STARRS - St Louis Area Regional Response System

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Starcom21

IL /MO/Global DB Adm!n
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More info and saved slides coming soon!

http://www.stl-starrs.org/
http://www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/maplibrary/SharedRR8X11MOM.pdf

http://www.stl-starrs.org/library/library.htm#prs

From <http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:2_1D2JPOBVUJ:www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/library/presentations/radiopresentation-feb08.ppt+%22st+charles+county%22+%22radio+system%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us>

Powerpoint: <http://www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/library/presentations/radiopresentation-feb08.ppt>


St. Louis Land Mobile Communications Study


February 2008


Purpose of the Study
  • Assess the radio systems in use and develop design recommendations
  • Develop cost estimates for a system implementation plan
  • Provide a roadmap to Interoperability

System Assessments
  • Study began November 2007
  • Interviews held with 34 constituent groups
  • Site inspections currently underway
  • Continued meetings with STARRS committees and staff

Interview Topics
  • Document the formal and informal institutional arrangements among public safety agencies
  • Detailed wide range of technical and operational issues
  • Define interoperability, range, coverage, performance and reliability

Summary of Current Systems

  • Conventional Systems (VHF and UHF)
  • Aged systems and equipment
  • Congestion and interference - Too many users, too many systems, not enough channels
  • FCC 2013 “Narrowbanding” Mandate

Wideband VHF
  • Franklin County
  • Jefferson County
  • St. Charles County all but 2 municipalities
  • St. Louis County
  • Madison County all but Sheriff's Office
  • Monroe County

800 MHz Systems
  • City of St. Louis
    • Metropolitan Police Department 2 site analog 800 MHz system
    • Upgrading to 3 site digital system including Fire Department
    • Lambert Airport 1 site 800 MHz analog system upgrading to a digital 2 site system

800 MHz Systems
  • Metro
    • Existing VHF/UHF and 11 site 800 MHz system upgrading to 21 site 800 MHz system
    • Moving VHF and UHF users to 800 MHz system
  • Madison County Sheriff’s Office on 800 MHz StarCom 21 Network
  • St. Clair County – 800 MHz system connected to StarCom 21 Network

Franklin County


Jefferson County


Lambert Airport


Madison County


Metro


Monroe County


St. Clair County


St. Charles County


City of St. Louis


St. Louis County



  • Mixture of systems throughout the region & within same county
  • In conventional systems, equipment is outdated, circa 1960’s
  • 911 dispatch communications changing
  • Volume of users in conventional systems inhibits interoperability
  • Migration to 800MHz is underway
  • Regional users recognize the need to collaborate
Key Findings

In our region, we have a complex patchwork of conventional systems (VHF and UHF) and 800MGHz

Interoperability issues
Coverage problems & requirements
System configuration (base equipment, mobiles, and portables)
System performance and operational procedures
Current system reliability
Existing service requirements
Available engineering documentation pertaining to site plans, antenna layouts, and transmitter locations
Planned radio system upgrades


  • 1960’s technology
  • Regarding the FCC narrowbanding mandate: All regional VHF systems operate in wideband mode
    • No active local or regional narrowband plans
    • Upgrades will alter existing system coverage


  • Limited availability of parts
  • Adds layers of complexity to interoperability
  • Caused by both internal and external agencies
  • Perpetuates dispatch and field retransmissions
  • Overrides emergency and routine radio traffic
    • Results in delayed communications
Majority are currently being upgraded and expanded


Majority are currently being upgraded and expanded


Regarding 911: Efficiency and effectiveness is impacted by radio congestion and interference
Over 50% of 911 calls are from cell phones
  • Significantly increases incoming 911 calls for a single incident
Reduction in landline subscribers/911 calls
  • Decreasing 911 revenues
VoIP Internet 911 calls increasing



St. Louis Land Mobile Communications Study




February 2008
Purpose of the Study
Assess the radio systems in use and develop design recommendations

Develop cost estimates for a system implementation plan

Provide a roadmap to Interoperability








System Assessments
Study began November 2007

Interviews held with 34 constituent groups

Site inspections currently underway

Continued meetings with STARRS committees and staff
Interview Topics
Document the formal and informal institutional arrangements among public safety agencies

Detailed wide range of technical and operational issues

Define interoperability, range, coverage, performance and reliability
Summary of Current Systems
Conventional Systems (VHF and UHF)

Aged systems and equipment

Congestion and interference - Too many users, too many systems, not enough channels

FCC 2013 “Narrowbanding” Mandate
Wideband VHF
Franklin County
Jefferson County
St. Charles County – all but 2 municipalities
St. Louis County
Madison County – all but Sheriff's Office
Monroe County

800 MHz Systems
City of St. Louis

Metropolitan Police Department 2 site analog 800 MHz system

Upgrading to 3 site digital system including Fire Department

Lambert Airport 1 site 800 MHz analog system upgrading to a digital 2 site system

800 MHz Systems
Metro

Existing VHF/UHF and 11 site 800 MHz system upgrading to 21 site 800 MHz system

Moving VHF and UHF users to 800 MHz system

Madison County Sheriff’s Office on 800 MHz StarCom 21 Network

St. Clair County – 800 MHz system connected to StarCom 21 Network











Key Findings
Mixture of systems throughout the region & within same county

In conventional systems, equipment is outdated, circa 1960’s

911 dispatch communications changing

Volume of users in conventional systems inhibits interoperability

Migration to 800MHz is underway

Regional users recognize the need to collaborate
 

shaft

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2004
Messages
418
Location
Wentzville, Mo
Thanks for posting this. Im glad to see something like this is in the works. I always wanted to see this area and eventually the entire state to operate on a wide area system. Perhaps they could model it and improve on something similar to the Ohio MARCs system.
 

shelleys1

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
173
Location
Ballwin, MO - We are moving to Austin, TX 1 Mar. 2
Proposed EastCentral MO/WestCentral IL radio system

I've read the proposal from start to finish (all 237 pages *groan*!). It's poorly organized, planned and will ultimately be more than 20 times more expensive than the "consultants" who have written the proposal keep saying it will cost! Plus, there are counties, munis and small towns which cannot afford to buy a few new radios for their public service (PS) personnel right now. This overweight proposal would end up ultimately requiring them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, at minimum, to participate. They can't begin to afford it and heaven knows the citizens they serve can't and won't pay money they barely have into something like this! Considering the economy right now, no one in their right mind is going to vote for this kind of thing anyway...which is good! If it ever were going to pass, heaven help us all if East/West Gateway really does end up managing and running it! That alone would be a catastrophe! It should be run by people who understand EVERYTHING about it, all the way from the logistics of putting together the system, to how it physically works, to intimate knowledge of, and good working relationships with, of all the key players involved on the PS end of it to finally, someone who is able to have the skills to be able to keep all these people working together harmoniously. Right now NONE OF THAT EXISTS!
 

Thunderbolt

Global Database Administrator
Database Admin
Joined
Dec 23, 2001
Messages
7,135
Location
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Here is a new FCC license for St. Charles County:

SY WQKQ957
SAINT CHARLES, COUNTY OF
[OFFICIAL PUBLIC SAFETY ACTIVITIES OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO, AND MUNICIPALITIES AND FIRE/EMS DISTRICTS WITHIN PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABILITY WITHIN ST. LOUIS URBAN AREA]
Control Point 1 - 1605 WENTZVILLE PARKWAY, WENTZVILLE MO 636-949-0809
Control Point 2 - 301 N SECOND ST.., RM. 280, ST. CHARLES MO 636-949-7575
Control Point 3 - 100 N MAIN ST., OFALLON MO 636-379-5631
Control Point 4 - 101 SHERIFF DIERKER DR., OFALLON MO 636-949-0809
(link)
08/18/2009 License Issued
1 - MSHP TOWER, HIGHWAY 94, 0.2 MI. SW OF HIGHWAY D, WELDON SPRING (ST. CHARLES) MO (map)
770.7562 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
771.1063 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
769.2813 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
769.7562 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
770.0062 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
770.5062 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
2 - MONTBROOK, SE CORNER OF MONTBROOK AND WESTBROOK DRIVES., OFALLON (ST. CHARLES) MO (map)
769.2813 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
769.7562 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
770.0062 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
770.5062 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
770.7562 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
771.1063 FB2 75p 150e 8K10F1E
3 - (ST. CHARLES) MO Countywide
770.5062 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
770.7562 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
771.1063 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
799.2813 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
799.7562 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.0062 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.5062 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.7562 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
801.1063 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
769.2813 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
769.7562 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
770.0062 MO 30p 35e 8K10F1E
4 - MO Land Mobile Control Station Meeting 20 Rule
799.2813 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
799.7562 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.0062 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.5062 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
800.7562 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
801.1063 FX1 30p 35e 8K10F1E
 

Starcom21

IL /MO/Global DB Adm!n
Database Admin
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Messages
1,516
Monroe Co IL - Extended Implementation Schedule

Application Modification for STARRS

ULS Application - PubSafty/SpecEmer/PubSaftyNtlPlan,806-817/851-862MHz,Trunked - 0004125133 - MONROE, COUNTY OF

See the ADMIN tab for this pdf file below.


Request for Extended Implementation Schedule
Expedited Consideration Requested
County of Monroe, IL
The County of Monroe, as part of the St. Louis Regional Communications Core Group a consortium of
governmental agencies in the Greater St. Louis Region, consisting of the Counties of Franklin, MO,
Jefferson MO, Madison, IL, Monroe, IL, St. Charles, MO, St. Clair, IL, St. Louis, MO, and the City of St.
Louis MO, requests consideration of SLOW GROWTH IMPLEMENTATION as defined in 47CFR 90.629. In
Public Notice DA 08‐2810 released December 29, 2008, the Commission announced the filing
procedures for channels being relinquished by Sprint Nextel, hereafter referred to as “giveback”
channels. In that Public Notice, the Commission stated that “requests for extended implementation
pursuant to Section 90.629 will be subject to a high level of scrutiny and will not be routinely granted”.
In June 2008, the above‐referenced governmental agencies elected to move forward with an
interoperability strategy with the adoption of the St. Louis Emergency Land Mobile Emergency
Communications Plan. The Emergency Communications Plan is based on the following:
1. Networking independent digital county systems (i.e. system of systems). This consists of
interconnecting various county Project 25 trunked digital radio\microwave systems using
the new regional microwave system collocated at the county trunked radio sites to improve
system reliability and provide regional connectivity.
2. Creating a highly tolerable fault tolerant infrastructure thereby supporting all emergency
public safety communications within the region.
3. Designing a system with the capacity and functionality to support additional non‐emergency
municipal users including local, county, regional, state and federal users.
4. Implementing an open standard (Project 25 and IP) based system of systems that is
compatible with regional, as well as the State of Illinois and State of Missouri
interoperability initiatives, including Region 13 and 24 Regional Planning Committees.
5. Coordinating with critical infrastructure service providers in the region to improve
interoperability and share infrastructure where practical.
Objectives
The St. Louis Regional Communications Core Group decided to design a seamless regional
interoperability emergency communications network that would efficiently utilize existing spectrum.
The required policies and procedures for all members of the St. Louis Regional Communications Core
Group are currently under development. Three of the four Missouri localities without P‐25 systems
have secured funding for the development of specifications, procurement and implementation for new
microwave and P‐25 radio systems. The remaining county is currently engaged in development of a
funding strategy.
Governance
The St. Louis Regional Communications Core Group (RCCG) is a sub‐committee to the Executive Board of
the East West Gateway Council of Governments (EWG), which serves the greater St. Louis area.
Members of the Core Group are appointed by members of the EWG Executive Board. Through the
auspices of the EWG an Interlocal Agreement setting forth the governance and policies and procedures
for regional interoperability is near completion and will serve as the governing document for the
region’s public safety communications. . The Core Group also has an Operational Group subcommittee.
The Operational Group consists of representatives from fire, emergency communications,
emergency management, emergency medical, police and public works representatives. The Operations
Group is responsible for the development of communications protocols which once approved by the
Core Group become operating procedure for the region. There is also a technical sub‐committee to the
Operations Group consisting of technical personnel from the member localities that advise the
Operations and Core Group on technical matters related to the systems and protocols.
Monroe County has formed a policy group that represents all emergency responders. These groups
include county and municipal officials, representatives of municipal fire and police departments and fire
and ambulance districts. The county policy groups coordinate county\regional activity with the RCCG.
The county policy groups are responsible for coordinating with all emergency response agencies that
operate within their respective counties, securing the required funding to implement and operate the
county‐wide emergency communications systems. County Policy groups have formed county based
Operation Groups. The Operations Group is responsible for the development of communications
protocols which once approved by the County Policy Group to become operating procedure for the
county. There is also a technical sub‐committee to the Operations Group consisting of technical
personnel from the member localities that advise the Operations and County Policy Group on technical
matters related to the systems and protocols.
In summary the RCCG works closely with Monroe County Policy Groups to ensure that any opportunity
to improve the effectiveness and efficiently of emergency communications is coordinated with local,
county, state and federal emergency response agencies.
Background
The County of Monroe, and local entities contained therein, have current radio systems based on
vintage conventional communications system architecture. These older systems are also using a
significant number of VHF frequency channels that were allocated when the systems were initially
installed meanwhile the number of radio users and system requirements have increased expediently
throughout the County.
These congested outdated systems frequently experience routine severe radio congestion and that
forces agencies to limit access to these capacity stressed systems. This then limits interoperability with
public service and public safety organizations in the region due to the limited capacity of the existing
channels.
Current Status
The County of Monroe has begun purchasing radios and has secured funding from local governmental
entities within the County and grants, with capacity to support regional interoperable communications
to the systems for all St Louis Regional Communication participants. A radio consultant has been tasked
with the development of system specifications in anticipation of a request for proposal from radio
equipment vendors. The specifications are currently in draft review prior to release.
Proposed Extended Implementation Schedule
2010
2st Quarter Radio Specifications Updates Initiated
3nd Quarter Radio System RFP’s Released
4th Quarter Review & Evaluation Initiated
2011
1st Quarter Bid Evaluation Completed and Cont6racts Awarded
2st Quarter St. Charles County Contracts Awarded
3rd Quarter Site Development Begins
4th Quarter System Factory Staging and Acceptance
2012
1nd Quarter Fixed Base Installation Begins
3rd Quarter Installation Completed – Subscriber testing begins
4th Quarter Initiate final system acceptance testing
2013
1st Quarter Install subscriber units into countywide public safety fleet
2nd Quarter General Acceptance Testing and system cutover
3rd Quarter System burn‐in
4th Quarter Abandon Legacy frequencies
Summary
The rules, 47CFR 90.625, provides that specific conditions must be met to attain extended
implementation status. The time table schedule details the planned approach to the construction of the
system. Specifically, in Paragraph (a)(1), due to the purpose, size, and complex nature of the proposed
system, which is comprised of eight major governmental entities and numerous smaller public safety
entities, as well as covering two states, a one‐year period of time to implement channels acquired
through giveback spectrum acquisition isn’t feasible. Extremely large systems routinely take the full
five‐years allowed under Section 90.629 of the Commission’s rules and in fact there have been instances
that those systems have taken even longer than the Commission’s rules permit. Further, in Paragraph
(
 
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