MBTA And Terror Attack

[brey1234]

Emergency responders to a terror attack on MBTA subway tunnels would still be crippled by radios muffled by static and cut off from incident commanders as they faced murky chaos beneath the ground, according to an alarming new report.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=153877

 

[Junior08]

This is interesting.....IIRC the "T" is in the process of implementing a system from MA/COM, open sky I think? Gee, I think I'll sit back and see how well interoperability works once this is up and running.

 

[EricCottrell]

This is interesting.....IIRC the "T" is in the process of implementing a system from MA/COM, open sky I think? Gee, I think I'll sit back and see how well interoperability works once this is up and running.

Hello,

It is EDACS ProVoice using the new extended addressing feature so a scanner can not trunktrack it.

73 Eric

 

[Junior08]

My mistake. Still, how will this improve interoperability? Who will be able to talk to them, and how will they be able to talk to Boston PD/FD, or area Departments?

 

[studgeman]

There are alot of things going on, including adding infrasturcture to accomodate interop frequencies and responding agencies frequencies into the tunnels and patachable into the Ts system.

 

[ctrabs74]

It is EDACS ProVoice using the new extended addressing feature so a scanner can not trunktrack it.

Figures that the T would go with ProVoice. They're not exactly the most honest branch of state government (or at least they weren't when I was living in New England about 10 years ago - though I think the Turnpike Authority has probably surpassed the T in terms of secrecy by now). I don't understand why the T didn't simply try to get space on the Mass. State Police trunked system instead of going ProVoice...

 

[garys]

Figures that the T would go with ProVoice. They're not exactly the most honest branch of state government (or at least they weren't when I was living in New England about 10 years ago - though I think the Turnpike Authority has probably surpassed the T in terms of secrecy by now). I don't understand why the T didn't simply try to get space on the Mass. State Police trunked system instead of going ProVoice...

I'm not sure what, if anything honesty of lack thereof has to do with it. As I recall, the MA-Comm was the low bidder for all phases of the project.

I don't think there is enough capacity on the MSP system at this point to host an agency as big at the T. They would still have to build the extensive underground radio system no matter what they did.

There are a few people who wonder why they didn't take their fairly large list of UHF frequencies and build a UHF trunk system. Then again, there is a long list of agencies waiting for those frequencies to become available.

Gary

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

It is likely the same old "800 is modern, 800 is the place to be" hype that radio system salesman have been saying for years. There were comments by some T offical that the stranglehold of Motorola has been broken so it seems Motorola was not favored.

The system is taking so long to implement that MA/COM released a P25 product which would be a better interop system. It took over a year after purchase to tender and select the installer of the system. The equipment was purchased around 2003 and installation is still going on. I figure it will be 2008 or 2009 before it is up and running.

73 Eric

 

[garys]

Hello,

The equipment was purchased around 2003 and installation is still going on. I figure it will be 2008 or 2009 before it is up and running.

73 Eric

YOU sir, are an optomist! <G>

Gary

 

[Junior08]

I'll be over here, stocking up on calendars to keep track of the years.

 

[typesix]

The longer the better so we can continue to monitor the T.

 

[ctrabs74]

The system is taking so long to implement that MA/COM released a P25 product which would be a better interop system. It took over a year after purchase to tender and select the installer of the system. The equipment was purchased around 2003 and installation is still going on. I figure it will be 2008 or 2009 before it is up and running.

Are we talking about the "normal" calendar, or the "Massachusetts political calendar" which automatically adds about 3-4 years to the completion date of any major capital project?

 

[Junior08]

If it turns into the communications version of The Big Dig, well,......Enough said!