Athens-Clarke County digital migration

[nunyax]

"RFP #00642 - 800 MHZ RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM DESIGN"

http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/14234

Athens-Clarke County is seeking a design consultant to assist in the planning for their digital TRS (which will be in a subsequent RFP.) The "Attachment A-2 Syst Reqmnts.pdf" file is interesting reading.

 

[1268]

"RFP #00642 - 800 MHZ RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM DESIGN"

http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/14234

Athens-Clarke County is seeking a design consultant to assist in the planning for their digital TRS (which will be in a subsequent RFP.) The "Attachment A-2 Syst Reqmnts.pdf" file is interesting reading.

Nice find ! They want the system to use the same 4 sites and operate the same ? :roll: Yeah this should get interesting indeed.

 

[rapidcharger]

Oh athens-clarke.... Just call a radio dealer, they'll "design your system" for free. They'll get you back on analog conventional or mototrbo where you can afford to be.

 

[spunwobbly]

Uh Oh...

Yall watch... Write this down and put it in an envelope and open it up with I tell ya. The Athens Clarke County system will go to Harris. Tusa Consulting will get the consulting and management contract. Blaine Williams who used to be the County Manager in Floyd County just took a new job with Athens Clarke County. Allthough I don't think he is in a position at athens clarke county to directly be involved in their RFP process, dont think he cannot influence it. If you know anything about the Floyd County system this should scare the hell out of the Athens Clarke County taxpayers. I'm not a Motorola fanboy, however I am a fan of a fair RFP process and being good stewards of the taxpayers money. Unfortuiantely a lot of things that should cause an uproar with the taxpayers slips through the cracks due to the complexity and technical nature of a system like this. As a Floyd County taxpayer, I hope Athens Clarke County takes a more educated and thoughtful approach to upgrading their system than the Floyd County Administration did.

 

[nunyax]

And the winner is...

Motorola Solutions, Inc.! Suprised?

http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/21726

COMMISSION ACTION REQUESTED ON: July 1, 2014
PURPOSE:
To request that the Mayor and Commission:

a. Approve Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Motorola) as the designated Vendor providing the
Proposal representing the best value for design and installation services of a digital P25
Phase II Radio System in response to RFP #00678, Proposal A, dated February 21, 2014,

b. Approve Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Motorola) as the designated Vendor providing the
Proposal representing the best value for design and installation services of a Next
Generations 911 (NG911) phone system in response to RFP #00678, Proposal B, dated
February 21, 2014,

c. Authorize staff and the Attorney to negotiate contract agreements with Motorola for a
P25 Phase II Radio System and a NG911 phone system in combined amounts not to
exceed the available Project Budget of $8,212,783,

d. Authorize staff to negotiate and the Manager to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement
with the University of Georgia (UGA) to establish terms for joint participation in
establishing a joint P25 Digital Radio System,

e. Award a change order to the professional services contract with RCC Consultants, Inc. for
Public Safety Communication Systems Improvements (SPLOST 2011 Project #05) Phase
Two in an amount not to exceed $297,543, and

f. Authorize the Mayor and appropriate staff to execute all related documents.

Also of note:

12. The project schedule includes the following schedule milestones:

a. Contract Award for new P25 Phase II Radio and NG911 Systems July 2014
b. Completion of Systems Upgrades for NG911 System November 2015
c. Completion of Systems Upgrades for P25 Phase II Radio System August 2016

 

[1268]

'" August 2016 " gives me some time before I need a type 2 scanner. Be interesting to see what they encrypt going forward.

 

[MTS2000des]

Under $10 million for an outright replacement including an E911 upgrade AND subscriber units? They're getting a deal or "Solutions" must be having a fire sale.

I wonder what the REAL price will REALLY be when the project is underway? I predict a change order how about you?

 

[1268]

Under $10 million for an outright replacement including an E911 upgrade AND subscriber units? They're getting a deal or "Solutions" must be having a fire sale.

I wonder what the REAL price will REALLY be when the project is underway? I predict a change order how about you?

No doubt about it. I believe they are counting on using the same tower sites with the new system. Talking with some FF they really need to add a couple towers to get better portable coverage.

Time will tell but I would think this one doesn't get done until late 2016

 

[nunyax]

A-CC has 5 new pending licenses for microwave links.

Locations are:
UGA : LUMPKIN & CARLTON STS WGA CAMPUS - (existing UGA site)
Whitehall: Whitehall Road Tower 400 - (existing A-CC site)
Police HQ: 3035 Lexington Rd - (existing A-CC control point)
American Tower: 250 OLYMPIC PLACE (026121 / Athens Tech) - (new site?)
Vaughn Road: 440 Vaughn Rd - (existing A-CC site)

Nothing showing for the 3rd existing A-CC site at 800 HIGHWAY 29 N.

Paths are:
UGA, GA - Whitehall, GA 11 GHz
UGA, GA - Police HQ, GA 11 GHz
American Tower, GA - Police HQ, GA 11 GHz
Vaughn Road, GA - American Tower, GA Lower 6 GHz
Vaughn Road, GA - Whitehall, GA Upper 6 GHz

 

[1268]

A-CC has 5 new pending licenses for microwave links.

Locations are:
UGA : LUMPKIN & CARLTON STS WGA CAMPUS - (existing UGA site)
Whitehall: Whitehall Road Tower 400 - (existing A-CC site)
Police HQ: 3035 Lexington Rd - (existing A-CC control point)
American Tower: 250 OLYMPIC PLACE (026121 / Athens Tech) - (new site?)
Vaughn Road: 440 Vaughn Rd - (existing A-CC site)

Nothing showing for the 3rd existing A-CC site at 800 HIGHWAY 29 N.

Paths are:
UGA, GA - Whitehall, GA 11 GHz
UGA, GA - Police HQ, GA 11 GHz
American Tower, GA - Police HQ, GA 11 GHz
Vaughn Road, GA - American Tower, GA Lower 6 GHz
Vaughn Road, GA - Whitehall, GA Upper 6 GHz

Nice find ! Thanks !

 

[procopper7005]

encryption

From the RFP:

2.5.11. Call Encryption
Certain Talkgroups of the ACC Police Department currently use encryption on radio calls. The dispatch consoles may need to be able to communicate with these radio resources, so the new system needs to support the capability to use encryption on the consoles as well as the subscriber radios units. The decision about whether to encrypt the whole system has not been made, but might be a consideration.

 

[MTS2000des]

hopefully, if they choose to purchase encryption, they will go for the real deal (AES-256) and not welfare encryption aka ADP, which is weak as WEP and also incompatible with other vendor's subscriber units.

While not good for the scanning hobby, at least AES-256 raises the cost to ONLY those who REALLY need it like CID, SWAT and NARCO talkgroups and leave dispatch talkgroups in the clear in the interest of interoperability.

 

[rapidcharger]

hopefully, if they choose to purchase encryption, they will go for the real deal (AES-256) and not welfare encryption aka ADP, which is weak as WEP and also incompatible with other vendor's subscriber units.

While not good for the scanning hobby, at least AES-256 raises the cost to ONLY those who REALLY need it like CID, SWAT and NARCO talkgroups and leave dispatch talkgroups in the clear in the interest of interoperability.

Is that what they're going to use in that Chattahoochie-Oconee digital information system or something? The health system or whatever?

 

[MTS2000des]

Is that what they're going to use in that Chattahoochie-Oconee digital information system or something? The health system or whatever?

If this is 4G LTE FirstNet crap then I assume that any data could be encrypted with AES. But the Athens-Clark upgrade is for their 18 year old Smartnet II analog 800 system which would presumably be for mission critical voice.

Hopefully they will make the wise decision, and if encryption is called for, they will use AES-256, which is THE standard as defined by DHS for P25:

http://www.azpsic.gov/library/links/Guidelines_for_Encryption_in_LMR_Systems.pdf

 

[dstew67]

From the RFP:

2.5.11. Call Encryption
Certain Talkgroups of the ACC Police Department currently use encryption on radio calls. The dispatch consoles may need to be able to communicate with these radio resources, so the new system needs to support the capability to use encryption on the consoles as well as the subscriber radios units. The decision about whether to encrypt the whole system has not been made, but might be a consideration.

To build an RFP and NOT take the possibility of encryption to any or all parts of the system would be a disservice to tax payers. The people who build the RFP are supposed to be getting the maximum ability for the fewest dollars.

Now, nobody REALLY believes that the people who write RFPs have that as their biggest priority, but I like to believe someone, until they show me a reason to distrust them.

Further, I don't think anyone REALLY believes that there aren't those in pubic safety who would just like the public to go away, whether in the form of media, journalists, or scanner hobbyists. But, that would go directly against the grain of the essence and effect of both the Freedom of Information Act and state Open Record laws. And nearly every attorney general instruct chiefs, sheriffs, circuit and court clerks, lawmakers, etc, that anything that isn't covered by an exemption in a law, must be considered "open" or accessible to the general public.

Sorry, I tend to get on my little stump and start chirping like an angry squirrel when my ears hear words like encryption. Nobody can deny the need for it, but it must be balanced against the public's right, and journalists' responsibility to oversea elected, appointed and powerful people and hold them accountable for what they do and say. That said, I'm also the first person to step up and back-up people in authority who have to do difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, and place their lives on the line, every single day.

//off soapbox (again)

 

[rapidcharger]

To build an RFP and NOT take the possibility of encryption to any or all parts of the system would be a disservice to tax payers. The people who build the RFP are supposed to be getting the maximum ability for the fewest dollars.

There isn't anything about these R2W systems that isn't a disservice to tax payers.

 

[rapidcharger]

If this is 4G LTE FirstNet crap then I assume that any data could be encrypted with AES. But the Athens-Clark upgrade is for their 18 year old Smartnet II analog 800 system which would presumably be for mission critical voice.

Hopefully they will make the wise decision, and if encryption is called for, they will use AES-256, which is THE standard as defined by DHS for P25:

http://www.azpsic.gov/library/links/Guidelines_for_Encryption_in_LMR_Systems.pdf

I'm talking about CHODIS not Firstnet. I thought you were aware of that. It was in the news. I thought you had your finger on the pulse of every R2W RF B2N project in the state.

 

[MeddleMan]

to cover the cost of this

Would anyone else disagree that Athens-Clarke might rely on UGA to be a major co- contributor, or major partner/customer involving this system?

 

[uga_scanner]

I have it from a reliable source that they're getting AES for the people who "really need it", which is supposedly going to be all law enforcement, but everything else is allegedly going to be ADP.

As for the tower site, they're replacing the Athens Tech site (which is on top of a decommissioned water tower) with an installation on a commercial tower in the same area (the American site).

 

[MeddleMan]

water tower

I have it from a reliable source that they're getting AES for the people who "really need it", which is supposedly going to be all law enforcement, but everything else is allegedly going to be ADP.

As for the tower site, they're replacing the Athens Tech site (which is on top of a decommissioned water tower) with an installation on a commercial tower in the same area (the American site).

I figured that was coming down soon. I wonder where the American site is in relation to the water tower?