Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Emergency personnel push for new radio system

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:01:56 -0500

Posted on Mon, Oct. 27, 2003
Emergency personnel push for new radio system
BY NICKLAUS LOVELADY
[email-masked]

But some opposition to plan emerges

A state-of-the-art emergency radio system would enable police, fire and
other agencies to communicate with each other better and save money,
time and, most important, lives.
"For a fire or police department to be effective, it takes good training
and good equipment, and part of that equipment is in communications,"
Fairview Heights Fire Chief Don Feher said. "If we don't have good
communications, we can be jeopardizing lives."

With the existing radios county police and fire departments, neighboring
fire departments with two different radio bands cannot communicate with
each other without the presence of a dispatcher, Feher said.
But not everyone is convinced the system is needed.

"I don't want to pay $22 more a year," said Robert Cole of Shiloh, who
spoke out after learning about the proposal last week. "I think the
whole system is already overdone."

The County Board Finance Committee has recommended putting a referendum
on the ballot that calls for a $1.85 monthly increase in the 911
surcharge. It still needs County Board approval.

The proposal would require all conventional telephone users to pay $2.50
a month for 911 servicing on their phone bills -- a 74 percent increase
from the present 65 cents per month. That means telephone customers will
pay $30 year instead of $7.80. Cell phone users would not be affected.

The new radio system will cost $33 million to operate, and telephone
users will pay for about $25 million of the project. The first phase
already already has been paid.

The $8.9 million, 800 megahertz digital radio system from Motorola will
be used by the county's government and public safety departments,
including the sheriff's department, coroner's office and health
department. Equipment will includes 400 radios, 10 towers and generators
for the towers.

The money for the first phase came from a federal grant and county
funds.
The second phase, if approved, would expand the system to cover more
than 50 local police, fire and ambulance departments in the county.

The $2.50 surcharge would go toward the purchase of 1,200 additional
portable and mobile radios that range in price from $1,500 to $3,700,
operating the system, adding more towers and obtaining additional
frequencies.
The Illinois State Police is in the process of installing its own $25
million Motorola radio system.
Police, fire and other government agencies across the country are
adopting the Motorola 800 megahertz radio system.
Philadelphia spent $51 million for its system, which is used by city,
county and state agencies within the city.
Chief Betten, a a member of County-Wide Radio Authority, which is
pushing for the interoperable radio system, got a chance to see
Philadelphia's system first-hand.

"It worked remarkably well," he said. "They solved some of the same
issues we have, where fire and police can't talk with each other."
Betten said federal regulations are gradually requiring public safety
departments to make adjustments to their radio services. He said by
adopting the county's plan, local entities can update the equipment all
at once.

"It's import to realize that in five years, (public safety departments)
will be faced with meeting federal guidelines," said Betten. "We can do
this now, instead of independently spending a lot of money doing the
same thing."

The County-Wide Radio Authority will have a press conference at 11 a.m.
today at the Fairview-Caseyville Fire Protection District Station, 10045
Bunkum Road, to announce details of its campaign for the countywide
radio system.

 http://www.belleville.com/mld/newsdemocrat/7112222.htm

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