State Interoperability report

[rabidjade]

Suppose to is the key word. Fire is on VHF and the PD is on UHF. Nobody is on 800 yet on the Iowa side.

Council Bluffs PD is already using a 800mhz system for car-car comunication. I don't have ths specifics though.

 

[splash1]

Bump

http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org/

Rick

 

[rabidmoose57]

Went snooping........

Hi everyone,
Being a former resident of the great state of Iowa, the thread caught my eye, so I did some snooping. The FCC data base says that the state of Iowa has been granted a license for the 700mhz public safety band. The call sign is WPTZ 782 FRN:0002566040. It shows as status active ,and expires in 2017. As for the cash, this sounds just like something the feds would love to throw money at, just like they did our new digital system here in St.Joe Mo.

 

[pm1072]

Hi everyone,
Being a former resident of the great state of Iowa, the thread caught my eye, so I did some snooping. The FCC data base says that the state of Iowa has been granted a license for the 700mhz public safety band. The call sign is WPTZ 782 FRN:0002566040. It shows as status active ,and expires in 2017. As for the cash, this sounds just like something the feds would love to throw money at, just like they did our new digital system here in St.Joe Mo.

Yes, the 700 MHz spectrum doesn't surprise me. I don't look for a lot of the small counties to switch over to a Motorola P25 CAI state-wide system, however I look for their to be capabilities of patch talkgroups to be on the new system so they can have capabilties for interoperablity, and for the option of each agency to ask and receive a minimum of 1 base radio (on the statewide system) to have at their PSAP, just like in the case of IL Starcom21 A lot of departments recently went to conventional repeaters in the last few years, so I don't look for them to go anytime soon. Plus the small rural fire departments, anything from the old RACOM statewide system, let alone a new Motorola P25 statewide system, would be a bit too budget restrictive. Unless they got good grant writers.

I look for the larger departments that need wide area coverage to be those the most interested in the P-25 CAI type of network, that way agencies can have the coverage and true interoperability. That way for instance a CRPD officer goes to the training center in Sioux City, he/she can have communications capabilities with their PSAP, supervisors, etc. Or in the case of someone going to training in Omaha area, could have access to the STARCOMM system there as well.

 

[rabidmoose57]

Kansas might be good for something after all?

Perhaps taking a look at the new P25 system in Kansas would be a good place to start. They seem to have pulled off the near impossible with a minimum of difficulty. They brought up thier new system early this year, and from what I can monitor directly, the interop parts of the system work well. Whether it was forethought or luck it seems to work. Might make a good model for Iowa to follow if they'll give up thier secrets in the Sunflower state.