What is the status of Placer County's VHF-High band, Project 25 TRS?
73s
Ron
73s
Ron
Placer County TRS
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Found this article in Police Chief Magazine while doing a google search.
Http://policechiefmagazine.org/maga...n=display_arch&article_id=1515&issue_id=62008
Phase 1: Initial Upgrades
Now complete, the first phase of the project focused on acquiring the necessary radio frequencies, conducting a detailed engineering study, and upgrading radio tower sites to accommodate new digital technologies. Funding came from two sources: $1 million from the COPS Technology Grant Program and $500,000 from the Countywide Systems Fund.
Acquiring suitable frequencies was a critical issue. Placer County opted to acquire three sets of frequencies through nontraditional avenues because frequencies in the public safety spectrum had been depleted. Administrative Services, in cooperation with the Sheriff's Office, identified two sources: the maritime and radio commoncarrier spectrums. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved reallocating the frequencies to the public safety spectrum in May 2005 and awarded Placer County licenses to operate a new VHF radio communication system. The average cost to purchase frequencies and obtain necessary FCC waivers was $75,000 per frequency pair.
Phase 2: Funding and Infrastructure Upgrades
The second phase of the project consisted of identifying and pursuing state and federal funding support, securing agreement on agency cost sharing and charge-back methodology, upgrading the sheriff's dispatch centers, and expanding the radio infrastructure at the Placer County Government Center in Auburn, the county seat. Much of the funding was from two COPS Technology Grants totaling more than $1.7 million. Funding for the first two phases of the project also came from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Grant Program, the Countywide Systems Fund, and the County Building Fund.
As part of the second phase, a new radio tower was built, and the Sheriff's Emergency 9-1-1 Dispatch Center in Auburn was relocated from an unreinforced masonry structure built during World War II to a new, state-of-the-art public safety building (see figure 2). Also during this phase, progress was made on several complex administrative and cost-allocation issues.
Phase 3: Construction
The third phase will focus on constructing, testing, and implementing a digital radio network that will meet the county's current and future needs. This part of the project will be technologically challenging and administratively complex, requiring approximately $18.5 million in infrastructure improvements and $4 million in new end-user radio equipment. Phase 3 costs will include an estimated $1.5 million to install a microwave system along the Interstate 80 corridor and $2 million for site development work. The largest share of the project costs and the most critical needs are for law enforcement agencies, which account for about 70 percent of the radio infrastructure and equipment costs.
Placer County anticipates funding the balance of phase 3 with a combination of local, state, and federal funds. For the 2009 federal fiscal year, the county is requesting $2.5 million in additional federal funding to continue implementation of this final phase.
To accommodate funding constraints, Placer County has developed a fivestep plan to complete the third phase. On March 11, the Board of Supervisors approved taking the first step: awarding more than $3.4 million to Motorola, Inc., for the purchase of digital radio infrastructure. Federal funds and money from the Countywide Systems Fund will be used for the purchase.
It is expected that phase 3 will take several years from inception to full implementation. "I am very impressed at how much progress Placer County has made on this project already, and confident we will find a way to complete phase 3 well ahead of the state's goal of having statewide interoperability by 2017," Supervisor Rockholm said.
Http://policechiefmagazine.org/maga...n=display_arch&article_id=1515&issue_id=62008
Phase 1: Initial Upgrades
Now complete, the first phase of the project focused on acquiring the necessary radio frequencies, conducting a detailed engineering study, and upgrading radio tower sites to accommodate new digital technologies. Funding came from two sources: $1 million from the COPS Technology Grant Program and $500,000 from the Countywide Systems Fund.
Acquiring suitable frequencies was a critical issue. Placer County opted to acquire three sets of frequencies through nontraditional avenues because frequencies in the public safety spectrum had been depleted. Administrative Services, in cooperation with the Sheriff's Office, identified two sources: the maritime and radio commoncarrier spectrums. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved reallocating the frequencies to the public safety spectrum in May 2005 and awarded Placer County licenses to operate a new VHF radio communication system. The average cost to purchase frequencies and obtain necessary FCC waivers was $75,000 per frequency pair.
Phase 2: Funding and Infrastructure Upgrades
The second phase of the project consisted of identifying and pursuing state and federal funding support, securing agreement on agency cost sharing and charge-back methodology, upgrading the sheriff's dispatch centers, and expanding the radio infrastructure at the Placer County Government Center in Auburn, the county seat. Much of the funding was from two COPS Technology Grants totaling more than $1.7 million. Funding for the first two phases of the project also came from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Grant Program, the Countywide Systems Fund, and the County Building Fund.
As part of the second phase, a new radio tower was built, and the Sheriff's Emergency 9-1-1 Dispatch Center in Auburn was relocated from an unreinforced masonry structure built during World War II to a new, state-of-the-art public safety building (see figure 2). Also during this phase, progress was made on several complex administrative and cost-allocation issues.
Phase 3: Construction
The third phase will focus on constructing, testing, and implementing a digital radio network that will meet the county's current and future needs. This part of the project will be technologically challenging and administratively complex, requiring approximately $18.5 million in infrastructure improvements and $4 million in new end-user radio equipment. Phase 3 costs will include an estimated $1.5 million to install a microwave system along the Interstate 80 corridor and $2 million for site development work. The largest share of the project costs and the most critical needs are for law enforcement agencies, which account for about 70 percent of the radio infrastructure and equipment costs.
Placer County anticipates funding the balance of phase 3 with a combination of local, state, and federal funds. For the 2009 federal fiscal year, the county is requesting $2.5 million in additional federal funding to continue implementation of this final phase.
To accommodate funding constraints, Placer County has developed a fivestep plan to complete the third phase. On March 11, the Board of Supervisors approved taking the first step: awarding more than $3.4 million to Motorola, Inc., for the purchase of digital radio infrastructure. Federal funds and money from the Countywide Systems Fund will be used for the purchase.
It is expected that phase 3 will take several years from inception to full implementation. "I am very impressed at how much progress Placer County has made on this project already, and confident we will find a way to complete phase 3 well ahead of the state's goal of having statewide interoperability by 2017," Supervisor Rockholm said.
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Excellent! I will tell my aunt's friend not to panic, and hold off on purchasing a new digital scanner. Looks like this system will not be online for a while, but should be active before the state of California has their statewide system online by 2017.
73s
Ron
73s
Ron
There is a world of difference between "...well ahead of the state's goal of having statewide interoperability by 2017." and a statewide system being online.
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