York County Purchases $23.6 Million Communication System
Submitted by Rebecca Sellars (York County Government)
Trunked Radio System
SPECIFICALLY: On December 13, 2004, the York County Council voted unanimously to purchase a $23.6 million communication system from Motorola, Inc. This system will be used by various service providers including: York County Emergency Management, Piedmont Emergency Medical Services, York County Fire Prevention, the county’s 16 volunteer fire departments, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and general county government such as York County Public Works (for the following divisions: animal control, water/sewer, road maintenance, prison, solid waste collection and disposal)
THE COST: $23.6 million. In addition, the municipalities in the county may choose to pay if they would like the capability of using the system.
TIMEFRAME FOR COMPLETION: The system will be up and running within approximately 18 months.
THE SYSTEM: An ASTRO 25 Integrated Voice and Data (“IV&D”) 800 MHz Simulcast Trunked Radio System, along with a 900 MHz alpha-numeric Paging System, High Performance Data (HPD) and a microwave system for added security and reliability. The system, which will be owned and operated by York County, is Motorola’s latest technology for Public Safety Communications.
The 900 MHz alpha numeric paging system, which will tie directly into the county’s 911 and Sheriff’s dispatcher’s computer system, is a significant upgrade. Using nine radio towers around the county, paging base stations will provide alpha-numeric paging from York County’s local area network (LAN). The current system, “tone and voice” paging, has been in use since the 70s.
The difference? The ASTRO 25 IV&D trunked radio system ensures that all radio systems from the area can “talk” to each other and work together in an emergency or on day to day operations. (Currently emergency providers are using different systems, which cannot transmit to each other.) With the new alpha-numeric paging system, alpha numeric pages will be “delivered” immediately to the emergency responder’s pager instead of experiencing time delays which may occur when using an “outside paging company.” The system will also have an email gateway, so that the pagers will have the ability to receive pages from the “outside world” when needed. Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) to pager messaging is also included.
WHY IS IT NEEDED? Currently, York County government’s public safety communication systems operate independently with separate radio networks, frequencies, tower sites and control points, which do not allow the various emergency responders to communicate during emergency situations or day to day operations. (For example, currently when responding to a car accident, emergency medical personnel cannot communicate with law enforcement or fire personnel.) Also, due to the fragmented nature of the existing system, the public safety responders lack radio coverage in all areas of the county.
In addition, the existing communications system was installed in the 1970’s and the components required for proper maintenance of the systems are no longer available. County staff has had to resort to utilizing third party and used parts to properly maintain the system.
Also, due to recent efforts by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “re-farm”(reallocate) or narrow the frequency spectrum (reduce the band width) of radio frequencies/channels the existing communication equipment (mobile radios and base stations) will no longer be compatible with the new frequency standards set forth by the FCC.
DEFINITIONS 96,000 bps = One of the highest speed private/secure wireless data networks available on the market today for public safety systems. This system utilizes a Motorola High Performance Data (“HPD”) System Mission Critical Platform at four sites (radio towers around the county), which represents one of the highest-speed private wireless data networks in the United States.
High Performance Data (“HPD”) System Mission Critical Platform = The High Performance Data network is built especially for high speed wireless data primarily for the purpose of public safety and governmental needs, and enables York County to reach maximum efficiency levels in many offices, including the Sheriff’s Office (allows for: checking licenses tags, mug shots, crime statistics, etc. from a computer in the car).This system uses data speeds of 96,000 bps (bites per second).
BACKGROUND: The York County Council hired L. Robert Kimball and Associates of Pennsylvania to develop a comprehensive Request for Proposal document that outlined the requirements for the design of a County-wide Public Safety Communications System. On December 19, 2003, two companies submitted proposals.
Because of the financial impact and technical complexity of the design proposals, the County developed a project team to work with L. Robert Kimball and Associates to clarify and refine information received in the proposals. The project team was as follows:
Project Manager - Diane Simpson, Assistant County Manager
Robbie Hudgins, Captain, Sheriff’s Office
Gary Loflin, York County MIS Director
Cotton Howell, York County emergency management director
John Carter, York County Radio Communications Technician
Randy Thompson, York County Fire Marshal
Tom Glenn, City of Rock Hill Hometown Security Coordinator
In April 2004, after 3 months of review, the project team recommended that the County Council pursue a County-owned emergency communications system designed by Motorola. The County Council authorized the team to work with L. Robert Kimball and Motorola to finalize the system design.
On November 15, 2004, County Council was presented more detailed information about the system design and pricing. Council requested that staff work with Motorola to negotiate a contract to be presented at the December 13, 2004 Council meeting.
ADDITIONALLY: The system has the capacity to include the other governmental agencies and the county has met with and provided staff from those organizations with the information. The entities can contract to connect to the system at any time.
CONTACT: Diane Simpson, assistant county manager (684-8511)
Al Greene, county manager (684-8511)
Gary Loflin, MIS director (684-8570)
Robbie Hudgins, Captain, York Co. Sheriff’s Office (628-3057)
http://www.cn2.com/content.php?channel_id=1095097341
Submitted by Rebecca Sellars (York County Government)
Trunked Radio System
SPECIFICALLY: On December 13, 2004, the York County Council voted unanimously to purchase a $23.6 million communication system from Motorola, Inc. This system will be used by various service providers including: York County Emergency Management, Piedmont Emergency Medical Services, York County Fire Prevention, the county’s 16 volunteer fire departments, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and general county government such as York County Public Works (for the following divisions: animal control, water/sewer, road maintenance, prison, solid waste collection and disposal)
THE COST: $23.6 million. In addition, the municipalities in the county may choose to pay if they would like the capability of using the system.
TIMEFRAME FOR COMPLETION: The system will be up and running within approximately 18 months.
THE SYSTEM: An ASTRO 25 Integrated Voice and Data (“IV&D”) 800 MHz Simulcast Trunked Radio System, along with a 900 MHz alpha-numeric Paging System, High Performance Data (HPD) and a microwave system for added security and reliability. The system, which will be owned and operated by York County, is Motorola’s latest technology for Public Safety Communications.
The 900 MHz alpha numeric paging system, which will tie directly into the county’s 911 and Sheriff’s dispatcher’s computer system, is a significant upgrade. Using nine radio towers around the county, paging base stations will provide alpha-numeric paging from York County’s local area network (LAN). The current system, “tone and voice” paging, has been in use since the 70s.
The difference? The ASTRO 25 IV&D trunked radio system ensures that all radio systems from the area can “talk” to each other and work together in an emergency or on day to day operations. (Currently emergency providers are using different systems, which cannot transmit to each other.) With the new alpha-numeric paging system, alpha numeric pages will be “delivered” immediately to the emergency responder’s pager instead of experiencing time delays which may occur when using an “outside paging company.” The system will also have an email gateway, so that the pagers will have the ability to receive pages from the “outside world” when needed. Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) to pager messaging is also included.
WHY IS IT NEEDED? Currently, York County government’s public safety communication systems operate independently with separate radio networks, frequencies, tower sites and control points, which do not allow the various emergency responders to communicate during emergency situations or day to day operations. (For example, currently when responding to a car accident, emergency medical personnel cannot communicate with law enforcement or fire personnel.) Also, due to the fragmented nature of the existing system, the public safety responders lack radio coverage in all areas of the county.
In addition, the existing communications system was installed in the 1970’s and the components required for proper maintenance of the systems are no longer available. County staff has had to resort to utilizing third party and used parts to properly maintain the system.
Also, due to recent efforts by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “re-farm”(reallocate) or narrow the frequency spectrum (reduce the band width) of radio frequencies/channels the existing communication equipment (mobile radios and base stations) will no longer be compatible with the new frequency standards set forth by the FCC.
DEFINITIONS 96,000 bps = One of the highest speed private/secure wireless data networks available on the market today for public safety systems. This system utilizes a Motorola High Performance Data (“HPD”) System Mission Critical Platform at four sites (radio towers around the county), which represents one of the highest-speed private wireless data networks in the United States.
High Performance Data (“HPD”) System Mission Critical Platform = The High Performance Data network is built especially for high speed wireless data primarily for the purpose of public safety and governmental needs, and enables York County to reach maximum efficiency levels in many offices, including the Sheriff’s Office (allows for: checking licenses tags, mug shots, crime statistics, etc. from a computer in the car).This system uses data speeds of 96,000 bps (bites per second).
BACKGROUND: The York County Council hired L. Robert Kimball and Associates of Pennsylvania to develop a comprehensive Request for Proposal document that outlined the requirements for the design of a County-wide Public Safety Communications System. On December 19, 2003, two companies submitted proposals.
Because of the financial impact and technical complexity of the design proposals, the County developed a project team to work with L. Robert Kimball and Associates to clarify and refine information received in the proposals. The project team was as follows:
Project Manager - Diane Simpson, Assistant County Manager
Robbie Hudgins, Captain, Sheriff’s Office
Gary Loflin, York County MIS Director
Cotton Howell, York County emergency management director
John Carter, York County Radio Communications Technician
Randy Thompson, York County Fire Marshal
Tom Glenn, City of Rock Hill Hometown Security Coordinator
In April 2004, after 3 months of review, the project team recommended that the County Council pursue a County-owned emergency communications system designed by Motorola. The County Council authorized the team to work with L. Robert Kimball and Motorola to finalize the system design.
On November 15, 2004, County Council was presented more detailed information about the system design and pricing. Council requested that staff work with Motorola to negotiate a contract to be presented at the December 13, 2004 Council meeting.
ADDITIONALLY: The system has the capacity to include the other governmental agencies and the county has met with and provided staff from those organizations with the information. The entities can contract to connect to the system at any time.
CONTACT: Diane Simpson, assistant county manager (684-8511)
Al Greene, county manager (684-8511)
Gary Loflin, MIS director (684-8570)
Robbie Hudgins, Captain, York Co. Sheriff’s Office (628-3057)
http://www.cn2.com/content.php?channel_id=1095097341
