Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Radio system dead zones raise safety concerns

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 22:24:39 -0400

This is a new MA/Com System-
=========================
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Radio system dead zones raise safety concerns
By Diane Wagner

Public safety officials are asking the Henry County
Board of Commissioners to spend an estimated $1.3
million to fix ongoing problems with their 800mHz radio
communications system.

"This is one of the areas I found needed immediate
attention when I first got here," Public Safety
Director Rob Magnaghi said. "It's designed for use with
hand-held radios and, if a tower is down, officers in
the area can't communicate."

Outages or unexpected "dead zones" have not resulted in
a serious problem yet, he said, but communication has
been lost at one attempted carjacking and a fire scene.

Don Ash, director of emergency communications, said
experts have been trying for about 18 months, without
success, to adjust the interface between the radios,
the towers and the Bell South T-1 lines that bring them
all together.

A tower covering most of McDonough and the eastern part
of the county was down 436 minutes in one month, he
said, although the system should fail no more than 10
minutes a year.

Towers in the Ellenwood, Price Quarters Road and
Stockbridge areas are also "constant problems," Ash
said.

"My biggest concern is the safety of our officers," he
said, adding that months of study have shown the
solution is to switch the interface equipment from T-1
lines to microwave transmissions.

"The equipment is working fine," Magnaghi said. "But
the communication between the T-1 lines is not, and
Bell South doesn't have the capability to eliminate the
glitch."

The discussion came during the first meeting of the
board's public safety committee, chaired by
Commissioner Lee Holman. Commissioner Warren Holder
made up the quorum. The third member, Commission
Chairman Leland Maddox, was not present.

Holman and Holder agreed the situation needs attention,
and directed Magnaghi to prepare a proposal for the
full board of commissioners.

When the board installed the $7.9 million system
several years ago, they chose to lease the T-1 lines
instead of buying the higher-priced microwave set-up.
Magnaghi said those board members were apparently
unaware the system had never been run with T-1 lines.

"We're trying to determine if the consultant or Bell
South or someone should have known (the interface would
not work)," Magnaghi said. "But, right now, we need to
move forward."

Ash said the new system could be operational within 120
days of the board's approval.

Henry County Sheriff Donald Chaffin said his deputies
are not experiencing major problems, but they also use
a Nextel communication system.

"We do so much business outside the county and (the 800
mHz system) is no good there," he said.

The Henry County Fire Department also uses another
system when it responds to mutual aid requests from
other jurisdictions, Chief Barry Jenkins said. The
800mHz system is supposed to drop off beyond the
borders, so calls don't interfere with those in other
areas.

But Jenkins said he is concerned about dead zones,
where firefighters inside a structure are not able to
communicate with firefighters outside. The radios work
fine, he said, but the connections aren't being made in
some places.

"We don't have equipment problems, we have system
problems," he said.

Radio system dead zones raise safety concerns
By Diane Wagner

Public safety officials are asking the Henry County
Board of Commissioners to spend an estimated $1.3
million to fix ongoing problems with their 800mHz radio
communications system.

"This is one of the areas I found needed immediate
attention when I first got here," Public Safety
Director Rob Magnaghi said. "It's designed for use with
hand-held radios and, if a tower is down, officers in
the area can't communicate."

Outages or unexpected "dead zones" have not resulted in
a serious problem yet, he said, but communication has
been lost at one attempted carjacking and a fire scene.

Don Ash, director of emergency communications, said
experts have been trying for about 18 months, without
success, to adjust the interface between the radios,
the towers and the Bell South T-1 lines that bring them
all together.

A tower covering most of McDonough and the eastern part
of the county was down 436 minutes in one month, he
said, although the system should fail no more than 10
minutes a year.

Towers in the Ellenwood, Price Quarters Road and
Stockbridge areas are also "constant problems," Ash
said.

"My biggest concern is the safety of our officers," he
said, adding that months of study have shown the
solution is to switch the interface equipment from T-1
lines to microwave transmissions.

"The equipment is working fine," Magnaghi said. "But
the communication between the T-1 lines is not, and
Bell South doesn't have the capability to eliminate the
glitch."

The discussion came during the first meeting of the
board's public safety committee, chaired by
Commissioner Lee Holman. Commissioner Warren Holder
made up the quorum. The third member, Commission
Chairman Leland Maddox, was not present.

Holman and Holder agreed the situation needs attention,
and directed Magnaghi to prepare a proposal for the
full board of commissioners.

When the board installed the $7.9 million system
several years ago, they chose to lease the T-1 lines
instead of buying the higher-priced microwave set-up.
Magnaghi said those board members were apparently
unaware the system had never been run with T-1 lines.

"We're trying to determine if the consultant or Bell
South or someone should have known (the interface would
not work)," Magnaghi said. "But, right now, we need to
move forward."

Ash said the new system could be operational within 120
days of the board's approval.

Henry County Sheriff Donald Chaffin said his deputies
are not experiencing major problems, but they also use
a Nextel communication system.

"We do so much business outside the county and (the 800
mHz system) is no good there," he said.

The Henry County Fire Department also uses another
system when it responds to mutual aid requests from
other jurisdictions, Chief Barry Jenkins said. The
800mHz system is supposed to drop off beyond the
borders, so calls don't interfere with those in other
areas.

But Jenkins said he is concerned about dead zones,
where firefighters inside a structure are not able to
communicate with firefighters outside. The radios work
fine, he said, but the connections aren't being made in
some places.

"We don't have equipment problems, we have system
problems," he said.
http://www.henryherald.com/articles/2003/05/28/news/news1.txt

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