Reference: NEWCOM Interoperability Radio Equipment Grant

Date: September 20, 2005

To: NEWCOM Members

From: Al Wisler, Gerald Thorpe (NEWCOM RFP Sub Committee)

As you know the 16 counties in the NEWCOM group applied for and received a grant from the Office of Justice Assistance, in the total amount of $418,000.00 federal dollars for the purchase of WISPERN bases and MARC Repeater Project. This grant, split 16 ways equals a federal grant amount of $26,125.00 per county, requiring a local 25% match of $8,708.00 cash. Each county will have to commit $8,708.00 cash for the grant.

One item that is NOT covered by the grant, is the FCC frequency coordination fees, which we estimate will cost about $930.00 per county. This will have to be picked up by the local agency. We are unsure if “installation” and “tower work” will be covered by the grant.

Al Wisler from Marathon County Sheriff’s Department and Gerald Thorpe from Shawano County were asked to compile information for the RFP for the NEWCOM Grant.

We are currently putting together Request for Proposals on the equipment that is allowed on the grant. We anticipate one RFP for the radios and a separate RFP for the antennas, lines and duplexers. We anticipate sending out the RFP’s, and determining what the actual equipment will cost. Once we have that information, we will be able to determine if there is enough money in the grant to cover additional equipment that is specific to each county (such as Base Interface Modules for the communications consoles etc.). We need the following information to make a determination as to what we can cover with the grant funds.

At a minimum, we anticipate being able to purchase a WISPERN Base, MARC Control Base, 100 watt MARC-1 Repeater, and all antennas and lines for each county. Depending how the RFP’s come back, we may be able to purchase a lower power, portable MARC-1 Repeater, and/or the console “base interface modules” (BIMS) for each county.

If you wish, feel free to contact Sgt. Gerald Thorpe, Shawano County Sheriff’s Department (715-526-7906), or Al Wisler, Marathon County Sheriff’s Department (715- 261-1218), and they will assist you with any questions on the questionnaire. Please return them to us as soon as possible. NEWCOM WISPERN/MARC GRANT QUESTIONAIRE

County:______

Completed by: ______

Telephone: ______Email: ______

#1: Is your county committed to this project and do you have the matching funds ($8,708.00) in 2005 funds, available for the grant, which expires November 30th, 2005? Yes:____ No:____

#2: WISPERN Base:

A: The WISPERN Base would normally be placed at your dispatch center. Do you anticipate placing the WISPERN Base at your dispatch center location? Yes:___ No:___ If not, what location do you anticipate placing the base at?______

B: Does this location have a tower that would support an additional antenna (20’) for the WISPERN Base? Yes: ____ No: ____

C: What is the height of the tower: ______

D: At what height on the tower do you anticipate placing the antenna? :______’

E: What is the distance from the base of the tower to the location where the WISPERN base will be located?: ______’ (D & E are required to determine the amount of antenna line you will need).

F: How would you like the WISPERN Base installed at your location? Mounted in your standardized 19” rack? ____ Mounted in a factory-supplied cabinet? ____

G: What brand and model of communications console do you have in your dispatch center? Make: ______Model:______

H: Do you have any open (unused) channel slots on your console that can be used for the WISPERN Channel? Yes: ____ No:____

I: Will you need an additional Base Interface Module (BIM) or Channel control module to enable you to control the WISPERN base on your console? Yes:_____ No:____ #3: MARC Control Base:

A: The two-channel MARC Control Base would normally be placed at your dispatch center. This will enable your dispatch center to talk on MARC-2 simplex and also to access MARC-1 repeaters in your area. Do you anticipate placing the two-channel MARC Control Base at your dispatch center location? Yes: ____ No: ____ If not, what location do you anticipate placing the base at?______

B: The MARC Control base will probably be a smaller antenna at a lower height on the tower (to stay within the restrictions for a control base). Does this location have a tower that would support an additional (5’ to 8’) antenna for the MARC Control Base? Yes: ____ No: ____

D: At what MAXIMUM height on the tower do you anticipate placing the antenna probably a 5’ to 8’ antenna)? :______’

E: What is the distance from the base of the tower to the location where the MARC Control base will be located? ______’ (D & E will determine the amount of antenna line required).

F: How would you like the MARC Control Base installed at your location? Mounted in your standardized 19” rack? ____ Mounted in a factory-supplied cabinet? ____

G: What brand and model of communications console do you have in your dispatch center? Make: ______Model:______

H: Do you have any open (unused) channel slots on your console that can be used for the two-channel MARC Control Base? Yes: ____ No:____

I: Will you need an additional Base Interface Module (BIM) or Channel control module to enable you to control the MARC Control base on your console? Yes:____ No:____

#3: MARC-1 Repeater:

A: We anticipate that most counties will elect to place their 100 watt MARC-1 Repeater in a permanent location that will provide the most coverage in their county. What location do you anticipate placing the MARC-1 Repeater? ______B: Does this location have a tower that would support an additional 20’ antenna for the MARC-1 Repeater? Yes: ____ No: ____

D: At what height on the tower do you anticipate placing the antenna? :______’

E: What is the distance from the base of the tower to the location where the MARC-1 Repeater will be located? ______’

F: How would you like the MARC-1 Repeater installed at your location? Mounted in your standardized 19” rack? ____ Mounted in a factory-supplied cabinet? ____

G: The MARC-1 Repeater will have “touch-tone” decode control that will enable you to turn the repeater on and off with your MARC Control Base, therefore making the repeater a “stand-alone” repeater. Do you plan to have the MARC-1 Repeater “wire- line” controlled (not needed)? Yes:____ No:____

If So:

H: What brand and model of communications console do you have in your dispatch center? Make: ______Model:______

I: Do you have any open (unused) channel slots on your console that can be used for the MARC Control Channel? Yes: ____ No:____

J: Will you need an additional Base Interface Module (BIM) or Channel control module to enable you to control the MARC Control base on your console? Yes: _____ No:____

K: If there are not enough grant funds to purchase a portable MARC-1 Repeater (in addition to the permanent MARC-1 Repeater) for each county, would you elect to:

____: Use the 100-watt MARC-1 Repeater as planned, at the permanent location described above in 3A. Or ____: Would you use the 100 watt MARC-1 Repeater in a “semi-portable” configuration, where you would move it and set it up at/near the needed location.