Riverside County System late/overbudget

[techman210]

This is what happens when you don't have technically knowledgeable people running a program and then handing the keys to the project to the vendor.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: New radio network late and over budget | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise


BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
December 05, 2012; 06:29 PM


Riverside County’s upgraded radio network for police and firefighters is expected to cost an extra $7.5 million annually to run once it starts up next year -- three years later than first planned -- and the price tag for building the system is $24 million more than initially budgeted.

Officials insist the Public Safety Enterprise Communication System is needed to replace an outdated, ineffective network of radio towers. The expanded network, which includes 50 more towers, better protects police, firefighters and the public, they say.

...

 

[zz0468]

This is what happens when you don't have technically knowledgeable people running a program and then handing the keys to the project to the vendor.

All the really knowledgeable people bailed out years ago.

San Bernardino County also has started planning for a $175 million project to replace an aging emergency radio station used by most police and fire agencies in the county. Officials say the current system is so outdated, they have to hunt for replacement parts on eBay.

I'll bet the people who work there are wondering where all those eBay parts are going. They're sure not getting to the people maintaining the system.

 

[karldotcom]

Have you ever heard of a govt project being completed early and under budget? The only thing that comes to mind is the Northridge Earthquake repairs to the 10 Fwy (which huge bonuses were rewarded)

 

[zz0468]

Have you ever heard of a govt project being completed early and under budget?

After a lifetime in government service, yes, I have. Lots of times. Trouble is, those aren't the ones that make the papers, so the public perception is that it never happens.

 

[dgower]

"However, the slow pace of environmental reviews and longer-than-expected negotiations to acquire land for new radio towers pushed the timetable back, county officials said."

If this is why they're late (and late will also mean over-budget) how is it the county's OR the vendors fault?

 

[brandon]

Riverside County’s upgraded radio network for police and firefighters is expected to cost an extra $7.5 million annually to run once it starts up next year -- three years later than first planned -- and the price tag for building the system is $24 million more than initially budgeted.

It's funny how the article makes it sound like the entire county is going to be using it :lol:

 

[techman210]

The most egregious issues are how they originally planned 30 extra sites, and now they are at 53, plus the "surprise" of an additional $7.5 million.

And that's not $7.5 million over predicted cost, that's $7.5 million PER YEAR that hasn't been budgeted. That's a lot of money to be spending for the boasting-rights of being "Motorola's Official Beta Tester" for their TDMA system.

The other shoe will drop when their technically-impossible coverage predictions won't work in a real-world environment with lots of multipath coming from mountains and canyons. I hope that they are in the process of procuring two things that they apparently don't have now but will need in the future: A damn good lawyer and an awfully good RF engineer that can spend many quality months together preparing briefings and lawsuits, and answering to that eventual Grand Jury investigation about how things went so horribly wrong.

 

[zz0468]

"However, the slow pace of environmental reviews and longer-than-expected negotiations to acquire land for new radio towers pushed the timetable back, county officials said."

If this is why they're late (and late will also mean over-budget) how is it the county's OR the vendors fault?

It would be the county's fault. Proper planning would include an awareness of how long it takes to clear the environmental and land acquisition part of the project. If they chose not to listen to reasonable advice on that, then base the project schedule on overly optimistic timelines, then it is not the vendors fault.

 

[zz0468]

It's funny how the article makes it sound like the entire county is going to be using it :lol:

The whole economic plan on the project was based on all law enforcement agencies in the county using the system. The ERICA system was the desert cities' response to that plan. Oops!

 

[Markb]

I think that's where Orange County got it right. Seems that here in Riverside County, the interagency relationships are not as robust, if they even exist.
To build a system of this size (not necessarily geographically speaking), you really need buy in from most, if not all, agencies in the county *before* you start buildout (as in a JPA).
I think that without buy in of the county fire side at a minimum, they should have steered away from a project of this scale. Conventional, perhaps? I would imagine that they were banking on equipment rental rates to pad the cost a little, at least annual operating costs, anyway
I still would like to see my agency use the data side of PSEC, but that's probably as far as it would go.
It's kinda funny how you mention PSEC around these parts and unless you are talking to a comm-savvy person, you pretty much get a blank stare. They needed to hire a marketing person about 10 years ago:lol:

 

[ScanFanEd]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything recent as far as when Riverside County may actually begin making a switch? I ran into a Riverside County Deputy (working in Menifee) who did not seem real knowledgeable about the new system, but said that he heard that it would not be any time real soon. That is not a lot to go on, but wondering if anyone else has heard where they stand.

 

[Kingscup]

There was an article that said they were looking at a March switchover.

 

[zz0468]

There was an article that said they were looking at a March switchover.

Let's start a pool to see when it really turns up. I say not before October. :twisted:

 

[Kingscup]

Let's start a pool to see when it really turns up. I say not before October. :twisted:

No bet. This is the government we are talking about.