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New Cmarc Radio Network Enhances Baltimore Regionâs Emergency Response Capabilities
BALTIMORE (February 14, 2005) – During incidents involving first responders from different agencies and jurisdictions, there is a critical need for personnel to communicate with each other to resolve the situation at hand. In incidents such as Hurricane Isabel, the Howard Street tunnel fire, the I-95 tanker fire and other emergencies, lives were saved because of the coordinated response of police, fire and other agencies from around the Baltimore region and beyond.
First responders found ways to communicate, by sharing radios or systems, or having their dispatchers patch together talk groups. The new Central Maryland Area Radio Communications (CMARC) system, unveiled today at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, provides five channels dedicated to regional mutual aid communications that any first responder can use in the event of a major public safety incident.
"This new radio technology will give our first responders the kind of immediate, accurate information they need from a colleague on the scene - regardless of what uniform he or she is wearing," said Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith, Jr., who chairs the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
County Executive Smith was joined by Baltimore City Mayor Martin O’Malley, Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, Carroll County Commissioner Perry Jones, Harford County Executive Jim Harkins and Howard County Executive Jim Robey in announcing the deployment of CMARC.
Law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel demonstrated CMARC, using their own 800-MHz radios. “The beauty of CMARC is the fact that the system doesn’t care who manufactures a radio,” said Ernie Crist, Manager of Emergency Services for Harford County, who led the Project Team. “Any make or model of 800-MHz radio can be programmed to operate on the CMARC infrastructure.”
The CMARC Project Team included representatives of all jurisdictions in the Baltimore Metro Statistical Area as well as representatives of state and federal agencies, and was a part of the Baltimore Urban Area Work Group (UAWG). The UAWG, chaired by Baltimore City Fire Chief William Goodwin, is charged with coordinating homeland security initiatives at the regional level.
In Phase I of the CMARC project, approximately $700,000 was set aside for the purchase of additional 800-MHz radios for use in the Baltimore region. As a stand-alone procurement, this would have purchased 212 radios. Howard County was able to augment its own procurement of 800-MHz radios and, through economy of scale, purchased 284 radios for distribution in the City of Annapolis, Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties. An additional $200,000 was used to deploy infrastructure in Central Maryland and connect sites to MEMA and local dispatch centers. Funding for Phase I was provided through an Urban Area Security Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Domestic Preparedness.
Phase II, funded by a direct grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, will provide additional infrastructure for on-street portable radio coverage throughout the region and an improved and expanded network management subsystem.
Mayor O’Malley and Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens also announced that Baltimore City has given a 200-foot steel radio tower to Anne Arundel County, where it will be erected in the Brooklyn Park area. This tower will become part of the 800 MHz network, enhancing emergency communications in the northern section of Anne Arundel County. “Recycling” the tower saved Anne Arundel County approximately $300,000.
New Cmarc Radio Network Enhances Baltimore Region’s Emergency Response Capabilities - Baltimore Metropolitan Council
I found this while looking for something else. How does this system work? Is it a seperate system.
BALTIMORE (February 14, 2005) – During incidents involving first responders from different agencies and jurisdictions, there is a critical need for personnel to communicate with each other to resolve the situation at hand. In incidents such as Hurricane Isabel, the Howard Street tunnel fire, the I-95 tanker fire and other emergencies, lives were saved because of the coordinated response of police, fire and other agencies from around the Baltimore region and beyond.
First responders found ways to communicate, by sharing radios or systems, or having their dispatchers patch together talk groups. The new Central Maryland Area Radio Communications (CMARC) system, unveiled today at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, provides five channels dedicated to regional mutual aid communications that any first responder can use in the event of a major public safety incident.
"This new radio technology will give our first responders the kind of immediate, accurate information they need from a colleague on the scene - regardless of what uniform he or she is wearing," said Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith, Jr., who chairs the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
County Executive Smith was joined by Baltimore City Mayor Martin O’Malley, Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, Carroll County Commissioner Perry Jones, Harford County Executive Jim Harkins and Howard County Executive Jim Robey in announcing the deployment of CMARC.
Law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel demonstrated CMARC, using their own 800-MHz radios. “The beauty of CMARC is the fact that the system doesn’t care who manufactures a radio,” said Ernie Crist, Manager of Emergency Services for Harford County, who led the Project Team. “Any make or model of 800-MHz radio can be programmed to operate on the CMARC infrastructure.”
The CMARC Project Team included representatives of all jurisdictions in the Baltimore Metro Statistical Area as well as representatives of state and federal agencies, and was a part of the Baltimore Urban Area Work Group (UAWG). The UAWG, chaired by Baltimore City Fire Chief William Goodwin, is charged with coordinating homeland security initiatives at the regional level.
In Phase I of the CMARC project, approximately $700,000 was set aside for the purchase of additional 800-MHz radios for use in the Baltimore region. As a stand-alone procurement, this would have purchased 212 radios. Howard County was able to augment its own procurement of 800-MHz radios and, through economy of scale, purchased 284 radios for distribution in the City of Annapolis, Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties. An additional $200,000 was used to deploy infrastructure in Central Maryland and connect sites to MEMA and local dispatch centers. Funding for Phase I was provided through an Urban Area Security Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Domestic Preparedness.
Phase II, funded by a direct grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, will provide additional infrastructure for on-street portable radio coverage throughout the region and an improved and expanded network management subsystem.
Mayor O’Malley and Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens also announced that Baltimore City has given a 200-foot steel radio tower to Anne Arundel County, where it will be erected in the Brooklyn Park area. This tower will become part of the 800 MHz network, enhancing emergency communications in the northern section of Anne Arundel County. “Recycling” the tower saved Anne Arundel County approximately $300,000.
New Cmarc Radio Network Enhances Baltimore Region’s Emergency Response Capabilities - Baltimore Metropolitan Council
I found this while looking for something else. How does this system work? Is it a seperate system.
