Governmental agencies in Cook County have had many occasions to work together – Cook County Law Enforcement and U.S. Forest Service during the Ham Lake Fire, U.S. Coast Guard and the Cook County ambulance service for water rescues, Border Patrol and state highway patrol for law enforcement actions, First Responders and fire departments during fires, etc. A new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirement that agencies switch to narrowband radio wavelengths may help all governmental and public safety agencies coordinate with one another more efficiently.
Consultant Jim Fregin of Federal Engineering Inc. of Fairfax, VA reported to the county board Tuesday, October 27 on an assessment of needs and alternatives available to the county as it moves toward interoperable communications among agencies. Also at the meeting was Bill Bernhjelm of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) system.
Switching to narrower bandwidths will allow more channels to function at the same time. Most current radio communication channels operate at 25 kilohertz (kHz), but by January 2013 they must operate at 12½ kHz, and some time later they will operate at 6¼ kHz.
The county has three options to comply with the new regulations.
1) It could continue with analog VHF transmission by replacing
current equipment. This is the least expensive option but would result in less coverage and poor audio quality in fringe
areas and it might not work with a 6¼ kHz band, Fregin said.
The cost over 10 years would total $1,029,000.
2) Current equipment could be replaced with digital VHF equipment.
Coverage would be increased over distances but would drop off completely when out of range. Interoperability would
not be as good, and it is the most expensive option. The cost
over 10 years would total $2,796,000.
3) The ARMER system has excellent interoperability and could
handle 6¼ kHz reception. Handheld units would work as well as those in vehicles. The state plans to have 95% coverage throughout the county, enabled by 10 towers. Four of them are already in place. The cost over 10 years would total $2,523,000, Fregin said.
Ownership of the towers would depend on where they are located, and lease agreements would enable multiple agencies to use them. Cell phone companies would also be able to use the towers, increasing coverage dramatically throughout the county. “I believe they have already inquired,” Commissioner Bob Fenwick in an email interview.
A Cook County communications committee has brought together representatives from multiple agencies such as the Sheriff ’s Office, First Responders, Search & Rescue, ambulance and EMT service, fire departments and U.S. Forest Service to discuss the options. The county board will be the entity to decide which of the three options will be implemented. According to Commissioner Fenwick, “It would seem that in the long run, finding a way to utilize the ARMER system makes the most sense.”
“You’re on a very good timeline right now,” Fregin said. “Just don’t slow down. …To do nothing is not an option.”
A need for interoperability among responding agencies became obvious in Oklahoma City, at the World Trade Center, and during Hurricane Katrina, where emergency communications were problematic. On the other hand, the ARMER system worked well after the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The State of Minnesota is trying to get the ARMER system in place throughout the state by 2013. It will enable interoperable communications not only within Minnesota but with neighboring states and Canada as well.
The Minnesota Legislature paid for the needs assessment in Cook County and will be providing some funding for installation of the ARMER system. A 30-cents-a-month tax on phone bills will help provide funding. Federal grants are also available.
Some people might be concerned about the appearance of towers throughout the county. “We will need to strike the proper balance between public safety and the environmental impacts, depending on the location of new towers,” Commissioner Fenwick said. “Different requirements would come into play with a minimum, I assume, of some type of environmental assessment.”
According to the Minnesota State Radio Board, created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2004, “The ARMER system is a major element of Minnesota’s long-term interoperable communication planning, but not the only element. There is an immediate and pressing need for interoperable public safety communication planning among all emergency responders….”
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