Subject: [NEXTEL-1] City's communication system needs upgrade; could be costly

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 01:07:18 -0500

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-communications5mar27,0,3935979.story

City's communication system needs upgrade; could be costly

By Matthew Strozier
Staff Writer

March 27, 2003

STAMFORD -- New security concerns are focusing attention on the city's aging emergency
communication system, which
critics say suffers from potentially dangerous dead zones.

Assessments of the problems vary, but those involved agree that the city is headed for a
costly solution that residents won't
welcome in lean economic times. They talk in terms of "millions."

"Taxpayers have to realize that if they want to be safe, they are going to have to foot
the bill," said Sgt. Joseph Kennedy,
president of the Stamford Police Association. "It has to be done."

New federal money for homeland security may offer help.

City emergency officials told U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn, on Monday that security
money should go to cities
because they deal directly with terrorist attacks. Dodd pledged to lobby Congress on their
behalf.

Stamford received $500,000 in the recently approved federal budget for emergency
preparedness and communications, but the
city is still waiting for specific guidelines on spending the money, according to Ben
Barnes, director of public safety, health and
welfare.

Options for Stamford may be clearer in coming months after a consultant finishes assessing
the system. A contract with New
Jersey-based RCC Consultants is being finalized.

Complaints about the system mostly relate to reception on the East Side, in the Cove,
around Springdale and, in some cases,
inside high-rise buildings. Equipment is also becoming outdated and harder to replace.

"Security is very important and we are leaving ourselves open for a huge disaster,"
Kennedy said. "And I don't think anybody
wants to leave ourselves open to something like that."

Kennedy and others applauded the city for starting to address the problem. City officials,
while acknowledging shortcomings,
say the system works and has not had a catastrophic failure.

"What other thing do you know that has run continuously for close to 15 years without
shutting down?" Barnes asked. "It has
been a tremendously reliable system for the city."

Barnes said emergency personnel are aware of areas where radio communication is spotty and
have ways to overcome it. City
firefighters, for example, use a "radio relay" system when problems arise.

"Does it create problems for police and EMS and firefighters? Absolutely," Barnes said.
"But these are problems that they
know about and work around. And I am committed to solving those problems in the long run."

Stamford has an 800 MHz "trunking system," which allows shared frequencies for many users.
About 1,500 police, firefighters
and Stamford Emergency Medical Services personnel use it.

There are two antennae, one at the Stamford Government Center downtown and another at the
Long Ridge Fire Co. Barnes
said the consultant could propose adding an antenna on the East Side, which residents
there previously opposed. That option
raises complicated technical problems.

The Federal Communications Commission limits the power of Stamford's antennae because the
FCC doesn't want the
antennae to cross signals with a similar emergency frequency on Long Island in New York,
Barnes said.

This all makes for a complex system that is not easy to replace.

"It's not like you can just go up to Wal-Mart and buy it and flip on the switch," said
Matthew Palmer, president of Stamford
Firefighters Local 786.

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