Delco gets ready to spend $20M on 911 system
MEDIA — Thousands of first responder radios may be on the verge of an overhaul that could cost Delaware County between $20 to $40 million and take four to five years to complete.
A number of factors have created limitations on the existing 500 MHz system that is about three decades old.
"The old models that we use are changing," Timothy Boyce, Delaware County Emergency Services Director, said. "A lot of advances have come in the last 30 years. It's just that technology has changed."
To begin to address that, Boyce asked for, and received, approval to solicit requests for proposals for an independent engineer to study the current capabilities of the county's emergency communications radio system and to make recommendations for the future. Delaware County Council unanimously approved the measure Wednesday.
"Delaware County operates a historic radio system that's called a 500 MHz system, also referred to as T-Band," Boyce said. "In 2012, the (U.S.) Department of Commerce passed a law where they sold the rights to that spectrum to commercial television stations."
He explained that there were provisions in that sale for public safety members to move to a different band. However, he said, there was no funding provided for them to make that move.
And, Boyce added that the Federal Communications Commission placed a moratorium on improvements to 500 MHz systems, so Delaware County can no longer make improvements to their existing system.
"There's nothing inherently wrong with a 500 system," Boyce said, "but it is a legacy system we've maintained for many years and they don't really make the parts for public safety anymore. I would liken it to FM in your car. In the '80's and '90's, FM worked and over the years, people have moved to a digital system, a cleaner system, subscription-based."
~more at link above~
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MEDIA — Thousands of first responder radios may be on the verge of an overhaul that could cost Delaware County between $20 to $40 million and take four to five years to complete.
A number of factors have created limitations on the existing 500 MHz system that is about three decades old.
"The old models that we use are changing," Timothy Boyce, Delaware County Emergency Services Director, said. "A lot of advances have come in the last 30 years. It's just that technology has changed."
To begin to address that, Boyce asked for, and received, approval to solicit requests for proposals for an independent engineer to study the current capabilities of the county's emergency communications radio system and to make recommendations for the future. Delaware County Council unanimously approved the measure Wednesday.
"Delaware County operates a historic radio system that's called a 500 MHz system, also referred to as T-Band," Boyce said. "In 2012, the (U.S.) Department of Commerce passed a law where they sold the rights to that spectrum to commercial television stations."
He explained that there were provisions in that sale for public safety members to move to a different band. However, he said, there was no funding provided for them to make that move.
And, Boyce added that the Federal Communications Commission placed a moratorium on improvements to 500 MHz systems, so Delaware County can no longer make improvements to their existing system.
"There's nothing inherently wrong with a 500 system," Boyce said, "but it is a legacy system we've maintained for many years and they don't really make the parts for public safety anymore. I would liken it to FM in your car. In the '80's and '90's, FM worked and over the years, people have moved to a digital system, a cleaner system, subscription-based."
~more at link above~
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