KY-SERVS

[ofd8001]

Is there a way we could get the KY-SERVS database moved from a single "County" to the Statewide section please?

This is a new system that is being installed. Currently it is only active in a few counties, however there are new sites being added to the database. They are for locations in the western half of Kentucky.

I try to keep up with the new sites as they are being added using Sentinel. I have to think which county this system has been assigned to and then navigate to it.

This has come up before and the "powers to be" decided to leave it for that one or two counties where it is actually active as far as users go. I ask this be given reconsideration. This system is intended to be a statewide system and is growing regularly. By making it easier to find, more users may program it in their scanners and stumble across new items for database entry. Also, eventually it would have to be moved to a statewide system for all 120 counties. So I would think its better to do that as sites become active/added to the database, rather than wait and do it all at once.

Thanks for the time and consideration.

 

[GTR8000]

The policy is very clear regarding this:

Trunked systems shall be assigned to the union of all counties for which they are actually intended to provide coverage in addition to any other counties containing transmitter sites. Only use the “Statewide” special county setting for systems that truly cover all counties in a state. While new systems are being built out, assign them only to the counties actually confirmed to be covered by the system.

 

[ofd8001]

I agree that's what the policy says. I'm not sure about its implementation and implementation of policies have room for interpretation based on applications and situations. For example, if you look in Sentinel for the Kentucky statewide systems, you'll note they include railroads, Correctional Facilities, and Regional Utilities. Not all of these are pertinent in ALL counties of the state.

So instead of the KY-SERVS being assigned as a County System in Warren County, I think it ought to go in the Statewide section of the database. That's because the Warren County site could cover adjacent counties.

 

[GTR8000]

Apples and oranges. Conventional listings have what we call "state agency pages" which are intended for listings that cover more than a single county. There is no other way to list wide-area/regional conventional listings, other than to duplicate each listing in every pertinent county, which is a big no-no. So the state agency page was a compromise, and yes those are listed in every county in the state in programming software.

Trunking systems are a different animal, and since trunked systems can be assigned to multiple individual counties, the quoted policy applies. This has been the rule for many, many years, and no it's not really open to interpretation. If the system doesn't yet cover the entire state, as is the case with KY-SERVS at this point in time, then it won't be listed as a statewide system. Pretty cut and dry.

 

[wa8pyr]

We're not going to change a policy that has worked well since the inception of the database. Loading a trunked system which does not cover Mercer County (for example) is pointless as there's nothing for the people in Mercer County to scan, and all it will do is slow down scanning of systems which actually do work in that county.

Just because the Warren County site might cover parts of adjacent counties doesn't mean users in those counties would be able to receive it, and we've had any number of user complaints over the years as a result of systems being mislabeled as Statewide for this very reason.

Basically, if a system cannot be legitimately received in all counties of the state without special aids like directional antennas etc, it's not a statewide system and will not be listed as such.

I realize that it's inconvenient for you, but the policy has worked well for years, and will not be changed.

 

[ofd8001]

Thanks for the insight. Don’t agree but ain’t got much choice.