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07 26 2007 Board Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 230 Government Center Dr, Suite 185 Wilmington, NC 28403 Phone: (910) 798-6920 Fax: (910) 798-6925 E-mail: llancaster@nhcgov.com Steve Smith Director Memorandum To: Public Safety Communications Center Policy Board Members From: Brenda Hewlett, Acting Director Subject: July 26, 2007 Board Summary Date: July 27, 2007 A Public Safety Communications Center Policy Board meeting was held on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 10:00 AM in the Emergency Operating Center, 220 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Andre’ Mallette Larry Bergman, Excused Brenda Hewlett Brian Roberts, Excused James Conway Steve Smith, Excused Billy Younginer Chairman Sterling Powell, Excused Warren Lee Cliff Robinson, Excused Jan Kavanaugh Leslie Stanfield, Excused Tom Eason Duane Ward, Excused Robert Matheson Sharon Kane, Excused Wayne Pearce Michael Core, Excused JJ Brewer James Jackson GUESTS: Debora Cottle, NHC Public Safety Bill Fink, NHC IT Dept Vice-Chairman Mallette called the meeting to order at 10:14 a.m. Vice-Chairman Mallette asked if there was anything to add to the agenda and Warren Lee requested to add Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program. Vice-Chairman Mallette asked if the were any questions, comments or changes regarding the June 28, 2007 minutes. No one had any comments. Vice-Chairman Mallette asked for a motion to approve the minutes. Warren Lee motioned to approve and Billy Younginer seconded. Motion passed. OLD BUSINESS: 800 MHz System Vice-Chairman Mallette asked if Warren Lee could update everyone and Warren informed everyone that there was the official dedication on July 9, 2007 at the County Commissioners meeting. There were representatives from Motorola, Wireless, Federal Engineering and the commissioners were appreciative of the project being completed. There were a few problems with the delays on the project schedule such as the Seabreeze Generator and the generator out back; switching from the old to the new generator. The project was about four months behind. We are hoping to get the Wrightsville Beach Police Department on shortly; they have gotten their budget funds and now have their new radios and hope to get them programmed. A couple of the outside agencies have been working with Emergency Management for access to our system. US Marshall’s have been brought on based the agreement by the PSCC Board a couple of months ago. A recent request has been made by the North Carolina Probation and Parole to get access to Wilmington Police Department talkgroups. James Conway inquired as to the procedure for the requests to add talkgroups. Once you have the authorization from the agency you would like added, how do you get the form signed? Warren stated that the final approval is from the PSCC Board. Is this going to be done formally at the Board Meetings once a month or is this something that can be done by fax? The consensus of the Board was that this could be faxed to the Chairman, not wait for the next meeting of the Board. Vice-Chairman Mallette added that the radio system being presented to the Commissioners was very well received. The vendors that spoke at the dedication made the Commissioners proud that they had one of the top systems in the country. Rebanding Project Warren Lee passed out the project schedule for this project. The kickoff was held with the people who were involved in the planning and funding of this project. We are in the planning phase now. Right now the group is getting inventory information. This is to get accurate inventory of what needs to be replaced. They are attempting this to get full credit for everything that is subject to be replaced by Sprint/Nextel. Every agency will be contacted by Federal Engineering, Wireless, Motorola or High Caps. There is already an inventory but this is to include lapel mikes and accessories. The replacement is for the ones that can not be retuned. The list that had been sent out can be resent if you would like a copy to make sure every thing is included. The replacement of the equipment is the next phase and will take a while. James Jackson with City of Wilmington Fire asked if there were only a certain number of radios that were going to be replaced. Warren informed him that only certain models could be retuned. The ones that couldn’t were the ones that could be replaced. When the radios that are replaced and others are retuned, we are not supposed to lose functionality. The replacement radio is a no-frills radio. Some agencies are trying to get a valuation of the radio to see what the upgrade of one equivalent to the existing ones on their systems. The majority of the agencies are using a 2500 and the one developed as part of this rebanding is a 1500 which does not have the functionality of the 2500. The majority of the radios will most likely be retuned. If anyone would like a spreadsheet of models affected please let Warren know, he will get it to you. If anyone has any questions about the project schedule, give Warren a call. James Conway asked if there was anything they should change in the ordering of the new radios and Warren informed him no, that he did not think they had any that had to be replaced. The older analogs in particular were the ones that had to be retuned. NEW BUSINESS: Elections of Officers Vice-Chairman Mallette opened the floor for nominations for Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Billy Younginer nominated Sterling Powell as Chairman. No one else was nominated. Warren Lee motioned to close the nominations. All present voted aye for nomination of Sterling Powell as Chairman. Billy Younginer nominated Andre’ Mallette as Vice-Chairman. No one else was nominated. Warren Lee motioned to close the nominations. All present voted aye for the nomination of Andre’ Mallette as Vice-Chairman. Public Safety Communications Center: Brenda Hewlett distributed the monthly agency reports to Committee members and gave an update on the happenings in the Center. 􀁸 Next week Brenda will be meeting with AT&T and Positron, in reference to the problems with the phone system. The message switch and sometimes CAD does not dump over the way it should. Brenda is looking for a direct answer instead of the problem changing day to day. They were given a deadline of August 8, 2007 to fix this system. 􀁸 The response time for repairs is four hours. We used to be priority but now it takes 􀁸 The Center will hopefully hopefully be fully staffed by mid-August. 􀁸 The wireless budget has been completed from 2005-2006. It is difficult to compile as telephones come out of one department, furniture was paid out of another. The problem was justifying the budget when having to look to other departments for invoices. Wireline is soon to be another item to be audited not just wireless. Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Warren Lee handed out 3 documents about this; a fact sheet, a frequently asked questions sheet, This is a grant process that has a quick turn around to submit back to the Department of Homeland Security. North Carolina has received $22.1 million of this grant money. Five percent has to be allotted to state-wide interoperability. In mid August, the state has to turn this in to the Federal government. This is not to become a Viper project. They need to provide a plan to be interoperable. We are 800 MHz but not all are. We have to develop a state-wide plan to provide a pathway to link all the systems together to ensure interoperable communications with all the public safety agencies. Part of the Homeland Security Grant process is to provide investment justification of funds, how they are they going to be used and what the outcome is going to be. Warren passed out a Peer Review Rank. They are numbered, each one with how much money they are designated. The state has been divided into regions. All of the grants that are eligible to receive for Department of Homeland Security have to be done by regions not counties. New Hanover County is together with counties contiguous with us; Brunswick, Pender, Onslow, Carteret, Duplin, counties along the southeast coast. The next process is for the counties each region to get together to determine funding priorities are and how to resolve them. Emergency Management Directors from across the state will meet for two days in Durham next week. The main topic will be the regionalization concept and how to set up committees within those regions to ensure those regions will have an equal voice. It is just as important for the small counties to get funding as well as large counties. Warren will probably get with each of the members to get input as a community what is important to everyone. Every community does not have an 800MHz and we have to help those communities advance. Warren will keep everyone updated on this grant and encourages going online to view this information. If you feel that there is anything that would help this community operate as a whole, please get with Warren. Vice-Chairman Mallette inquired about developed projects being combined with the region and Warren stated that he wasn’t sure until the regions met and and agreed upon priorities. Each region will have to justify how the funding will be utilized regionally not just to the benefit of one agency or county and how it would benefit the region as a whole. Warren will send everyone a copy of the regional map. Vice-Chairman Mallette wanted to know if the state had 30 days how long does the region have. Warren informed everyone that is not known when it is due as the region has not met yet but he may know at EM Directors meeting next week. One of the requirements of the grant is that the projects must be compatible with the 700 MHz systems. Ours is 800 MHz and is compatible. The grant came about through the Department of Commerce. Part of the rebanding effort is the people who had frequencies they were not using are auctioned off and this is funding this project. Vice-Chairman Mallette adjourned the meeting at 10:55 A.M.