Subject: [NEXTEL-1] County told to consider digital radio

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 22:47:12 -0400

Wednesday, May 7, 2003

County told to consider digital radio

By Bob Holliday
Pantagraph staff

BLOOMINGTON -- As expected, a special committee studying
ways to improve emergency radio transmissions in McLean
County has recommended a system being developed for the
state police.

The recommendation to use the 800-MHz digital StarCom 21
system will go to the county board on May 20, and Sheriff Dave
Owens hopes the board accepts it.

Deputies and police from other agencies have complained
about poor reception since the 800-MHz E.F. Johnson system
was put into service six years ago. The problems got so bad
that Bloomington and Normal police switched back to their
400-MHz systems.

Normal Assistant Police Chief Kent Crutcher said the
department finds its current system "meets our needs," but it
would watch with interest the performance of StarCom 21.

Despite the expected wait-and-see attitude of some agencies,
committee chairman Matt Sorensen hopes StarCom 21 will
gain countywide use. "Everybody that wants in ought to get in at
a price that works for them," he said.

StarCom equipment for the sheriff's department alone would
cost about $600,000. Subscription costs would be another
$70,000 a year. If the system is used by agencies throughout
the county, total equipment costs could reach $3 million, with
annual subscription costs about $400,000.

Owens originally suggested the Clear Talk system, started by
an utility cooperative, as an interim radio solution. On Tuesday,
though, he said he has no problem with StarCom 21.

The StarCom 21 system, being developed by Motorola, could be
available for testing in McLean County next month and available
for use by fall.

The analog Clear Talk option would have been slightly less
expensive in subscription fees, but county officials didn't want to
make a decision purely on cost.

What's next

If the county board approves the proposal, the next steps are
negotiating with Motorola and deciding how to pay for the
system. Federal funding is one possibility, and StarCom 21 is
the only system that meets the requirements of the Homeland
Security Act for such funds.

Owens said the Johnson equipment would be maintained and
phased out. Selling it would bring in only pennies on the dollar,
he said.

Scott Shumaker, chief of the seven-member LeRoy Police
Department, would be happy to see the Johnson system go.
"The in-car reception is spotty, and it's even worse with the
portables," he said.

LeRoy would welcome help from the federal government and
the Emergency Telephone System Board, Shumaker said. That
board meets May 27.

"I think we'd be a player in some way," said ETSB chairman
Dennis Powell.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/050703/new_20030507031.shtml

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