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Emergency Communications Radio Project Website
The County recognizes how significant this project will be for all of our system users, and that our user community has questions about how this project will be implemented, what the changes will be, and how it will affect budgets, personnel and equipment. The County project team has committed to keep our system users informed about the questions that may arise. On a monthly basis, the project team will provide answers to questions received with the most current information available to us. Please check back monthly for new information!
March 2011 Updates
June 2011 Updates
September 2011 Updates --- Radio Brochures
October 2011 Updates --- Information Sessions to see options available
The county is in the beginning stages of a radio system overhaul. The FCC has given a mandate to all U.S. public safety agencies that they must narrowband their operational frequencies. Our system is one of those that are included in this federal mandate. This is a significant project to take on, and the County contracted with a nationally recognized consulting team from L.R. Kimball to perform a needs assessment on the legacy radio system. The recommendation from that assessment included a transition from our existing radio system to a new 700 MHz digital trunked P25 compliant radio system. The County Commissioners agreed to take on the project in December 2010.
Q. WHY ARE WE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT NOW?
A. From the FCC website:
“Narrow banding is an effort to ensure more efficient use of the VHF and UHF spectrum by requiring all VHF and UHF Public Safety and Industrial/Business land mobile radio (LMR) systems to migrate to at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology by January 1, 2013.
More specifically, all existing Part 90 radio systems operating in the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands have until January 1, 2013 to convert those systems either to a maximum bandwidth of 12.5 kHz or to a technology that provides at least one voice path per 12.5 kHz of bandwidth or equivalent efficiency. “
Several key factors led to the decision to migrate to 700 MHz . Those include interference issues recognized after the digital television switch in 2009, and the need for additional channel capacity to meet the needs for the next 10-15 years. This newly acquired frequency range is anticipated to provide us with significantly increased capacity to meet the growing needs of our emergency responders and improve interference issues that have been recognized by our public safety partners in surrounding communities. Since we are migrating to a P25 compliant system, it gives us more flexibility for interoperable communications with neighboring counties, and gives our providers more choices in future radio system purchases.
The County is in the competitive procurement phase of the project. Several vendors have responded to the RFP and the County is reviewing the best possible option to provide to the emergency service community. The County Commissioners will consider the recommendations placed before them and select a vendor to partner with on this very important project. Please check back to this website often for new information.
| Our tentative current schedule: |
| Proposals Due |
March 15, 2011 |
| Evaluation of Proposals |
March 16, 2011 |
| Contract Negotiations |
April 6, 2011 |
| Notice to Proceed |
April 27, 2011 |
March 2011Updates
Questions and Answers
Q: “It’s rumored that the county dispatches will stay on VHF when we go to 700 MHz and nothing will change. Is that accurate?” (3/19/2011)
A: The system that the county is currently operating on is in the VHF high band spectrum. We are required to narrowband our frequencies, and the dispatch channel is not exempt from this mandate. The County plans to simulcast all VHF dispatches county-wide with both tone/voice transmissions as well as providing alpha-numeric text paging. Our existing system does not simulcast and this project will be a significant change from our legacy equipment.
The County has a strict and aggressive timeline that we must meet to satisfy the FCC narrowbanding mandate. There has been no indication that the established deadline will be extended.
Q: “I was told that since the dispatches are remaining on VHF that my current VHF pager will continue working as it does today. Is that true, and do I need to buy anything for future dispatches?” (3/19/2011)
A: At this time, the only pager that can be narrowbanded is the Motorola Minitor 5. It is the only legacy piece of equipment that we can have certified to operate correctly on the new simulcast High-Band VHF system. Other models and versions will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Several years ago, the County procured and deployed 25 Minitor 5 pagers for each department to assist with the transition from low band. If your agency has not yet put those pagers into service, please begin to do so. We will not extend beyond the June 2011 date for discontinuance of the low band paging system.
Q: “Is the County is going to eliminate the low band system sometime in 2011 and will I have to replace all of my low band pagers and plectrons this year?” (3/19/2011)
A: The legacy low band equipment in use today is becoming increasingly more difficult to procure. Oftentimes, even the replacement equipment is used or no longer supported by the vendor because we must purchase the equipment from aftermarket vendors. With the deployment of the new radio system, we must be cautious purchasing equipment that will not be capable of reuse in the new system.
During the transition, the County recognizes that we must maintain our legacy infrastructure; however, in the very near future we will be discontinuing the use of the low band paging equipment that some companies may still be using. We have pulsed the fire service to determine who those companies are and as of 4/1/2011 20 companies have notified us that they still rely on this paging system as a primary alerting mechanism. The County radio staff will work directly with these agencies to resolve this issue.
IMPORTANT: The County will discontinue use of the low band paging system in June 2011. This move will enable us to start staging equipment for the new system in our shelters. Real estate is limited in some of our sites, and we cannot continue to support this part of our legacy system.
If your agency has equipment that must be replaced, please contact the radio shop to discuss options prior to committing to new equipment that may not be suitable on the new system.
Q: “Is it possible that the county issued single channel Minitor 5 pagers can be modified into dual channel radios and can be reprogrammed to receive two bands?” (3/19/2011)
A: This modification will not be supported by the manufacturer and will not be certified on the new simulcast system.
Listed below are a few links to learn more about narrow banding, the FCC, and the P25 project below.
FCC Website for further information on narrowbanding:
http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding.html
FCC information about the narrow banding mandate:
http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/techtopics/techtopics16.html
APCO Project 25 (P25)
http://www.project25.org/
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June 2011 Updates
On June 1st. the County Commissioners voted to enter into contract discussions with Motorola Solutions, Inc to provide radio system infrastructure and Radios as mandated by the FCC January 1, 2013 deadline. This is the time when the 700Mhz system must be ready to turn on.
The contract reviews have started.
We will be developing user equipment road-show presentations to users so you can see the different equipment tiers you may like to purchase and develop a plan for your various departments. (Locations, times and numbers of presentations to be developed.)
We will be adding a link to this website to point to the equipment levels provided by Motorola so you may look at types and accessories for your use.
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September 2011 Updates
Below are brochures for the available radios and accessories for the proposed radio system. Please make yourselves familiar with the available options so that you are better prepared when the time comes to order equipment.
The Communications Department is working with appropriate advisory boards to schedule presentations from Motorola to afford you the opportunity to see the actual equipment.
Information on the APX Series 4000 is not currently available. It will be added as soon as it becomes available.
For pricing please contact Dennis Forsyth (drforsyth@co.bucks.pa.us) or Mike Dydak (mwdydak@co.bucks.pa.us).
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October 2011 Updates
The following dates have been scheduled for system users to see the mobile and portable radios available on the proposed radio upgrade:
November 9, 2011: 1:30-3:30 PM at the Fire School
November 9, 2011: 7:30-9:30PM at the Fire School (Northern End FD’s)
November 10, 2011: 1:30-3:30 PM at the Fire School
November 10, 2011: 7:30-9:30 PM at Southampton Fire Company (Southern End FD’s)
The evening sessions will be split:
11/9/11 for North End Fire companies
11/10/11 for South End Fire companies.
The sessions are open to Fire, Police, EMS personnel.
The day sessions will be mainly for Police and EMS.
The evening sessions will be mainly for Fire.
Please notify Mike Dydak at mwdydak@co.bucks.pa.us as to the date-time and number of people attending from your department. We are asking that departments attending limit the number to 3.
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Department of Emergency Communications
Peter D. Ference
Director / 911 Coordinator
Bucks County Department of Emergency Communications / 911 Center
Bucks County Emergency Services Complex
911 Freedom Way
Ivyland, PA 18974
Phone: 888-245-7210
Fax: 267-885-1323