway. Of course, that will give the county plenty of time to get those several towers built that we'll need as well. I feel there's going to be a lot of confusion around here once this thing gets rolling. We had better make sure our VHF and UHF radios are in good working order!

 

[KM4WLV]

To all my Rowan County & surrounding people,

I have sent the update with new TG ID's & assignments to Marshall to be posted to the DB. I have been in contact with him & we will hopefully see the update this weekend. I know I have been promising the update for a while & I appreciate everyones paitience. It just took time to get a new radio in my hands to get the new TG's. If anyone has any other questions about our system, or the operation of it, please let me know.

Marshall, thanks again for you dedication to keeping the DB updated !!!!! I hope everyone has a great weekend !!

 

[kd8x]

To all my Rowan County & surrounding people,

I have sent the update with new TG ID's & assignments to Marshall to be posted to the DB. I have been in contact with him & we will hopefully see the update this weekend. I know I have been promising the update for a while & I appreciate everyones paitience. It just took time to get a new radio in my hands to get the new TG's. If anyone has any other questions about our system, or the operation of it, please let me know.

Marshall, thanks again for you dedication to keeping the DB updated !!!!! I hope everyone has a great weekend !!

I am looking forward to reprogamming Rowan Co in my 600..Thanks.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Lemme get some food in my belly then I will get the database updated.
Thanks again Daniel!
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[KE4ZNR]

Had to make some adjustments due to the site hiccups last night but all updates have been made. I also went through and fixed some Alpha Tag and sorting issues that I saw.
Let me know if anything looks really out of place but otherwise system has been updated!
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[KM4WLV]

Marshall,

Thanks for getting that updated !! 2 things I saw that need to be changed...... 1) FG 1-11 under Salisbury FD need to be changed to OPS 1-11, and 2) under Rowan County Sheriffs Office needs to be changed to Rowan County Law Enforcement, with the Tag SHF under each being changed to LAW. Otherwise looks great to me !!

Have a good weekend !!!

 

[CFP387]

If anyone has any other questions about our system, or the operation of it, please let me know.

Daniel, I talked with a certain someone (who used to head the City of Salisbury's communications) over the weekend and he was telling me that he thought it was crazy for the county to go digital. We all know that the only federal requirement for public safety agencies is to reband, so why does the powers that be in this county think that going digital, and spending over $12M getting there, is such a good idea?

 

[KM4WLV]

The only response I have for that is "Why does Rowan County Govt do half the things they do?". It was like changing all the numbering schemes for the FD's, and the way we used to dispatch calls. I can agree that we needed more FG's, well excuse me, OPS channels, but they are trying way to hard to do it "Big City Style" around here.

 

[CFP387]

Is there a projected date when these new TGs will go online? Also, what's the status on getting all the old radios reprogrammed?

 

[KM4WLV]

Shannon,

Not sure when the new TGs are set to go online. When we picked up our radios from 710 at Rowan week before last, he said they are still working on that. Here's an interesting fact :

The new OPS 1 - 8 are the same FD FG 1-8 that are currently in use, just with a different name. The city is actually only getting 3 new FG / OPS channels.

The new OPS 12-19 are the current RFD FG 1-8, just with a new name tag. The rest of the OPS 20 - 35 are in fact new TGs.

***Shannon,
Check your PM's for my cell number***

 

[KM4WLV]

Also, as far as getting the MTS2000's reprogrammed, not sure on that either. We didn't discuss that, but I would hope that it's sooner than not since they are wanting to start using these new TG's.

 

[KM4WLV]

For those that were wondering *** Attention Shannon, lol ***, the old MTS2000 radios that are remaining on the system for the FD's, and Law agencies are going to be reprogrammed between now & the end of the year, as new fleetmaps are created for the agencies involved.

The new OPS talkgroups that are being implimented will probly not be used until after the first part of 2010, just due to the simple fact of all the radios that have to be reprogrammed yet ( Upwards of 2500 to 3000 ), and the training on how the new TG's will be utilized.

Thats all I have for now, & if I hear more I'll post it. Thanks everybody !!!!!!