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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050223/NEWS33/502230343
Article published Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Safety officials press for new radio system
Lucas County law enforcement and fire chiefs are turning up the pressure on Toledo and county officials to commit to buying a countywide radio communications system expected to cost more than $30 million.
A panel of safety officials, including Sheriff James Telb, Toledo Safety Director Joe Walter, and Toledo fire Chief Michael Bell, yesterday told a Toledo City Council joint committee that a unified radio system is a high priority of county emergency response officials.
Mr. Walter said the county and city have accumulated $12.9 million toward the $15.4 million needed to set up the infrastructure for a new radio system. Most of that money is from federal grants. It was not clear where the remaining $2.5 million would come from.
A second phase, likely to cost $15 million more, would pay for the hand-held and vehicle radio units.
Mr. Walter said the grants will start to lapse if they aren't spent soon. He said if the city commits an existing $5 million Homeland Security grant to the 800-mhz radio system, it has a good chance of landing another $5 million grant.
A city-county task force received two bids on a radio system last year, according to Mike Koontz, a private consultant who has been hired as project coordinator for the communications system.
He said M/A-COM Inc. proposed a system costing about $43 million, and Motorola proposed a system costing about $31 million. He said the committee is considering the Motorola proposal because of the cost, because the city uses Motorolas, and because of the reliability of the Motorola system.
Toledo's police and firefighters share an existing 800-mhz radio system, which was described yesterday as "obsolete" and prone to failure.
The sheriff's office and the suburban fire and police departments use UHF and VHF systems, Mr. Koontz said.
He said a new system would ensure that the entire county is covered, and that every official in the network is able to talk to one another.
He said the lack of "inter-operability" - the ability of separate agencies to communicate with one another - hindered efforts to save lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.
"Probably one of the biggest concerns is people not being able to communicate with each other in buildings," Mr. Koontz said.
Article published Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Safety officials press for new radio system
Lucas County law enforcement and fire chiefs are turning up the pressure on Toledo and county officials to commit to buying a countywide radio communications system expected to cost more than $30 million.
A panel of safety officials, including Sheriff James Telb, Toledo Safety Director Joe Walter, and Toledo fire Chief Michael Bell, yesterday told a Toledo City Council joint committee that a unified radio system is a high priority of county emergency response officials.
Mr. Walter said the county and city have accumulated $12.9 million toward the $15.4 million needed to set up the infrastructure for a new radio system. Most of that money is from federal grants. It was not clear where the remaining $2.5 million would come from.
A second phase, likely to cost $15 million more, would pay for the hand-held and vehicle radio units.
Mr. Walter said the grants will start to lapse if they aren't spent soon. He said if the city commits an existing $5 million Homeland Security grant to the 800-mhz radio system, it has a good chance of landing another $5 million grant.
A city-county task force received two bids on a radio system last year, according to Mike Koontz, a private consultant who has been hired as project coordinator for the communications system.
He said M/A-COM Inc. proposed a system costing about $43 million, and Motorola proposed a system costing about $31 million. He said the committee is considering the Motorola proposal because of the cost, because the city uses Motorolas, and because of the reliability of the Motorola system.
Toledo's police and firefighters share an existing 800-mhz radio system, which was described yesterday as "obsolete" and prone to failure.
The sheriff's office and the suburban fire and police departments use UHF and VHF systems, Mr. Koontz said.
He said a new system would ensure that the entire county is covered, and that every official in the network is able to talk to one another.
He said the lack of "inter-operability" - the ability of separate agencies to communicate with one another - hindered efforts to save lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.
"Probably one of the biggest concerns is people not being able to communicate with each other in buildings," Mr. Koontz said.
