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KDOT testing statewide radio network
By Gale Rose of the Pratt Tribune Staff
When Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuals was killed in the line of duty, law enforcement agencies from several counties responded with assistance but communication among the agencies was difficult because no common communication system was available.
The Kansas Department of Transportation is working on a new program that will improve their ability to communicate and provide emergency agencies across the state the ability to communicate with each other.
An interoperable radio communications system is being prepared by KDOT which will lease 800-megahertz radios to emergency agencies all over the state and allow them to communicate with each other, said KDOT Secretary Deb Miller.
"I think it's a good public incentive with broad benefits to Kansas," Miller said. "It's a big deal. It does matter to public emergency response agencies."
Currently there is not a common frequency used by every emergency agency in the state so when more than one county is called in to work on a situation, such as the Samuals killing, it is very difficult for those agencies to communicate with each other, Miller said.
There are 167 KDOT transmission towers located across the state, which provides coverage. Those towers operate at 800 megahertz. If all the emergency agencies could communicate at that frequency, it would eliminate the communication problem.
"This interoperability would make it almost a seamless transition from one county to another," said Steve Swartz, KDOT public information officer.
The 800-megahertz radios are very expensive. The cost of a single unit is $2,900. The cost of putting 800 megahertz radios in every vehicle in Pratt County would run between $750,000 and $1 million, said Mark McManaman, Pratt County administrator of emergency services.
Because of that cost, leasing the radios became the option that is being pursued by KDOT. The radios would be purchased and leased by KDOT to the various emergency agencies, Miller said.
To cover the entire state will cost an estimated $55 million. Some funding for the program has to be committed by June in order to begin purchasing radios. The project already has $5 million in place.
To help with the cost of the program, KDOT is exploring leasing tower use to private business at a market rate. Maintenance of the towers and the radios would be done by KDOT. Working with the Kansas Adjutant Generals office and the Department of Homeland Security, which is the source of funding for the program, the program is progressing and a pilot program is expected to be in place this summer, Miller said.
"Various proposals are still in the works. Details are still being worked out," Swartz said.
The pilot project will be set up in southeast Kansas because the Wolf Creek nuclear facility is there and has the highest priority.
"We need to proceed with the pilot project," Miller said.
Having access to the 800 megahertz system will also alleviate a problem with cells phones for communication. When an ambulance is on a run far from Pratt, the phone can get out of range and be useless. Using a cell phone to communicate can also be a problem if some local emergency, such as the 2002 tornado, when so many people were using the phones the system couldn't handle the load and calls couldn't get trough, McManaman said.
"That becomes a matter of life safety for the crew and life safety for the patient," McManaman said.
The two newest Pratt County Ambulances have radios with both UHF and VHF capability, which allows them to communicate with other counties if they know the correct frequency. Counties surrounding Pratt are split on frequency usage, about half use VHF and half use UHF. Not having everyone on the same frequency can have serious consequences.
"In the event of a mass casualty event, there's no common frequency for ambulances to talk on unless you have that counties frequency in the ambulance," McManaman said.
Communication problems among agencies within the state have been known for some time and the problem isn't just in Kansas.
"They found out at Columbine and in Oklahoma City in 1995 and again on 9-11 that there is a gross inability for multi agencies to communicate even within a state," said Pratt County Sheriff Vernon Chinn.
Those communication problems were apparent when a kidnapping pursuit went through Pratt County and agencies from several counties and Oklahoma had difficulty communicating with each other.
"We're seeing more and more multiagency cases," Chinn said. "I think it's going to be great. We should have a communication network for all emergency services."
KDOT testing statewide radio network
By Gale Rose of the Pratt Tribune Staff
When Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuals was killed in the line of duty, law enforcement agencies from several counties responded with assistance but communication among the agencies was difficult because no common communication system was available.
The Kansas Department of Transportation is working on a new program that will improve their ability to communicate and provide emergency agencies across the state the ability to communicate with each other.
An interoperable radio communications system is being prepared by KDOT which will lease 800-megahertz radios to emergency agencies all over the state and allow them to communicate with each other, said KDOT Secretary Deb Miller.
"I think it's a good public incentive with broad benefits to Kansas," Miller said. "It's a big deal. It does matter to public emergency response agencies."
Currently there is not a common frequency used by every emergency agency in the state so when more than one county is called in to work on a situation, such as the Samuals killing, it is very difficult for those agencies to communicate with each other, Miller said.
There are 167 KDOT transmission towers located across the state, which provides coverage. Those towers operate at 800 megahertz. If all the emergency agencies could communicate at that frequency, it would eliminate the communication problem.
"This interoperability would make it almost a seamless transition from one county to another," said Steve Swartz, KDOT public information officer.
The 800-megahertz radios are very expensive. The cost of a single unit is $2,900. The cost of putting 800 megahertz radios in every vehicle in Pratt County would run between $750,000 and $1 million, said Mark McManaman, Pratt County administrator of emergency services.
Because of that cost, leasing the radios became the option that is being pursued by KDOT. The radios would be purchased and leased by KDOT to the various emergency agencies, Miller said.
To cover the entire state will cost an estimated $55 million. Some funding for the program has to be committed by June in order to begin purchasing radios. The project already has $5 million in place.
To help with the cost of the program, KDOT is exploring leasing tower use to private business at a market rate. Maintenance of the towers and the radios would be done by KDOT. Working with the Kansas Adjutant Generals office and the Department of Homeland Security, which is the source of funding for the program, the program is progressing and a pilot program is expected to be in place this summer, Miller said.
"Various proposals are still in the works. Details are still being worked out," Swartz said.
The pilot project will be set up in southeast Kansas because the Wolf Creek nuclear facility is there and has the highest priority.
"We need to proceed with the pilot project," Miller said.
Having access to the 800 megahertz system will also alleviate a problem with cells phones for communication. When an ambulance is on a run far from Pratt, the phone can get out of range and be useless. Using a cell phone to communicate can also be a problem if some local emergency, such as the 2002 tornado, when so many people were using the phones the system couldn't handle the load and calls couldn't get trough, McManaman said.
"That becomes a matter of life safety for the crew and life safety for the patient," McManaman said.
The two newest Pratt County Ambulances have radios with both UHF and VHF capability, which allows them to communicate with other counties if they know the correct frequency. Counties surrounding Pratt are split on frequency usage, about half use VHF and half use UHF. Not having everyone on the same frequency can have serious consequences.
"In the event of a mass casualty event, there's no common frequency for ambulances to talk on unless you have that counties frequency in the ambulance," McManaman said.
Communication problems among agencies within the state have been known for some time and the problem isn't just in Kansas.
"They found out at Columbine and in Oklahoma City in 1995 and again on 9-11 that there is a gross inability for multi agencies to communicate even within a state," said Pratt County Sheriff Vernon Chinn.
Those communication problems were apparent when a kidnapping pursuit went through Pratt County and agencies from several counties and Oklahoma had difficulty communicating with each other.
"We're seeing more and more multiagency cases," Chinn said. "I think it's going to be great. We should have a communication network for all emergency services."
