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Lake plans overhaul of radios for cops, fire
The county says it will use sales-tax money to replace its outmoded communication system.
Robert Sargent
Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
January 21, 2007
On an early morning nearly two years ago, dozens of law-enforcement and emergency officials converged on a rural home in the Ocala National Forest where Jason Wheeler had opened fire on Lake County deputies, killing one and injuring two others.
The shooting led to a massive manhunt for Wheeler in which several agencies struggled to communicate with each other using different radios, channels and frequencies. Many tried to use their cell phones, but the massive demand shut down the wireless network.
It was a frustrating and dangerous communication breakdown on one of the darkest days in Lake County's history. But radio failures are still an everyday problem for even routine emergency calls.
That is about to change.
Lake's Public Safety Department has proposed a plan to replace emergency radios and other equipment throughout the county and its 14 cities at a cost of more than $20 million. Officials say the new system will virtually ensure archaic communication glitches never silence them again.
"It is vital that we have seamless communications," Public Safety Director Gary Kaiser said.
County commissioners agreed this month to begin negotiations with radio manufacturer Motorola to handle the massive overhaul to 800 MHz digital communications, a system that will vastly improve radio coverage across the county and simplify how police, fire and rescue agencies talk to each other.
The county already had $5 million approved for the project. Another $15 million will come from a line of credit approved a couple of years ago to be paid with 1 percentage point from the sales tax.
County Manager Cindy Hall said the radio upgrade will not use money generated by recently increased county fire fees. County officials also say they do not expect the cities to pay for any portion of the project.
Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders and police chiefs from 12 cities recently endorsed the proposal. Lake's other two cities, Minneola and Montverde, use Lake deputy sheriffs. Fire chiefs also are looking into the idea.
"I am anxiously waiting to find out all the details and to see how it all will play out," Minneola fire Chief Dave Dobrzykowski said.
Dobrzykowski said the county's plan will vastly improve radio coverage to keep constant communications within his agency. He described a common problem in which firefighters a few yards apart cannot talk with each other because their radio signals cannot reach the local communications tower.
To get around the problem, Dobrzykowski said the firefighters either switch to their cell phones or designate someone to run messages back and forth.
Rob Richardson, radio-systems coordinator for Lake County Public Safety, said many emergency agencies find their radios blocked by interference caused by radio transmissions from as far away as South Carolina.
Richardson said keeping contact with firefighters and police officers is essential: "I don't know of a more critical issue."
The county, which uses an older VHF system, started planning for the massive radio upgrade about a year ago. Some agencies have digital systems, others don't. Lake officials had to go to neighboring counties, cities and other governments to acquire about 40 frequencies for the system.
Once the county approves a contract with Motorola, the next step is to expand Lake's radio towers from six to as many as 20.
The county then will work in phases with its agencies and with each city to install the radios and equipment in vehicles and at some dispatch locations. Law-enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics and others will get new portable radios.
The county expects the overhaul to take about a year.
Many neighboring counties, including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk and Marion already have similar systems, Kaiser said. Volusia is working to modify their radio system to join the chain of communications with Lake County.
Kaiser said the sooner Lake upgrades its radios, the better.
"Time is of the essence," he said.
Lake plans overhaul of radios for cops, fire
The county says it will use sales-tax money to replace its outmoded communication system.
Robert Sargent
Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
January 21, 2007
On an early morning nearly two years ago, dozens of law-enforcement and emergency officials converged on a rural home in the Ocala National Forest where Jason Wheeler had opened fire on Lake County deputies, killing one and injuring two others.
The shooting led to a massive manhunt for Wheeler in which several agencies struggled to communicate with each other using different radios, channels and frequencies. Many tried to use their cell phones, but the massive demand shut down the wireless network.
It was a frustrating and dangerous communication breakdown on one of the darkest days in Lake County's history. But radio failures are still an everyday problem for even routine emergency calls.
That is about to change.
Lake's Public Safety Department has proposed a plan to replace emergency radios and other equipment throughout the county and its 14 cities at a cost of more than $20 million. Officials say the new system will virtually ensure archaic communication glitches never silence them again.
"It is vital that we have seamless communications," Public Safety Director Gary Kaiser said.
County commissioners agreed this month to begin negotiations with radio manufacturer Motorola to handle the massive overhaul to 800 MHz digital communications, a system that will vastly improve radio coverage across the county and simplify how police, fire and rescue agencies talk to each other.
The county already had $5 million approved for the project. Another $15 million will come from a line of credit approved a couple of years ago to be paid with 1 percentage point from the sales tax.
County Manager Cindy Hall said the radio upgrade will not use money generated by recently increased county fire fees. County officials also say they do not expect the cities to pay for any portion of the project.
Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders and police chiefs from 12 cities recently endorsed the proposal. Lake's other two cities, Minneola and Montverde, use Lake deputy sheriffs. Fire chiefs also are looking into the idea.
"I am anxiously waiting to find out all the details and to see how it all will play out," Minneola fire Chief Dave Dobrzykowski said.
Dobrzykowski said the county's plan will vastly improve radio coverage to keep constant communications within his agency. He described a common problem in which firefighters a few yards apart cannot talk with each other because their radio signals cannot reach the local communications tower.
To get around the problem, Dobrzykowski said the firefighters either switch to their cell phones or designate someone to run messages back and forth.
Rob Richardson, radio-systems coordinator for Lake County Public Safety, said many emergency agencies find their radios blocked by interference caused by radio transmissions from as far away as South Carolina.
Richardson said keeping contact with firefighters and police officers is essential: "I don't know of a more critical issue."
The county, which uses an older VHF system, started planning for the massive radio upgrade about a year ago. Some agencies have digital systems, others don't. Lake officials had to go to neighboring counties, cities and other governments to acquire about 40 frequencies for the system.
Once the county approves a contract with Motorola, the next step is to expand Lake's radio towers from six to as many as 20.
The county then will work in phases with its agencies and with each city to install the radios and equipment in vehicles and at some dispatch locations. Law-enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics and others will get new portable radios.
The county expects the overhaul to take about a year.
Many neighboring counties, including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk and Marion already have similar systems, Kaiser said. Volusia is working to modify their radio system to join the chain of communications with Lake County.
Kaiser said the sooner Lake upgrades its radios, the better.
"Time is of the essence," he said.
