Shootings hit on need for radio system

[scannerfreak]

Shootings hit on need for radio system

HAMILTON — Last month West Chester Twp. police officers Sgt. Matt Beiser and Jeff Duma were shot and a suspect took his own life minutes later after a chase that ended in a neighboring county.

In April 2005, Butler County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Roberts was shot when he approached a car carrying suspects in the robbery of a Indiana bank and a Preble County gas station. The men fled but were caught just a few miles away in Milford Twp.
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All three law enforcement officers survived, but the incidents hammered home the need for a county-wide 800 megahertz radio system to make communication within departments and between agencies — including paramedics and fire personnel — more seamless.

That system is inching closer to a reality, according to law enforcement officials.

"I have been here 13 years and we have been talking about it that long," Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said. "I understand we are getting close."

Once completed, the system will unify about 2,000 law enforcement officers and emergency responders on a single system. Currently, more than 30 radio systems are used. Scheduled for completion in 2008, the system will include 14 radio towers and 15 frequencies, according to planners.

The night the West Chester Twp. officers were shot, Jones said he knew from his own experience with his department that communication among officers throughout the region was "organized chaos."

"You have multiple crime scenes, officers injured and agencies from everywhere that want to help," Jones said. "Relaying information works, but instant information broadcast on one system is better."

He noted that when Roberts was shot, officers in other counties and a neighboring state were relaying to dispatchers through a cell phone — not the best practice in an emergency situation. Jones said the unified, updated radio system is badly needed because there are still some remote areas of the county that are "dead spots" where the current system fails.

"But in some emergency situations — like an officer shot — it's always going to be what I like to call organized chaos no matter what system be have," Jones said.

Matt Franke, Oxford police officer and project manager for the new county-wide system, said radio traffic the night of the West Chester Twp. shootings was "textbook," noting it is an example of what can happen when a "trunk" system is used.

"West Chester has had a trunk system for a while," Franke said. He noted they have more than one frequency to use and communicated very well to maneuver all emergency responders to where they were needed.

The new system will allow all responders throughout the region to talk to each other with a flip of a switch, Franke said.

Middletown Police Maj. Greg Schwarber, who has been involved in the system's planning, agreed it will make a difference.

"Sure it will make a difference, because communication will be instant across the county," Schwarber said.

Middletown's system has been upgraded and communication in the municipality is swift, but he said the new system will also increase communication time with Madison Twp. and Warren County

 

[SLWilson]

Will it help?

I have to wonder if having a "new, greater, better, more seamless" system will really help.

Here's a for instance....

In our small SE Ohio county, we don't have anything like the new 800 system the article describes.

But, our dispatchers MONITOR surrounding agency radio traffic.

There was a bank robbery yesterday morning in Huntington, W.Va. The West Virginia officials NEVER gave any ifo out to any agency across the river from them. But, they DID give it to Mason County, WV. Huntington is right across the Ohio River from Proctorville, Oh as well as Lawrence County, OH. We are 45 miles north of Huntington....

Anyway, when Mason County gave the info out to their officers, our dispatchers copied all of it and gave it out to our officers.

Had we not have heard the Mason County radio info, we wouldn't have ever known there was a robbery.

I don't think Lawrence County EVER knew about it and the guy (who was driving a car with Ohio plates) had three bridges available to get back into Ohio.

If we would have had a radio system available to where the cruisers, dispatch offices, EVERYONE could have heard a broadcast, that would have been great, but, it is up to your PERSONNEL to make sure they are LISTENING to every available bit of information that can to keep officers safe.

I think that, after time, people get complacent and turn volumes down. Miss important traffic. Don't know what's happening....

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[JediMaster]

I use to work for West Chester and know alot about their talks for an upgraded radio system. The problem is, even if they upgrade the radios that does absolutely nothing to help. Let me give you an example in Hamilton County which has a superb communication system.

If a bank robbery and shooting occurs in Harrison and the suspect gets on Ronald Reagon Highway...there is no way that Blue Ash will know aobut it until DISPATCH puts out an all county broadcast. There are still a few agencies in Hamilton County that use old radios not on the 800 Mhz P25 system. How do they get all county broadcasts? The main communications center transmits onto that frequency as well.

The problem is with the shooting that will help in a sense because their communication center will be able to put out broadcasts onto the Hamilton County system when needed. However, I also see if no discretion is used that it may jam the already packed P25 system in place now (meaning at times there is no air time for 5-10 minutes because of traffic stops and broadcasts going out.)

The upgraded radio system will definitely help in terms of all county broadcasts but that is about it. I don't know if West Chester plans on adding Sharonville and Springdale citybands into their radios or not. Also, even once the system is in place, Butler County is divided up so much with seperate dispatch centers. There is no countywide system in place. Therefore, when the officer puts out a call for help, it will have to go back to their dispatch center and then relayed out after that. Which that system can already happen now.

I assume they are going with a P25 system. If not, then they are wasting their time for one of the communication needs.

 

[scannerfreak]

There are still a few agencies in Hamilton County that use old radios not on the 800 Mhz P25 system.

Really? Who? I thought they all were all on it..

I assume they are going with a P25 system. If not, then they are wasting their time for one of the communication needs.

Yes, it is P25. It's already up and running. Oxford has been using it for a while now.

 

[jds911]

Interoperability is 30% equipment and systems and 70% planning, training and coordination.

 

[radioscan]

Really? Who? I thought they all were all on it..

They are. All public safety agencies in Hamilton County are now on the system, most
still use their old VHF/UHF frequencies for discrete use.

 

[JediMaster]

They are. All public safety agencies in Hamilton County are now on the system, most
still use their old VHF/UHF frequencies for discrete use.

Maybe that's what I was thinking of. Because I know a few (SWAT is one - we have 3 officers in my department on SWAT and they have to pickup a special SWAT radio that they've had for years from their command van) that still uses UHF/VHF radios.