Senate Bill 504: Makes appropriations to Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety for costs of VHF Highband Radio Project and to Department of Transportation for completion of 800 MHz radio communication system. (BDR S-1464)
Raymond Sparks, Deputy Director, Department of Motor Vehicles/Public Safety (DMV/PS), announced he was present to address sections 1 and 2 of S.B. 504. The members of the committee might recall that during the 1997 session, DMV/PS requested, and was approved, funding to begin a project to upgrade its mobile radio communication system from low band to VHF high band. According to Mr. Sparks, the plan for the project followed the recommendation made by the radio engineering consultant contracted by the state in 1995 to study statewide mobile radio systems and needs. Mr. Sparks indicated the legislature appropriated approximately $2.9 million to begin the project.
Continuing, Mr. Sparks remarked in testimony presented in 1997, he stated that the total cost of the radio project was unknown at that time, and that an early and primary task of the project would be to contract with an engineering consultant to design the system. Once the system was designed, an accurate cost could be determined. He commented that since 1997, DMV/PS had, in fact, contracted for the services of a consultant and the radio system design was largely complete. In addition, the department had purchased much of the necessary radio equipment.
Mr. Sparks indicated he was present to request support of S.B. 504, which would appropriate the funds necessary for the build-out of the radio system. Specifically, DMV/PS was requesting $9,864,060 in Highway Fund dollars, and $355,422 in General Fund dollars, to allow the department to complete the radio system. The requested funding would enable DMV/PS to complete the radio project by the end of the next biennium, and would provide a mobile radio system that would greatly enhance public safety in Nevada.
According to Mr. Sparks, representatives from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) were present to address the other section of the bill. Chairman Arberry asked about the Highway Fund appropriation. Mr. Sparks advised the primary amount would be from the Highway Fund, along with a small amount from the General Fund, which would cover the cost for the Division of Parole and Probation and the Division of Investigations.
Mr. Marvel inquired if the bill would help cure some of the "dead spots" around the state. Mr. Sparks replied that one of the objectives of the project was to provide coverage over all of the main roadbeds throughout the state so officers had radio communication virtually everywhere. Mr. Marvel stated he spoke to an officer in Tonopah, and "dead spots" was one of the problems suffered in that area. Mr. Sparks indicated there were a number of such spots throughout the state and the project was designed to resolve those problems.
Chairman Arberry asked if all systems would be able to communicate with each other, because, when the issue was discussed in years past, there was some controversy about which entities could communicate with each other. He asked if everyone was now on the same "page," or would the system only work for a few. Mr. Sparks stated everyone was on the same "page" in that everyone agreed with the direction being pursued, which was to provide for interoperability. The VHS high band system that DMV/PS proposed, and was in the process of implementing, would allow the department and its officers to communicate with approximately 95 percent of the law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The NDOT 800-megahertz (MHz) system would provide communication with a few law enforcement agencies on that frequency. DMV/PS planned to work in cooperation with NDOT in an attempt to interface the two systems, so DMV/PS could go through NDOT’s system for interoperability with all agencies on that system.
Chairman Arberry asked if the system would take care of circumstances such as the incident of the gentleman who was murdered in the desert somewhere and no one knew what had happened. Mr. Sparks stated that was the goal, to ensure the department had interoperability with those agencies that would respond to a public safety situation, and so it could communicate via radio with allied agencies.
Mr. Beers stated he was rather confused, because an 800 MHz system was a line-of-site system, and why would the state be interested in such a system. Mr. Sparks stated he would defer to NDOT personnel to provide the answer. Roger Grable, Assistant Director for Administrative Services, NDOT, indicated the Data Processing/Telecommunications Division was his responsibility, noting he was also a licensed ham radio operator. Mr. Grable remarked he was present to speak in support of S.B. 504, because it would allow NDOT, under the added section, to complete its build-out of the existing 800 MHz shared radio system, called the Nevada Shared System, which currently covered approximately 60 percent of the state. He mentioned the bill would primarily fund the interoperability portion of the build-out, and the intent was to build a backbone that provided interoperability between the existing 800 MHz system and the expanded 800 MHz system. That would provide interoperability for the Highway Patrol to communicate under emergency conditions with everyone connected to the 800 MHz system. Mr. Grable stated NDOT felt there was sufficient funding for the project, and he respectfully requested that the bill move forward.
Mr. Beers indicated the appropriation was not included in the first version of the bill, to which Mr. Grable agreed, however, it appeared to have been added in the second version. He advised he was still somewhat confused because an 800 MHz system would imply that it serviced a local area rather than a statewide system. Mr. Grable noted NDOT was well established in the shared 800 MHz system in the Las Vegas region. NDOT had an inherent system with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) waiver that permitted other than state agencies to join into the use of the 800 MHz system’s safety spectrum. Mr. Grable informed the committee there were technical persons present who could describe how that worked in more detail. The sharing of the system had allowed NDOT to share facilities with Nevada Power, Sierra Pacific Power, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas Police. Further, he conveyed the Gaming Control Board was ready to come into the system, along with other major state entities that wanted to join the system. Mr. Grable mentioned it would be very desirable to have all the systems talking to one another and to the Highway Patrol when a crisis situation developed. For example, during the flood in Sparks, persons could not talk from one side of the freeway to the other because the systems were "blanked," and a citizen’s band radio was the only thing that worked. According to Mr. Grable, it was critical that the state had the interoperability capability.
Mr. Beers then asked what the $4.3 million would buy. Mr. Grable replied that it would buy hardware, software, radio equipment to expand the 800 MHz system throughout the northern and northeastern segments of the State of Nevada, and it would buy the interconnectivity. He noted it would also buy the equipment that went into the integrated computer system, which linked all the radio mountaintop sites, and would provide certain mobile equipment that would interface NDOT’s system with DMV/PS’s system. Mr. Grable explained it was a fairly complex assortment of equipment.
Mr. Beers stated, if he understood correctly, it would be a northern Nevada only expenditure. Mr. Grable stated not necessarily, because the 800 MHz system was global throughout the state, and what was done in the north would effect what happened in the south. There were certain improvements that would be required in the south, including a "box" that went into the integrated system to connect the 150 MHz system with the 800 MHz system, which would be a statewide improvement included in the $4.3 million. Mr. Beers mentioned it sounded somewhat duplicative, because there was a low band for statewide communications, and the high band was a "line-of-site" system; he questioned the benefit of a statewide 800 MHz system.
Mr. Grable explained there were several mountaintop sites throughout the state, and the 800 MHz system technically operated very similar to the 150 MHz within the state. Both systems used the same mountaintop sites, and had the same number of repeaters throughout the state. Mr. Grable stated currently there were facilities which NDOT and DMV/PS shared, and other facilities where the two departments were not together. Those needed to be brought together so the system would function as a unit and not as two separate systems. Mr. Grable indicated part of the system was to bring NDOT and the Highway Patrol together with the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), to create a statewide operating system with two radio systems, one 150 MHz and one 800 MHz. Both systems were already in place in the state and both worked the same because of the mountaintop sites. Mr. Grable advised there was a map available where the proposed sites were plotted for the 150 MHz systems against the sites planned for the 800 MHz build-out, and they were essentially adjacent or parallel to each other.
Mr. Beers then inquired why the amended and original bill contained appropriations included in The Executive Budget, but they were $4.5 million apart. Chairman Arberry stated the appropriation was placed in the budget and the bill was needed to compliment the budget. With no further testimony forthcoming on S.B. 504, Chairman Arberry declared the hearing closed.
