Interoperability

[yooperinco]

Interagency freqs

It would also help if everyone had FERN, NLEEC ect programmed in their cars / handhelds.
I know that CSP (6B cars anyway) have VHF radios in their cars. Clear Creek has Park county (both run VHF) frequencies programmed in their cars. I think Jefferson County might run strictly digital.

During a pursuit a couple months ago, where JeffCO chased someone into Clear Creek, the C.C. car asked if the JeffCO car could go to NLEEC. C.C. dispatch asks JeffCO dispatch on NLEEC if they could move their pursuit car to NLEEC. JeffCO dispatch advised "I don't think they have NLEEC in their cars".

Either everyone needs to get VHF radios in their cars so they can at least talk on FERN's, NLEEC ect. or everyone needs to move to DTRS. Since C.C., Park, Gilpin, Boulder counties won't switch to DTRS due to coverage, and funding issues it would probably be easier (and cheaper) for other agencies to put some VHF radio's in their cars, heck, they could even be hand helds that they only turn on during situations like this.

 

[jimmnn]

What a flop that was--less than half the agencies even bothered to answer.

Methinks interopability (or lack of it) has more to do with human nature than technology.

And did you hear the Denver dispatcher basically begging for there participation 15 minutes out on Cleer I mean come on.

Jim<

 

[sargeek]

put a vhf in cars at least

I agree with the thought of putting a VHF mobile in the vehicles. A basic VHF state bid should be around what $400-$500? If they don't think the need them in every vehicle then at least in some supervisior vehicles and swat vehicles. I would think they would issue SWAT some VHF portables, w/ alkaline batteries, that can just sit in their gear for emergencies.

Was their the same kind of interoperability issue during the Hayman Fire? You had federal, state, and local assets involved in the incident. Vehicles, pack-sets, aircraft all being able to communicate.

 

[abqscan]

Methinks interopability (or lack of it) has more to do with human nature than technology.

I would have to agree. For instance, Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, and Westy all use the same type or radio system. Yet it costs a crap load of money to get a Stargate Controller so they can all talk to each other??? They all speak English, however, they use a translator to communicate

I think politics play the biggest role in the interoperability arena. Just my 2 cents... :roll:

 

[eyes00only]

Even in the old days, I don't think many agencies had both NLEEC (VHF) and CLEER (UHF) in their vehicles.

Jerry

 

[Moosemedic]

The Hayman fire....

The FEDERAL agencies had no problem, and neither did anyone else once they were assigned a radio from the Cache... LOL!

 

[fairrpe86]

Another great example is SAR teams. They all have a handful of frequencies that they can talk to each other on and have more than one for big incidents. I realize it isn't that simple to just say here everybody get these frequencies in your radios and use these in a big incident. Don't most SO's have a comm vehicle that carrys extra radios that could be brought to the incident for the agencies that don't have compatable radios?

 

[Scan-Denver]

Another great example is SAR teams. They all have a handful of frequencies that they can talk to each other on and have more than one for big incidents. I realize it isn't that simple to just say here everybody get these frequencies in your radios and use these in a big incident. Don't most SO's have a comm vehicle that carrys extra radios that could be brought to the incident for the agencies that don't have compatable radios?

Maybe, maybe not. Even if they do, how much longer will it take to get this comm vehicle on scene, muster all agencies to the comm van to pass these radios out, and be able to communicate and coordinate a plan ? All participating agencies need to have radios readily available to use instantly - emergency events taking place aren't gonna wait to equip emergency responders with the tools they need.

Everyone has their opinion on how to make comms between different agencies work and work quickly/efficiently. Like it has been stated many times, not every agency can be on the state DTRS system - especially in a huge metro area such as Denver.

I also agree that having a statewide VHF/UHF system setup for mutual aid in emergencies would be the best solution. But we don't get to make those decisions and as in everything else, not everyone is going agree on everything. (You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink).

So until the state issues some kind of ultimatum to all agencies and enforces it, a solution to interoperability seems to me non-existant because every agency has their own ways of doing things.

And until there is a good working solution, hopefully the angels above can intervene and prevent too many catastrophies such as what happened yesterday.

 

[Scan-Denver]

Even in the old days, I don't think many agencies had both NLEEC (VHF) and CLEER (UHF) in their vehicles.

Jerry

I know this was true for Denver back in the old UHF days.

 

[gcheno]

Even in the old days, I don't think many agencies had both NLEEC (VHF) and CLEER (UHF) in their vehicles.

I don't know about the rest of the state, but I do know when I started listening back in the late 80's, I heard quite a bit of N-LEC / State 3 traffic between CSP, Garfield county, municipal police departments, and even between comm. centers. CLEER was never an issue, because everyone on the western slope used VHF exclusively-- with the exception of medics, who used the UHF med channels for hospital reports.

In 1989, a couple Denver area agencies sent officers over for a big manhunt, and they used N-LEC and State 3 to stay in touch with the local agencies.

I don't know why the use of N-LEC and State 3 has declined here, but I do still hear local fire departments using FERN to coordinate mutual aid with outside agencies.

 

[jimmnn]

I don't know about the rest of the state, but I do know when I started listening back in the late 80's, I heard quite a bit of N-LEC / State 3 traffic between CSP, Garfield county, municipal police departments, and even between comm. centers. CLEER was never an issue, because everyone on the western slope used VHF exclusively-- with the exception of medics, who used the UHF med channels for hospital reports.

In 1989, a couple Denver area agencies sent officers over for a big manhunt, and they used N-LEC and State 3 to stay in touch with the local agencies.

I don't know why the use of N-LEC and State 3 has declined here, but I do still hear local fire departments using FERN to coordinate mutual aid with outside agencies.

You have probably seen the decline in NLEC & CSP 3 use because of the removal of VHF from many CSP cruisers and the regionization of there dispatch centers.

But don't remove those channels from your radios some interesting car to car conversations still occur there, often when they are "out" of DTRS coverage.

And of course your counties plans are to move to the "state of the art" P25 system, in the near future so will be very interesting to see how that goes.

Jim<

 

[gcheno]

You have probably seen the decline in NLEC & CSP 3 use because of the removal of VHF from many CSP cruisers and the reorganization of there dispatch centers.

I believe all of the District 4 cars still have VHF radios.

And of course your county's plans are to move to the "state of the art" P25 system, in the near future so will be very interesting to see how that goes.

Five or six years ago, I was told "to do it right", GarCo would need 16 DTR sites (16!!). My understanding is that they will build 5 initially. I don't know if 16 is still considered a magic number, but I've given up on trying to convince them that they'd be better off tweaking the existing system rather than starting over completely, with something that probably won't work as well-- And, of course, any arguments against are really moot now because by now the sites are probably built. I still don't see an application for frequencies in the FCC database, but I do see a few microwave applications.