Trunked and interoperability do not really mix. They should be looking at VHF/UHF Narrowband Conventional and forget P25 and do a little bit of planning this time.
Keep it simple and you can buy your radios from whoever you want giving the user a great system and the taxpayer some value in return (a concern that gets only lip service in government) .
Oh well, regardless the fine people of the Grand Chute Metroplex are about to take IN the Grand Chute if you know what I mean....
Vendor cost estimate= The maximum amount possible just below the point where the project will rejected out of hand, then once committed to, the price can be increased exponentially.
This follows the template so the die is likely cast.
1. Decide what you want based upon sales reps promises and magazine articles.
1a tell the public what you are going to buy.
2. Do no independent Due Diligence of your own only listen to the sales rep
2a.Listen and dismiss public concern playing the FF police officers lives will be lost card.
2b assume public apathy and move ahead as you have already decided
3. Surround yourself with people who agree with your view of what you need.
3a float the idea that you have no choice, the FCC says so.
4. Hire a professional blame taker/consultant who has spent a few nights in town but has no police or fire user experience and agrees with your conclusion based upon prior system recommendations that tend to be consistent with your desires. Oh yeah they used to be an employee of the desired vendor but is now 'independent'.
5. Hire the above consultant to produce an 'Objective' Study and surprise! He/she recommends the system you think you want.
6. Pay him/her an outlandish amount of money for the study (and maybe hope to get some back on the side)
7. When the system does not work and someone dies- use the built-in political cover and blame the consultant. If the situation dicates, commission an investigation into how this could have happened and who is to blame.
8. Drag the 'investigation' out for a lonnnnnng time so the public forgets or no longer cares. Find no one responsible. but backhandedly blame the consultant. Perhaps get a department head to resign.
9. Blame the FCC for an unfunded mandate. Threaten to sue the consultant (but dont).
10. Quietly retire after 30 years of service and go to work for the consultant or the vendor. Thats not a conflict is it?.....
Everybody lives happily ever after except the cops and firemen Good Times, good times.
