Orange County communication upgrade

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captncarp

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What is this going to be, anybody know?

Orange County NY to improve first responder radio coverage with state grant

GOSHEN – The state Division of Homeland Security has awarded Orange County $6 million to improve its emergency radio communications system.

County Emergency Services Commissioner Walter Koury said the grant will be used to upgrade the county’s communication infrastructure, but goes beyond that to link all area counties together.

The money will also be used to link emergency communications between the counties of Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan so they can communicate between one another in an extremely large emergency situation, Koury said.

Part of the grant will also be used for Orange County to improve its emergency communications so police, fire and EMS agencies within the county can communicate directly with one another.
 
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DaveNF2G

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Half to Blue Whatever Consulting for a nice report, the other half to NYCOMCO. System status quo antes.
 

APX8000

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The money will also be used to link emergency communications between the counties of Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan so they can communicate between one another in an extremely large emergency situation, Koury said.

They can already...its called 45.88...

Part of the grant will also be used for Orange County to improve its emergency communications so police, fire and EMS agencies within the county can communicate directly with one another.

...what about all those APX portables they just bought so everyone can talk to each other...I guess that chunk of funds didn't work

...ever heard of a console patch...

Bottom line is their are many ideas being floated, but none concrete at this time. I know Orange County wants to go to a 700 TRS based upon a consultants recommendation, but I do not believe this has anything to do with it.

More patchwork and waste of tax dollars...
 

62Truck

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They can already...its called 45.88...



...what about all those APX portables they just bought so everyone can talk to each other...I guess that chunk of funds didn't work

...ever heard of a console patch...

Bottom line is their are many ideas being floated, but none concrete at this time. I know Orange County wants to go to a 700 TRS based upon a consultants recommendation, but I do not believe this has anything to do with it.

More patchwork and waste of tax dollars...

Aren't they getting more APX's in soon?

This is why I like living in Dutchess.

We know how well NYCOMCO does putting up links. Just listen to the town of highlands link. I'm surprised NYCOMCO doesn't have Orange on Turdo yet.

Orange has way too many systems to try and follow. 700MHz isn't the way to go in orange given its terrain.
 

cackis

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Not sure of the exact breakdown of all of the money but some of it will be going towards upgrading the microwave equipment and then simulcasting for fire and ems paging.

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APX8000

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I wish:

Simulcast 911 Priority and link it to the EDACS talkgroup so users on 800 can talk to users on VHF and vice versa (simular to Dutchess 911). Wow, now I can talk to that unit on his VHF portable when I'm on my 800 portable on a priority job...genius...I can see you 50 feet away but have to yell loud instead or ask the dispatcher to relay the message.

Simulcast EMS Response so when I call the dispatcher on Beacon they don't answer me on everything but Beacon, even though I'm looking at the tower and can spit on it. Or better yet...take the guess away from the field user as to which tower is better at a particular location.

I could say the same for Police MRD as well.

I'm glad to hear they are actually looking at simulcast fire and EMS paging. Some departments have to bounce off two towers and it just eats airtime.
 

cackis

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The simulcasting of PD and EMS VHF channels has been talked about but I'm not sure what the plans are for them. I do know simulcasting of the paging channels is very high on the list of things to do.

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N2ACF

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The main reason for receiving the grant money was to enable the lower Hudson Valley Counties the ability to build out the Nationwide Interop Systems (UTAC, ITAC, ICALL, 7/8TAC, etc.)

The Counties had to form a consortium and work together on the build out and establish communications links between them for connectivity.

The grant funding has just come through this past month and as a result, the first meeting between the Counties, to develop a plan, has been scheduled for some time this April.
 

APX8000

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Why don't they just hop on your network of repeaters ! :)

So, a build out similar to the New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Hudson, Essex, Union, and Middlesex Counties?
 

N2ACF

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Why don't they just hop on your network of repeaters ! :)

LMAO!!!

So, a build out similar to the New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Hudson, Essex, Union, and Middlesex Counties?

Yes, maybe something like that but I doubt we'll do it right!
 

sc800

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As good as this grant is, it doesn't fix the REAL problems though.

i.e. The fact there should really only be one radio system in the county
Some of OC911's policies and procedures
Ambulance corps and fire departments that are over-relying on mutual aide
Police departments that should be merged
 
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DaveNF2G

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"Over-relying on mutual aide [sic]"?

What do you mean by this? Maybe these agencies need to be merged as well. Or are they simply sending way too much apparatus to calls? That seems to be a problem up here in the Capital District, too.
 

sc800

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Some agencies (EMS specifically) that take 2, 3 or even more pages to crew, or simply don't crew leaving mutual aid to handle most of their calls.

I think the answer for many of these places is paid EMS staffing, but it is doubtful that would happen
 
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DaveNF2G

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Well, in those cases the calls need to be covered. I do see your point about "over-reliance" on [volunteer] mutual aid, though. For some calls, like real emergencies, the mutual aid should be a commercial service first instead of going through (in some cases) 3 or 4 other corps' that also cannot get crews before resorting to a commercial ambulance.

OTOH, I just heard one local city send a fire truck with the commercial ambulance for a toothache. That is the kind of thing I mean when I talk about over responding.
 

sc800

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As a member of one of the corps that frequently end up on the giving side of mutual aid I would have to say I agree.

As far as sending a fire truck and an ambulance to a toothache, that would probably be another EMD issue. (ie, the person was reported to be "not completely alert", or because of the pain they had "difficulty speaking between breaths") which bumped up the response.
 
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Well, in those cases the calls need to be covered. I do see your point about "over-reliance" on [volunteer] mutual aid, though. For some calls, like real emergencies, the mutual aid should be a commercial service first instead of going through (in some cases) 3 or 4 other corps' that also cannot get crews before resorting to a commercial ambulance.

The only problem with that is the commercial service might be 20 minutes out and their response times are super variable. Because, unlike the volunteers, their units are often posted/mobile. I'm not convinced that trying the neighboring volunteers is such a waste of time. However, I do think resounding the mutual aid IS.

IMO, the primary agency gets two chances to answer up for a call, any mutual aid only gets one chance before 911 moves on to the next.

And, it all comes down to whatever each agencies mutual aid plan says. If their box doesn't call for a commercial service until the 4th unit....


And...a lot of places now are staffing with paid people. Unfortunately, once the second call comes in and their paid crew is out, volunteers or mutual aid is still needed. Paying for staffing in low volume areas is difficult too. Unless the town wants to help you out with funding, there is no money coming in from billing and no money to pay any staff.
 
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DaveNF2G

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Well, you can go through 4 5-minute tone-retone cycles and then call the commercial ambulance from 20 (more) minutes away, or you can start the commercial ambulance response immediately, cutting the actual time from call to arrival from 40 minutes to 20.

For the toothache, you can tone until the cows come home, then send a taxi. :)
 
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