Stark sheriff moving toward new radio platform - News - The Repository - Canton, OH
Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 4:04 PM
CANTON After Dec. 31, 2018, the Stark County Sheriff's 800 MHz analog radio communications platform -- also used by Canton, Jackson Township and several others -- will become obsolete.
The equipment that makes up the system, such as a zone controller, tower accessories and assorted infrastructure, will no longer be supported by its vendor, Motorola. The issue has been discussed, investigated and lamented upon for several years.
Now, a tentative plan is in place.
It's likely Stark will join the existing Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS), operated by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, rather than building its own countywide system. The more than decade-old MARCS supports more than 1,200 police and fire agencies across the state.
"And we have (on staff) one of the leading experts in the state ... if not the country," Maier said.
Darryl Anderson, the man who set up the statewide MARCS system, then managed it, was hired this year by Maier to usher Stark through the process. Anderson, a former major with the Ohio Highway Patrol, had worked both above and below Maier during their law enforcement careers.
The MARCS system could cost as much as $12 million for Stark, an estimated $8 million less than building one from scratch, Anderson said. He, Maier and others have embarked on a tour to meet and discuss the ins and outs of MARCS with police and fire officials across the county.
Ideally, Maier said, every agency would come on board.
"It's hard to believe that in 2016, we still have fire departments who can't talk to each other when they are on a mutual aid call," he said.
That's because the 23 police agencies and 31 fire departments within Stark use eight different radio communication systems. The rollout of a new system, he said, is the ideal time to fix that.
The biggest obstacle will probably be the cost. Smaller agencies likely can't afford the capital expense of $3,000 or more apiece for a new radio, for example. That's where Stark County commissioners enter the picture. If they agree to pay up front costs for everyone, the plan could be more attractive.
Commissioner Janet Weir Creighton said she'd support that tactic, by pledging some of the roughly $29 million a year the county collects from the 0.5-percent justice system sales tax approved by voters in 2011.
"We're talking about the safety of everyone," she said. "If the public realized that a lot of these police and fire departments can't talk to each other, they wouldn't be happy. To me, this should be a function of the sales tax."
Some benefits of MARCS, according to Maier and Anderson:
• The three existing MARCS towers in Stark would be utilized, along with eight county-leased or owned towers. In addition, all the towers would be linked with more than 325 MARCS towers across the state, including those in neighboring counties on the periphery of Stark
• The new platform is Internet Protocol-based and software-driven, as opposed to the current copper wire mechanical switching setup.
• The MARCS system is supported through 2039.
Anderson said the system means officers will "never leave home" because they'd be able to use their radios to communicate with their home dispatchers, even when they are outside the county.
No timetable has been set for any final decisions.
Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 4:04 PM
CANTON After Dec. 31, 2018, the Stark County Sheriff's 800 MHz analog radio communications platform -- also used by Canton, Jackson Township and several others -- will become obsolete.
The equipment that makes up the system, such as a zone controller, tower accessories and assorted infrastructure, will no longer be supported by its vendor, Motorola. The issue has been discussed, investigated and lamented upon for several years.
Now, a tentative plan is in place.
It's likely Stark will join the existing Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS), operated by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, rather than building its own countywide system. The more than decade-old MARCS supports more than 1,200 police and fire agencies across the state.
"And we have (on staff) one of the leading experts in the state ... if not the country," Maier said.
Darryl Anderson, the man who set up the statewide MARCS system, then managed it, was hired this year by Maier to usher Stark through the process. Anderson, a former major with the Ohio Highway Patrol, had worked both above and below Maier during their law enforcement careers.
The MARCS system could cost as much as $12 million for Stark, an estimated $8 million less than building one from scratch, Anderson said. He, Maier and others have embarked on a tour to meet and discuss the ins and outs of MARCS with police and fire officials across the county.
Ideally, Maier said, every agency would come on board.
"It's hard to believe that in 2016, we still have fire departments who can't talk to each other when they are on a mutual aid call," he said.
That's because the 23 police agencies and 31 fire departments within Stark use eight different radio communication systems. The rollout of a new system, he said, is the ideal time to fix that.
The biggest obstacle will probably be the cost. Smaller agencies likely can't afford the capital expense of $3,000 or more apiece for a new radio, for example. That's where Stark County commissioners enter the picture. If they agree to pay up front costs for everyone, the plan could be more attractive.
Commissioner Janet Weir Creighton said she'd support that tactic, by pledging some of the roughly $29 million a year the county collects from the 0.5-percent justice system sales tax approved by voters in 2011.
"We're talking about the safety of everyone," she said. "If the public realized that a lot of these police and fire departments can't talk to each other, they wouldn't be happy. To me, this should be a function of the sales tax."
Some benefits of MARCS, according to Maier and Anderson:
• The three existing MARCS towers in Stark would be utilized, along with eight county-leased or owned towers. In addition, all the towers would be linked with more than 325 MARCS towers across the state, including those in neighboring counties on the periphery of Stark
• The new platform is Internet Protocol-based and software-driven, as opposed to the current copper wire mechanical switching setup.
• The MARCS system is supported through 2039.
Anderson said the system means officers will "never leave home" because they'd be able to use their radios to communicate with their home dispatchers, even when they are outside the county.
No timetable has been set for any final decisions.
