monitorman
Member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2006
- Messages
- 151
From yesterdays Leav. Times. Anyone know what homeland security frequency they are talking about?
The third sole-source contract of up to $55,000 was awarded to Midwest Mobile Radio Services for the purchase and installation of new communications equipment for the Leavenworth Police Department.
According to Police Chief Pat Kitchens, “emergency authority” to spend the funds was requested in order to resolve a public safety communication issue.
Kitchens said the department started experiencing a “significant” disruption of its primary communications channel on May 2.
“Over the course of the last 30 days, we have continued to experience sporadic disruption of our primary radio channel,” Kitchens wrote in his request.
Kitchens said the problem is being caused by the department’s use of a wide-band frequency communication system. He said the Federal Communication Commission issued a license on May 1 to the state for a homeland security radio frequency that is next to the city’s frequency.
In addition, Kitchens said a second “unknown” entity is operating near the city’s frequency and is also causing interference.
Although the FCC announced that public safety agencies would be required to move from a wide-band to a narrow-band communications system by Jan. 1, 2013, Kitchens said the city can no longer continue updating equipment annually to meet the new requirements.
“Quite frankly, we thought we had five more years to complete the communications upgrade and are about half way through,” Kitchens wrote in his report. “However, now that the FCC is issuing these licenses next to our frequency, we are forced to enhance our system immediately.”
Kitchens said the purchase of new equipment will be paid for through the state forfeiture fund, which has a current balance of $129,292.
The third sole-source contract of up to $55,000 was awarded to Midwest Mobile Radio Services for the purchase and installation of new communications equipment for the Leavenworth Police Department.
According to Police Chief Pat Kitchens, “emergency authority” to spend the funds was requested in order to resolve a public safety communication issue.
Kitchens said the department started experiencing a “significant” disruption of its primary communications channel on May 2.
“Over the course of the last 30 days, we have continued to experience sporadic disruption of our primary radio channel,” Kitchens wrote in his request.
Kitchens said the problem is being caused by the department’s use of a wide-band frequency communication system. He said the Federal Communication Commission issued a license on May 1 to the state for a homeland security radio frequency that is next to the city’s frequency.
In addition, Kitchens said a second “unknown” entity is operating near the city’s frequency and is also causing interference.
Although the FCC announced that public safety agencies would be required to move from a wide-band to a narrow-band communications system by Jan. 1, 2013, Kitchens said the city can no longer continue updating equipment annually to meet the new requirements.
“Quite frankly, we thought we had five more years to complete the communications upgrade and are about half way through,” Kitchens wrote in his report. “However, now that the FCC is issuing these licenses next to our frequency, we are forced to enhance our system immediately.”
Kitchens said the purchase of new equipment will be paid for through the state forfeiture fund, which has a current balance of $129,292.
