KOTV Story about interoperability

[FireMedic712]

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=9070069

 

[crayon]

That means nearly all emergency personnel in communities along the I-44 corridor from the Texas border to the Missouri line can now broadcast on the frequency.

Nearly all ... except for the 500# MA/COM gorilla in the center.

:roll:

 

[EDACS-Master]

Interop

What is amazing in that a couple of years that the Infrastructure and the millions of tax dollars that has been spent for this phase 1 project will no longer be supported by the Moto giant and the state will be forced at some point to fork lift the whole system and put in a true P25 or 700 MHz system in its place. The state is already trying to figure out a way out of the position they have gotten themselves in due to they should have put in newer technology or at least should have done a competative bid for a system that would be expandable for the furutre and would have at least had interoperability with 800 and non 800 users throughout the state and surrounding states. This information was given to the proper authorities at the beginning of the project design phase and the state at the beginning was going to design the system around P25 set standards with the capability to go to phase 2 when phase 2 design was complete, but shortly after them saying that, all of a sudden a massive shift was done in the wrong direction and no competative bid was ever done and the state spent more than double the money they should have and recieved a system that will have to be fork lifted shortly at the tax payers expense. FYI M/A-Com approached the state and so did other vendors that could have put in a system that would have been full P25 and also would have had full non 800 interoperability and they could have had mobile data as well, one system, one radio all doing analog, digital, secure voice and data for laptops for half of the cost. But oh well someone will continue to get a little encentive on the side to keep continuing using a non complient P25 800 system. Oh and a final note, what is amazing to me is that according to the application for grant money for the state 800 system, right on the first page and also according to the DHS federal site, it states that this money is to be used for a 800 MHz P25 complient system.

 

[WX5JCH]

I don't think the state is ever going to change from what they have in place now. for example; earlier today I got a call from state EMS wanting to know our encoder number???. We dumped our encoder equipment 12 years ago. They are making a state-wide list. I told her we don't allow non-HIPPA compliant radio traffic here, she didn't know what I was talking about. Our digital system is on back order...

Here's a recent photo of our new building;

 

[Sparky_one]

You said it!

Nearly all ... except for the 500# MA/COM gorilla in the center.

:roll:

The Tulsa World also ran a story about the last link in the chain for the state 800 system being installed at Coweta. But I immediately thought of the huge black hole that goes from Wellston to Yukon. There is supposed to be an easily activated link. The last time they tried to activate it, the system back fed and jammed both systems. It was just good that Edmond responded to the Luther train fire and not OCFD. Edmond is on the state system!

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

.......I told her we don't allow non-HIPPA compliant radio traffic here, she didn't know what I was talking about..........

I don't know what you're talking about either, and frankly, find it comical that you laid that jive on someone. I have yet to hear a patients name transmitted over the radio. How could encoding and calling a patient report into a hospital for say a 65 y/o male, cardiac patient POSSIBLY violate HIPPA?

Even so, lets take a look at the HEAR system, what it is and why it's been around for a long time. What about all of the rural ambulances running around in our state? The fact is, the MAJORITY of EMS in our state is on a VHF, NON encrypted type system and has been for many years.

 

[boyledad]

I don't know what you're talking about either, and frankly, find it comical that you laid that jive on someone. I have yet to hear a patients name transmitted over the radio. How could encoding and calling a patient report into a hospital for say a 65 y/o male, cardiac patient POSSIBLY violate HIPPA?

EMSA apparently thinks it does.

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

EMSA apparently thinks it does.

No, EMSA had a problem with other ambulance services running calls within the city limits of Tulsa, and one step to solving the problem was going to the current radio system they have.

Also, EMSA operates in Tulsa, and OKC, and I don't know if EMSA-OKC is on the same type of system that EMSA-Tulsa is on, but they weren't last time I checked. So that kind of kills EMSA's story of why they went to the current radio system.

The other thing that kills EMSA's story to the spoon-fed masses is the fact that HIPPA would apply to all EMS services, not just EMSA in Tulsa and OKC. What's going on in the other 77 counties in our fine state?

 

[peterjmag]

No, EMSA had a problem with other ambulance services running calls within the city limits of Tulsa, and one step to solving the problem was going to the current radio system they have.

Also, EMSA operates in Tulsa, and OKC, and I don't know if EMSA-OKC is on the same type of system that EMSA-Tulsa is on, but they weren't last time I checked. So that kind of kills EMSA's story of why they went to the current radio system.

The other thing that kills EMSA's story to the spoon-fed masses is the fact that HIPPA would apply to all EMS services, not just EMSA in Tulsa and OKC. What's going on in the other 77 counties in our fine state?

EMSA-West aka EMSA OKC is on the same type of system as the Tulsa area, digital and encrytped. I think what confused you squirrel is they were behind in doing it but are digital and encrypted now. I agree 100% with Squirrel, it's because of competition, not HIPPA. Who wants to mess with the big bad EMSA? They are number 1 and want to stay that way and since they had the funds and grants and the right people in bed with them it was easy for them to get their super duper latest and greatest digital encrypted radios. Like squirrel said, what aboout all the 75 other counties in the state? Gotta love the fine BS that is sold to the public and public safety community and those that actually think it's true LMAO.

 

[woodyrr]

HIPAA Clarification regarding Radio Encryption

While this is off OP topic, I think that it is important to nip this HIPAA requires encryption idea in the bud wherever it surfaces.

Loumaag found and posted this link in a thread in which HIPAA required encryption was being discussed. The following document is the Q and A section of the Department of Heath and Human Services clarification of it's HIPAA regulations.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/finalmaster.html

Quoting from the document:

Q: Does the Privacy Rule require hospitals and doctors' offices to be retrofitted, to provide private rooms, and soundproof walls to avoid any possibility that a conversation is overheard?

A: No, the Privacy Rule does not require these types of structural changes be made to facilities.

Covered entities must have in place appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of PHI. "Reasonable safeguards" mean that covered entities must make reasonable efforts to prevent uses and disclosures not permitted by the rule. The Department does not consider facility restructuring to be a requirement under this standard. In determining what is reasonable, the Department will take into account the concerns of covered entities regarding potential effects on patient care and financial burden.

For example, the Privacy Rule does not require the following types of structural or systems changes:

Private rooms.
Soundproofing of rooms.
Encryption of wireless or other emergency medical radio communications which can be intercepted by scanners.
Encryption of telephone systems.
Covered entities must provide reasonable safeguards to avoid prohibited disclosures. The rule does not require that all risk be eliminated to satisfy this standard. Covered entities must review their own practices and determine what steps are reasonable to safeguard their patient information.

With all due respect, Elk City Hospital, like EMSA can do what it wants regarding its radio system, but as Secret Squirrel suggests, to state that all of the other medical services that are not encrypted, on the HEAR network or elsewhere, are not in compliance runs counter to the HHS clarification of their own rules.

Until someone can reference a more authoritative source than this, I maintain that encrypting dispatch or ambulance to hospital radio traffic is motivated by reasons other than compliance with HIPAA.

 

[fireant]

If, If my memory serves me correct there was a post, I read awhile back that EMSA encryption or at least part of it was to eliminate the media from tracking their response times. Now how true that is, no idea however would not surprise me.

fireant

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

Makes me think of the last part of that Cake song, Rock and Roll Lifestyle:

Excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking what they're selling.
Your self-destruction doesn't hurt them.
Your chaos won't convert them.
They're so happy to rebuild it.
You'll never really kill it.
Yeah, excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking what they're selling.
Excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking,
You're drinking,
You're drinking what they're selling.

 

[boyledad]

No, EMSA had a problem with other ambulance services running calls within the city limits of Tulsa, and one step to solving the problem was going to the current radio system they have. ?

So.. Tulsa's not smart enough to license only one ambulance service the way every city in the OKC metro has done for years? Even when Mercy had ambulances, they couldn't run calls in OKC and EMSA couldn't run calls in Bethany, unless called in for mutual aid which was fairly common in both directions.

Tow trucks work the same way - We can't run on a wreck in OKC unless one of the parties involved requests us. OKC has districts and only one company can handle official calls in each district. Some cities have rotation lists and still others have only one company on call.

It seems like EMSA should have the clout to lock up Tulsa pretty easy.

If, If my memory serves me correct there was a post, I read awhile back that EMSA encryption or at least part of it was to eliminate the media from tracking their response times.
fireant

This I believe.