Subject: [NEXTEL-1] New Harford County (MD) Commo System

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 20:27:32 -0500

------- Original Message --------
   From: "Steve Uhrig" <[email-masked]>
Subject: New Harford County (MD) Commo System

'Communications System to Unite Public Safety Agencies'

Harford's Police, Fire, EMS Services Will Be Linked

Harford County Executive James Harkins signed an agreement on Aug 5th
with Motorola Inc. to purchase a new communications system which ties
together all of the county's police agencies, fire and ambulance
crews. The new $23 Million system, expected to be fully operational
by 2005, includes upgrades in voice communications, installation of
computers in vehicles, an automatic vehicle locator subsystem and
connectivity to various siren systems for sounding general alarms to
the citizens of Harford County.

Harford County has been doing the engineering work on the emergency
communications system with its own consulting engineer and the state
for more than a year, but the events of September 11, 2001, put a
greater emphasis on the need for a system that will work unfailingly.
Current county operations are limited to seven channels for voice
communications making it inadequate to handle the 200,000 calls for
help received annually at the Harford County 911 Center. Harford
County's new Motorola Astro Smartnet digital system will enable all
emergency providers to easily communicate with one another.

"Every day, we're asking emergency providers to put their lives on
the line", said Harford County Executive James Harkins. "The very
least we can do is ensure our police officers and our fire and
ambulance crews have the communications tools necessary for them to
protect our citizens and to protect themselves", he said.

The microwave system used to ensure that communications from any
field provider anywhere in Harford is heard by all other field
providers in the county will be replaced in partnership with the
State of Maryland. This partnership will defray costs and give
Harford County and Maryland a way to ensure future communications.

"Capital funding in the amount of $23 Million was allocated for this
project. This is a large undertaking but one that is essential to
public safety services in Harford County", Harkins said. "Without a
reliable fire paging system and adequate voice communications
channels, public safety may be compromised. We are sharing costs with
the state so that both groups use tax dollars wisely and have the
ability to share system resources in the future," he added.

The new communications system will connect all parts of Harford
County with the statewide microwave system now under construction. An
upgrade will be made to the current voice communications system
including modern radios with new features such as an emergency button
for summoning help.

A data communications subsystem for use by emergency medical
technicians, fire commanders and law enforcement personnel will be
added. Computers will be installed in vehicles so that information on
citizen calls for help can be sent directly to the vehicle. Field
providers will be able to access databases that provide additional
information on the call for help. A law enforcement officer using the
computer in his patrol car will be able to access the National Crime
Information Center to check on a person's wants and warrants.

An automatic vehicle locator subsystem will allow dispatchers to view
a computer map with the location of law enforcement vehicles and
ambulances. This will help dispatchers send the closest unit to the
call and locate field providers who are summoning help via the
emergency button on their radio.

The wireless paging system for volunteer fire and emergency medical
services personnel will be replaced. Connections to the various siren
systems for sounding general alarms to the citizens will be
implemented and improvements made to the dispatch center equipment
and system management capabilities.

Between now and early next year, the county will replace the
microwave system and upgrade the fire dispatch and paging system. New
equipment will be installed during 2003 and 2004 at tower sites and
at the Harford County Communications Center. Later, in 2004, new
radios will be installed in fire vehicles and ambulances. New
portable radios will be issued to all fire, emergency medical
services and law enforcement personnel. Training will be conducted.
The new equipment will undergo testing in 2004 and 2005.

<From Harford Business Ledger, November 2002 issue>

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