Notes: State Trunked Radio System Users
Group Meeting
Tuesday October 27th 9:00 to 12:00
Jefferson County Government Center
Mike Borrego conducted meeting.
Agenda: See PowerPoint printout.
State Project Team was introduced:
Paul Nelson – Project Manager
Richard Schmidt
Dennis Kalvels
Balta Moreno
Larry Brooks
Mike Borrego
Legislation Update presented:
House Bill 98-1068
Public Safety Communications Trust Fund
Public Safety Communications Trust Fund Rules
Current Project Status presented:
RFP in progress
Phase 1 - Metro Denver
Phase 2 – Budget requested
State Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS) Plan reviewed. Project
scheduled has been updated and compressed slightly. No other changes
or discussion.
Project schedule presented: 5 phases; Phase1 includes metro
Denver, implementation in 1999. Phase 2 includes NE Colorado,
implementation in 2000. Phase 3 includes SE Colorado, implementation
in 2001. Phase 3 includes SW Colorado, implementation in 2002. Phase
4 includes NW Colorado, implementation in 2003.
Issues discussed:
Is Project 25 a requirement for the State DTR? To be determined,
Potential for re-bid if technology or Standards change.
DTRS voice and data capable? Yes
Trust Fund monies? Do not lose at end of year. Monies stay in
fund
State Plan light on interoperability. Need definition. How do we
leverage current investment in interoperability? Interest expressed
in Motorola/Ericsson interoperability.
Strategy for migration from 12,5 kHz to 6.25 kHz bandwidth?
"State requirements should be stated clearly" so
potential vendors can pick and choose.
Data needs? CSP 9600 baud
Traffic (loading) requirement need to be stated in RFP
Need to address needs of current owners and users.
Interoperability issues: The following were cited as important
issues to be considered in design of DTRS;
Analog/ digital
Maintain existing interoperability.
US Interior Dept moving to VHF APCO-25, digital, non-trunked,
narrow-band
ICALL, ITAC 800 conventional
Interoperability document due Jan 99; Aspen-Pitkin County
Current sampling of interoperability
Conventional patch at console
Multiple radios in vehicle
Combination of above
Various systems in Metro area mentioned for possible
interoperability:
Ericsson/ analog 800 MHz: Denver , DIA, Arvada, Guy Hill Mutual
Aid
Ericsson/ analog 400 MHz: Rocky Flats
Ericsson/digital: Lakewood
Motorola/analog: Dept of Corrections, Arapahoe Co, Wheatridge,
Auraria Campus, Aurora, Mutual Aid
Motorola/digital: Douglas Co, Jefferson Co, Eagle Co
Conventional VHF: Adams Co, US Govt.
Conventional UHF: Rocky Flats
Training issues: trunking has different personality, which can be
overcome with training.
Mutual Aid. Specific requirements need to be addressed and
included as part of system.
Satellite communications option?: Current service expensive and
does not provide in building coverage.
New spectrum becoming available but not in time to be included in
Plan.
Standards:
FCC new spectrum 24 MHz ANSI or APCO-25 standard?
No real standards exist. Show of hands indicated stay on course
toward Project 25 standard. No support for TIA or starting over.
Mandatory requirements in RFP? Keep to minimum to allow
consideration of evolving technology and standards.
Input by vendors prior to RFP favored.
Microwave money in trust fund? Yes, only for last mile. No monies
for extensive build out of State microwave system.
Subscribers and Sharing:
Subscriber’s fees to participate on DTR System? Currently
estimated to be $350 initial fee and $25 annual for maintenance per
mobile or portable unit.
Maintenance responsibilities:
Maintenance agreements need to be put in place. Approach is to
keep money exchange at minimum and site owner be responsible for
maintenance.
Mike requested any changes/additions to requirements to be
submitted by November 6.
Agreements:
Mike asked for copies of existing agreements.
Response time for maintenance? Anticipate that response times to
be very short (2 hours, 7days/wk, 24 hrs/day) to insure reliability
of system. Important issue which needs to be addressed in
agreements.
Need to address what happens if usage moves passed agreed upon
levels.
Air time billing? Mike – Use flat rate billing.
Standards need to be established for communications sites, Hot
Standby MW, phones, generators, and backups?
System priorities need to be established ? Mike – Priorities
are addressed in the DTRS plan.
Reports by local governments:
Denver; Doing some site and channel expansion. Will add 9 more
channels. Has asked for quote to network Denver area systems and
eventually to Motorola systems. Maintenance going smoothly.
Jefferson County: Has contract with Motorola for digital
infrastructure. Has entered into joint venture with Douglas County.
Agreement is scary to politicians. System turn on expected in late
March 99. Sharing of switch and controller with Douglas County.
Eagle County: Motorola trunked system has 5 sites, 5 more in
development. Interoperability strong.
Adams County: Engineering firm developing plan. Report due in
January. Funding to follow.
Larimer County: County has concerns; cost and coverage. Loveland
has signed contract with Motorola to lease system.
El Paso County: Received one reply to RFP – Motorola.
Evaluation in progress. City and County still looking at funding
solution.
La Junta: Received pricing from Motorola: Looking at combining
with other counties for joint system.
Douglas County: Sheriff cut over to new system Aug 31 1998. Fire
move in progress. EMS begin moving to new system Nov 1. Training is
key. Using 2 different mic sizes to distinguish types of radios.
Some surprises in coverage. Some dead spots. Looking forward to
joining with Jefferson County.
Arapahoe County: System operating with 2000 happy subscribers.
Coverage tremendous 95 – 98%.
NLECTC: Tom Tolman (303 871-4190) of National Law Enforcement
and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) conducted discussion on
grants, funding, spectrum and NLECTC activities.
NLECTC Web site: www.nlectc.org
Public Safety Wireless Network Symposium scheduled to be held in
Denver next spring.
NLEC 155.475 is the only national law enforcement channel.
Federal grant monies available for state and local communication
system upgrades.
$87 million currently. $1+ million for Colorado
$52 million in 2000
Tom has booklet-describing process for obtaining grant funding.
Tom also has disk listing funding sources.
747 – 806MHz spectrum block becoming available. Still several
years out however. Of 24 MHz block 8.8 MHz may be designated for
interoperability. Allocation may allow wider bandwidth for analog,
digital and data.
138 -144 MHz NTIA spectrum may also be available.
NLECTC is conducting a state by state study to see what each
state is doing. Key is partnership.
Video available "Why can’t we talk". Deals with
interoperability – big problem. Good tool to present
interoperability issue to people controlling purse strings.
State Interoperability Plan: Brent Finster Aspen –Pitkin
County Communications
Working on plan. Plan dealing with interstate CO/WYO, statewide,
regional and local interoperability issues. Encouraging local plans.
Addressing specific Public Safety events such as pursuits, wildfire,
EMS, multicasualty etc. Identifying resources such as channels,
contacts, sample agreements.
Next meeting at Lakewood Public Safety. November 19th, 9:00AM.
Future Meetings: No new Users groups meeting scheduled. Will
contact attendees/users via e-mail and fax. Plan to be revised
during November.
NTIA: NTIA demonstration of signal/noise comparison of
various analog and digital signals. Still working on final
presentation. Available at; flattop.its.bldrdoc.gov./spectrum/p25/index.httm
DK 11/10/98
