Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Grant Sought To Upgrade Communications

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 03:57:41 -0500

Grant Sought To Upgrade Communications

By David Slone, Times-Union Staff Writer

Eventually, all emergency services will be mandated to use the 800 megahertz
radio frequency.

Tuesday, the Kosciusko County commissioners unanimously approved a grant
application to the Department of Justice for
$500,000. The money would help pay for equipment to allow emergency services to
better communicate with one another.

Ed Rock, Kosciusko County Emergency Management director, told the commissioners
the state is moving towards a statewide
800 megahertz system that will be initiated in three phases. The northern third
of the state will begin using the frequency first,
followed by the central and southern thirds.

The half-million dollars, he said, will help “jump start” the county’s 800
megahertz system.

Part of the problem during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rock said, was the
inability of the various emergency services to talk to
one another. Some deaths even were attributed to the communication problem.

The 800 megahertz radio frequency is designed to get all emergency services on
the same format so they can talk to each other
not only within the county but also across jurisdictions.

The grant is 100 percent funded with no matching funds required “so we can get
started,” Rock said.

The $500,000 won’t pay for it all, he said, so if Kosciusko County gets the
grant, Rock said they will use the money to update
the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, central dispatch and emergency
management with the 800 megahertz system.
Eventually, he said they hope to get more money to add all county EMS and fire
departments, along with the health
departments as well as Kosciusko Community Hospital.

Rock did not provide an estimate of the entire cost of the upgrade.

Aaron Rovenstine, Kosciusko County Sheriff, said even with the 800 megahertz
system, the county will continue to have the
same communication system as they do now.

“Everything we have in place now will stay on,” he said. The county just is
going to be a “guinea pig” for the state. The 800
megahertz radio system will not have an effect on the other communication
systems, he said.

Rock said right now, emergency services sometimes are blasted out by private
businesses. The state is trying to get that
problem reduced.

Rovenstine said the biggest benefit for the county will be the ability to
communicate with other agencies outside of the county.

After the meeting, Rock said the system will allow the county to do mobile data.
“That’s really what we want in this county,” he
said.

With mobile data, emergency services can receive mapping information in their
vehicles, as well as send messages to one
another without the information being broadcast over the radio.

Kosciusko County will end up with two radio towers which will be augmented by
towers in other counties.

“It’s new technology,” said Rock. “It’s been around for awhile, but it’s gotten
better.”

The fact that they are building a statewide system is huge, he said.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved the reappointment of Doris Herald to the Kosciusko County Drainage
Board.

• Approved the repealing of a stop sign at the railroad crossing at CR 900W,
north of CR 500S. The crossing now has lights
and gates up.

• Approved for temporary “under construction” signs to be placed on Burket Road
until the highway department can put center
line markings on the road.

• Tabled a vacation request until Dec. 16 for Gregory P. and Sheila K. Anderson,
David S. Kintzel and Elizabeth A. Smith of
EMS C 24B Lane, Plain Township.

Kosciusko County commissioners are Brad Jackson, northern district; Ron Truex,
middle district; and Avis Gunter, southern
district. The county commissioners meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every
other Tuesday.

http://www.timeswrsw.com/N1203030.HTM

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