Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Montana's interoperable wireless voice systems for first responders.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 07:04:31 -0400

GOAL
To build a cost shared, reliable and effective P25/TIA 102A standard communication
system capable of providing interoperable wireless voice systems for first
responders, mutual aid, and emergency medical response roles ensuring the safety
and well being of all Montanans.

OBJECTIVE
To develop an interoperable, VHF multimode radio system based on national
standards in which federal, state, local, and military representatives can operate
autonomously and transition seamlessly for effective communications in emergency
mission roles. To upgrade existing technology of land mobile radio systems in
order to conserve spectrum resources and reduce participating agency costs.

SIEC
The Statewide Interoperability Executive Council  (SIEC) is comprised of local,
state, federal, and other public service agency representatives.  Its purpose is
to provide policy level direction for matters related to planning, designing and
implementing guidelines, best practices, and standard approaches to solve
Montana’s public safety communications interoperability problems and to leverage
any opportunity in support of a statewide system, including seeking federal
funding, or other funding, for statewide interoperability.  Sharing of a common
radio infrastructure will eliminate duplications of capital investment projects
reducing total radio communications cost for each participating agency.

To that end it shall:
1) Establish a joint approach to wireless interoperability among public safety
entities within Montana;
2) Exercise authority for strategic decision-making with regard to Montana’s
public safety communications by:
 Researching and evaluating best practices;
 Developing recommendations for statewide standards;
 Fostering coordination and cooperation among agencies;
 Making recommendations to provide statewide assistance;
 Acting as an information clearinghouse;
 Serving as a policy point of contact for local; regional, and national
interoperability matters;
 Developing recommendations for legislation that may be required to further
promote interoperability;
 Considering other policy issues related to solving Montana’s public safety
communications interoperability problems; and
 Exploring opportunities for inter-agency and regional systems and develop methods
for inter-agency cooperation.

CONCEPT
With the support of the SIEC, Federal, state and local governments will work
together to:
 assess voice communication needs
 define an appropriate radio system based on user-defined requirements, national
standards, and currently available technology
 implement the system in a phased approach, sharing the basic infrastructure and
costs among federal, state and local government.

PRIORITIES
The main priorities will be:
 to develop a national standards-based voice communication system
 to develop a shared, digital microwave system capable of supporting current needs
and future trunked systems
 to plan a phased, modular approach for implementation
 to promote spectrum management
 to allow existing users to migrate seamlessly into the shared system
 to educate the legislature and key policy-makers in local, state, and federal
governments in order to gain strong support and adequate funding.

ADOPTED STANDARD
Open standards are required for interoperability and to define the overall
architecture of the system. Industry standards for land mobile radio in public
safety use have been prepared under the auspices of the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA). This set of standards, known as Project 25 or TIA 102-A, has
been selected by the cooperative partnership of the SIEC Concept Demonstration
Projects.
RATIONALE

The reasons for initiating this project include the need:

 to replace non-interoperable two-way radio communication systems with an
interoperable system capable to handling communication among federal, state and
local governments, and the military complying with a national standards baseline,
improving public safety response and safety
 to replace existing equipment that is obsolete
 to incorporate new Federal NTIA regulations calling for narrow band spectrum
systems
 for a radio system capable of supporting day-to-day operations of the
participating agencies while also seamlessly able to handle emergency situations
reliably, efficiently, enhancing safety of responders and the public through
interoperability and predefined emergency communications planning and
implementation.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS

The organizational process for conducting the project will include:

 a series of joint cooperative agreements between key federal, state and local
government leaders to oversee and direct the planning, development and
implementation of this project
 a joint project team, consisting of technical and administrative staff from the
participating partnership, to manage all phases of the project
 user groups from qualifying entities relying on the two-way radio system.

TIMEFRAME
Existing timeframes:

 State assessments were completed and final reports delivered in:
o 1996, Warner Report
o 1998, Spectrum Resources Inc.
 Federal implementation is scheduled for 01/01/2005 (mandated).
 Concept Demonstration Project I slated for 2003-2004 highlighting system
functionality, cooperative partnerships and business practices evaluation.

Concept Demonstration Project II slated for 2004-2005 providing: 1) advanced
digital, secure voice and data communications for law enforcement interoperability
across the border and 2) the means for military and civil authorities to
communicate by radio.

PROJECT FUNDING
Potential funding sources may include:

 Federal appropriations
 Federal grants, including Dept. of Justice and Dept. of Transportation
 State of Montana appropriations, special revenue accounts, and user fees

IMPLEMENTATION
The Public Safety Radio System will be implemented over the next four and a half
years across Montana for use by local, state, and federal public safety agencies.
Concept Demonstration Projects will be implemented to provide backbone technology
across large geographic regions and subsequently to deploy multimode technology to
all users. Based on the outcomes, the project team will develop a statewide
implementation plan using a phased approach. Additional phases will be prioritized
based on funding availability and federal narrowband mandates.

ESTIMATED COST
The current estimated cost to plan, design, develop, and implement a system of
this nature and scope is $150 million dollars.  This cost is based upon the system
design and analysis completed over the past several years and is subject to change
as technology evolves and additional participants join in.

 http://www.discoveringmontana.com/itsd/policy/councils/SIEC/docs/Statewide%20Project%20Overview.doc

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