800 Mhz Radio System Public Safety Radio System Migration
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800 MHz Radio System Public Safety Radio System Migration System Use History of system System Configuration Proposed migration plan Public Safety Radio System 2013 Activity 19,405,644 transmissions in 2013 • Sheriff’s Office 8,266,598 = 47% • Fire* and EMS 4,471,845 = 25% • County Government 2,943,209 = 17% • City of Naples 1,551,858 = 9% • City of Marco 432,088 = 2% * 5 independent, 2 County, and 2 municipal fire departments 38 Agencies and government departments System supports 4200 mobile and portable radios Public Safety Radio System History & Cost 1994 - System RFP & contract $8.3 mil 1995 - 1996 Construction & loading 1999 - City of Naples added to $100k system 2002 - Simulcast expansion rural $1.375 mil fringe 2007 - Simulcast technology Upgrade $4.5 mil 2008 - ESC including CCSO 9-1-1 $2.9 mil Included site technology upgrades 800 MHz System Configuration 12 Sites utilizing 41 channels Redundant site at the ESC System Command and Control at County Barn Site and the ESC All Sites are linked with a digital microwave network 2 911 centers with 16 dispatch consoles - CCSO and NPD Public Safety Radio System Technology Trunked Radio System • Channels are shared among all users = efficient use of available frequency spectrum • Users are divided into talk groups not assigned to specific channels • System assigns groups to available channels • System establishes communication privacy • Improves cross agency communications • Provides group/user priority for access during busy times What is Trunking ? Computerized Channel Assignment Conventional Approach Trunked Approach Bank Tellers SALES COUNTER SALES COUNTER Being Served System channels are shared not dedicated to a user Obstacles to Signal Propagation 3 watt 35 watt Public Safety Radio System Technology Current system has been use for 18 years, approaching end of life in 2017 Technology protocols are changing What's Next? – P25 Phase 2 • P25 is a suite of standards for digital radio systems • Released in 1995 and the standards continue to evolve • P 25 standards offer improved interoperability between systems and different vendors equipment • P25 Phase 2 standards improve system performance and capabilities Strong federal support of P25 technology through grants and federal purchasing requirements Public Safety Radio System Technology Migration Gradual migration – immediate improvement for public safety and maximizing existing investment FY 14 upgrades • Two equipment shelters • Replacement of three battery back up systems • Replacement of three site generators • Radio system command and control hardware that will integrate current and future technology FY 14 efforts will include an interim solution to improve portable radio coverage in North Naples that will transition to a P25 site in FY 15 Public Safety Radio System Technology Migration FY 15 site component replacement and migration of public safety users FY 16 to FY 18 complete installation of site components and migration of system users Anticipated five year cost is $15 million The system vendor is offering pricing concessions for existing customers keeping us on budget The State of Florida Contract pricing remains in effect until 2021 Future Considerations • System users have identified the following topics as areas for future action: • Establish standards for in building coverage by ordinance or inclusion in the LDC • Identify areas where additional system resources will be needed due to growth • Utilization of impact fees for funding radio system expansion and improvements 800 MHz Maintenance Radio repair services are available 24 hours a day for any system issue System infrastructure is regularly checked according to established maintenance schedules Mobile and portable radios require annual maintenance checks Radio software is periodically updated to resolve issues/improve performance Public Safety Radio System Questions ??? John Daly Telecommunications Manager 239-252-2531 [email protected] Backup Materials Background: The FCC’s release of 800 MHz frequencies in the 1970s provided for the development of public safety communications systems with significantly improved capabilities over existing systems of that era. The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration initiated a project to develop the capabilities and standards needed in a trunked radio system. This project was a joint effort with Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and became known as APCO Project 16. The Project 16 standards released in 1979 included: Channel access time Unit and group addressing Unit and group priority Data systems interface Individuality of system users Command and control flexibility System growth capability Frequency use Reliability APCO Project 16 addressed operational and functional requirements not technical requirements. As a result manufacturers developed proprietary systems to meet the standards. Collier County’s EDACS system is compliant with Project 16 standards. The system was implemented in 1995 with users transitioning to the system in 1996. With periodic upgrades to expand system coverage, improve technology, and replace obsolete components, the system will serve Collier for at least twenty years. The user base has expanded from 1600 radios in 1996 to 4,200 today generating 1.7 million radio transmissions monthly. In 1989 in response to Congressional and FCC direction; APCO formed a working group known as APCO Project 25 (P25) to establish standards for digital two way radio communications for public safety. Unlike Project 16, Project 25 was tasked with developing technical requirements not just performance standards with the primary goals of improving interoperability among public safety agencies and efficient use of radio frequency spectrum. The Project 25 committee includes; local, state, and federal public safety representatives, representatives from Federal technical agencies and telecommunications industry representatives. The standards released in the 1995 continue to evolve and Project 25 is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard. The attached white paper from LR Kimball written for a county in Pennsylvania provides detailed background on P25. Project 25 Phase 2 standards improve performance in several areas including more efficient use of frequency spectrum and a migration to a Project 25 Phase 2 system is the recommended migration path for Collier County. What do we do next? As a result of a variety of actions including federal procurement requirements for communication equipment, federal grant guidance, regulatory actions and technology innovations, the Project 25 standard has emerged as the as the choice for public safety radio system technology. SAFECOM, which is an emergency communications program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), provides communications grant guidance for federal agencies awarding grants and grant applicants. SAFECOM guidance specifically states that “grantees should target funding toward standards–based equipment that enables the entity to support implementation of Project 25 equipment for mission critical voice”. This link will take you to the SAFECOM grant guidance document: http://216.81.81.251/SiteCollectionDocuments/2013_SAFECOM_Guidance_Feb_22_FINAL.PDF Several agencies in Collier have been successful applying for federal communication equipment grants and purchased multi-mode portable and mobile radios compatible with the County’s current technology and P25 to prepare for system migration and interoperability with P25 systems as they are implemented. Agencies purchasing new or replacement radios are also purchasing multi-mode radios to achieve the same goal. There is an expectation that future grant guidance from SAFECOM may require that the radio system the radios operate on be P25 compliant also. Without a migration plan in place the agencies in using the Collier system may be denied grants if the SAFECOM guidance is changed. P25 radio systems are replacing legacy radio systems not just as a response to the P25 standard but also due to technology evolution. Just as we see in data networks and telephone systems the technology protocols that drive these systems are changing to provide additional capabilities and reliability. In radio we see the same situation and with the development of the P25 standard manufactures are dedicating research and design resources to the standards process. With commercial systems and the developing national broad band network unable to support mission critical public safety voice communications for the immediate future, it is necessary to plan for and fund upgrades for the public safety radio system. The backbone of the next system must be able to fully support and operate the legacy voice radio system Collier currently utilizes until it is no longer needed, a P25 phase 2 voice radio system as users are migrate to it, LTE data, and interface with other external legacy or standards based systems as needed using the core P25 capabilities. The interface between the current legacy system and P25 must support all current features of the legacy system; unit ID, radio priority, emergency, patching of groups; and seamless integration of the talk groups resident on each system. With funding in place the considerations that will be evaluated are as we plan implementation are: How soon will Collier Public Safety responders need P25 capability to improve interoperability? Numerous counties in Florida including Miami-Dade, Volusia County, Hillsborough,