MSP has no intention of encrypting their patrol operations.
Hoping UMPD isn't going to use encryption for dispatch.
Notes from the 3//19/25 RCB meeting.
Two new members:
US Army Corp of Engineers, Baltimore District, Interop User. 45 Harris 200XL multiband subs. The value of the FIRST system was realized during the Key Bridge collapse response, and the recent aircraft collision in Washington. Bowie State University PD, Primary User. Requesting 2 tgs, ops and tac for use on campus and surrounding area, plus support of adjacent police agencies. Approx 30 subs. Current UHF system is limited to campus. FIRST was tested and has satisfactory in-building coverage in most areas, but PG has agreed to allow ISSI coverage using their system to fill in as necessary. Their Jericho Park site is nearby, and that may host a FIRST site in the future. Both approved.
Technical modernizations:
-The MPLS / ethernet upgrade is on track with 311 of 326 RF sites completed. Cut-over for Zone 3 is targeted for 5/23; and Zone 1 for 7/1. This will enable a contracted system upgrade to A2024.1, planned for a mid-September completion.
- Virtualized Site Controllers will replace GCP series controllers by 2027. The VSC are software based, thus will run on a server (presumably in a docker container) vs. a discrete piece of hardware. This "platform upgrade" is necessary to enable a future A2026.x system software upgrade. A plaform upgrade is not considered part of the mx contract, so the state will have to pay up, lol. As each site is switched to the new controller scheme, it will be down for 2-3 minutes, so precise coordination with users and incidents will be required.
Coverage Improvement Program:
- A site that was in DMB documentation / justifications was not mentioned today.
Funded -
- Oakland (Garrett), live date 3/27/25;
- Patapsco (Howard), planning;
- Cumberland (Allegany), planning;
- Queenstown (Queen Anne), looking for new site (the planned site is being sold);
- Barton (Allegar), TBD;
- Brenton Woods (Montgomery), live date 1/25/26;
- New Germany SP #1 (Garrett), RFP;
- St. Michaels (Talbot), Looking for real estate but county is expediting the process;
- DC ASR (DC), live 11/14/24
Planned -
- Burtonsville (Montgomery), FY26;
- Accident (Garrett), FY26;
- Cambridge (Dorchester), FY26 (site replacement);
- Ourisman / Jehrico? (PG), FY27;
- New Germany SP #2 (Garrett or Allegar), FY27;
- Harvey Gummel Park (Carroll), FY27;
- Charles Co (Charles), FY28;
- St. Mary's (STMC), FY28;
- Dorchester (Dorchester), FY28;
- Flintstone (Allegany), FY28;
- Elmer School Road (Montgomery), FY29.
Any Tarriffs enacted may affect funding / plans.
BDAs:
- Chapel Elem, live;
- Galena VFD, live;
- Millington VFD, live;
- Courts of Appeal (Supreme Court of MD), impending;
- ICC / MDTA Police station, impending;
- Kent EOC, impending;
- Dorchester PSAP, planned;
- Maryland Port Admin / Cruise MD, planned (to mitigate interference).
Two Channel Expansions:
- Howard, Harford and Anne Arundel: awaiting D series base station radios.
- Channels have been reserved for most sites across the state.
Geo-redundant Prime sites:
- Targeting busy and edge sites.
- Baltimore, FY24;
- Anne Arundel, FY25;
- Garrett, FY26;
- Cecil, FY27;
- AlleGar, FY28;
- Worcester, FY29.
Fiber:
- Some sites are connected by microwave only, owned by the counties, MIEMSS or DOiT.
- Multiple fiber projects underway to provide redundant network connections. Fiber paths are constructed by connecting segments owned by the counties, SHA, Network MD (DoIT), or MIEMSS. New fiber is laid / flown when necessary. Buried fiber is preferred, but rocky terrain usually necessitates aerial fiber.
Firewalls:
- Replacing firewalls that cannot accept new firmware.
Increasing / reassigning control channels:
- Currently define 2 control channels per site, will increase to 4 (max);
- To mitigate potential interference from Band 13/14, reassign control channels to middle of 769-775 band.
- Band 13 (<769) used by uplink RF from Verizon LTE subscribers; Band 14 (>775) used by ATT LTE downlink RF from tower sites.
MCC7500 consoles:
- EOL 2030;
- Owned mostly by agencies.
- Replaced by AXS consoles, sort of expensive atm.
GTR Base station radios:
- EOL 2032 (ish);
- Base station radios can last 25 - 30 years without failure.
- Simulcast cells can mix GTR and DBR M-12 (D series) base station radios per subsite.
DC ASR Usage:
- 1/6/25 (Certification of Electoral votes): 422 PPT, 55 minutes of air, 807 affiliations;
- 1/20/25 (Inuaguration Day): 970 PPT, 145 minutes, 3783 affiliations;
- 1/29/25 (DCA Potomac River collision): 9933 PPT, 546 minutes, 4630 affiliations;
- The DC ASR was a critical enabler for the Potomac River incident response and management. FIRST system managers were able to crossconnect a MD Tac tg and a MD Marine Tac tg to the main DC incident tg and a DC Marine tg remotely. Responders 70 miles away were able to monitor the incident and communicate while prepping their equipment and while enroute using FIRST. Seamless two-way comms were enabled for users of either system. The FIRST system worked as intended and was considered an outstanding example of interoperable communications - the goal of the system.
Two new members:
US Army Corp of Engineers, Baltimore District, Interop User. 45 Harris 200XL multiband subs. The value of the FIRST system was realized during the Key Bridge collapse response, and the recent aircraft collision in Washington. Bowie State University PD, Primary User. Requesting 2 tgs, ops and tac for use on campus and surrounding area, plus support of adjacent police agencies. Approx 30 subs. Current UHF system is limited to campus. FIRST was tested and has satisfactory in-building coverage in most areas, but PG has agreed to allow ISSI coverage using their system to fill in as necessary. Their Jericho Park site is nearby, and that may host a FIRST site in the future. Both approved.
Technical modernizations:
-The MPLS / ethernet upgrade is on track with 311 of 326 RF sites completed. Cut-over for Zone 3 is targeted for 5/23; and Zone 1 for 7/1. This will enable a contracted system upgrade to A2024.1, planned for a mid-September completion.
- Virtualized Site Controllers will replace GCP series controllers by 2027. The VSC are software based, thus will run on a server (presumably in a docker container) vs. a discrete piece of hardware. This "platform upgrade" is necessary to enable a future A2026.x system software upgrade. A plaform upgrade is not considered part of the mx contract, so the state will have to pay up, lol. As each site is switched to the new controller scheme, it will be down for 2-3 minutes, so precise coordination with users and incidents will be required.
Coverage Improvement Program:
- A site that was in DMB documentation / justifications was not mentioned today.
Funded -
- Oakland (Garrett), live date 3/27/25;
- Patapsco (Howard), planning;
- Cumberland (Allegany), planning;
- Queenstown (Queen Anne), looking for new site (the planned site is being sold);
- Barton (Allegar), TBD;
- Brenton Woods (Montgomery), live date 1/25/26;
- New Germany SP #1 (Garrett), RFP;
- St. Michaels (Talbot), Looking for real estate but county is expediting the process;
- DC ASR (DC), live 11/14/24
Planned -
- Burtonsville (Montgomery), FY26;
- Accident (Garrett), FY26;
- Cambridge (Dorchester), FY26 (site replacement);
- Ourisman / Jehrico? (PG), FY27;
- New Germany SP #2 (Garrett or Allegar), FY27;
- Harvey Gummel Park (Carroll), FY27;
- Charles Co (Charles), FY28;
- St. Mary's (STMC), FY28;
- Dorchester (Dorchester), FY28;
- Flintstone (Allegany), FY28;
- Elmer School Road (Montgomery), FY29.
Any Tarriffs enacted may affect funding / plans.
BDAs:
- Chapel Elem, live;
- Galena VFD, live;
- Millington VFD, live;
- Courts of Appeal (Supreme Court of MD), impending;
- ICC / MDTA Police station, impending;
- Kent EOC, impending;
- Dorchester PSAP, planned;
- Maryland Port Admin / Cruise MD, planned (to mitigate interference).
Two Channel Expansions:
- Howard, Harford and Anne Arundel: awaiting D series base station radios.
- Channels have been reserved for most sites across the state.
Geo-redundant Prime sites:
- Targeting busy and edge sites.
- Baltimore, FY24;
- Anne Arundel, FY25;
- Garrett, FY26;
- Cecil, FY27;
- AlleGar, FY28;
- Worcester, FY29.
Fiber:
- Some sites are connected by microwave only, owned by the counties, MIEMSS or DOiT.
- Multiple fiber projects underway to provide redundant network connections. Fiber paths are constructed by connecting segments owned by the counties, SHA, Network MD (DoIT), or MIEMSS. New fiber is laid / flown when necessary. Buried fiber is preferred, but rocky terrain usually necessitates aerial fiber.
Firewalls:
- Replacing firewalls that cannot accept new firmware.
Increasing / reassigning control channels:
- Currently define 2 control channels per site, will increase to 4 (max);
- To mitigate potential interference from Band 13/14, reassign control channels to middle of 769-775 band.
- Band 13 (<769) used by uplink RF from Verizon LTE subscribers; Band 14 (>775) used by ATT LTE downlink RF from tower sites.
MCC7500 consoles:
- EOL 2030;
- Owned mostly by agencies.
- Replaced by AXS consoles, sort of expensive atm.
GTR Base station radios:
- EOL 2032 (ish);
- Base station radios can last 25 - 30 years without failure.
- Simulcast cells can mix GTR and DBR M-12 (D series) base station radios per subsite.
DC ASR Usage:
- 1/6/25 (Certification of Electoral votes): 422 PPT, 55 minutes of air, 807 affiliations;
- 1/20/25 (Inuaguration Day): 970 PPT, 145 minutes, 3783 affiliations;
- 1/29/25 (DCA Potomac River collision): 9933 PPT, 546 minutes, 4630 affiliations;
- The DC ASR was a critical enabler for the Potomac River incident response and management. FIRST system managers were able to crossconnect a MD Tac tg and a MD Marine Tac tg to the main DC incident tg and a DC Marine tg remotely. Responders 70 miles away were able to monitor the incident and communicate while prepping their equipment and while enroute using FIRST. Seamless two-way comms were enabled for users of either system. The FIRST system worked as intended and was considered an outstanding example of interoperable communications - the goal of the system.
fourwd1
Member
Did you catch any radio traffic or RID's? Could it just be a poor decode since it is odd that it would be patched to NRP & Nat Guard.
Based on Talkgroup (if it is not a poor decode), it is likely a county talkgroup and since it is on Montgomery Site, it could be a backup talkgroup for Montgomery as they are an approved user.
I did not, as of this morning it’s still showing. I believe I have a decent signal going but who knows.
UMPD college park is on the FiRST system, correct? If so, are they using the PG county site or the Montgomery county site
PG. It is regularly active on the Anne Arundel Sites. Possibly at times active on Howard and Montgomery too.
Interesting. Thanks!
I don't see that the range is near College Park. But, interesting.
I was reviewing the maps and it looks like the Bretton Woods site in North Potomac will provide excellent coverage for the Trump International Golf Course in Virginia and the surrounding area, so good for DNR and partner agencies. The FS30 would enhance coverage south of the TIGC in the Great Falls area of the river. I know that the NPS is a limited partner; not sure about the USPP or if they would be covered under the same agreement.
Brenton Woods is gonna be a separate site or a repeater on the Montgomery Co site?
7598 - Tuckahoe SP complex related (possibly Admin channel)
They are Interop. I have heard them twice on FiRST. Once an officer communicating with MSP Glen Burnie and once the Eagle helicopter responding to a call on the Eastern Shore.
I think I remember that Eastern Shore call? Was that in QA Co last June? They we're operating on MD AVIATTAC1 QA, which was patched with QA FIRE TAC 2. RID was 1267006.
I’m not surprised USPP has the FiRST interop channels, but I’m pleasantly surprised they have MSP Barracks channels. Did you catch an RID in that case?
Correct! It was Eagle 2.
1267059. It was about 4 years ago. Only time I have ever heard them on FIRST other than the helo call last year
