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02 22 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: Steve Smith, Director Subject: February 22, 2007 Board Summary Date: March 2, 2007 A Public Safety Communications Center Policy Board meeting was held on Thursday, February 22, 2007 in the Emergency Operating Center, 220 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Chairman Sterling Powell Jan Kavanaugh, Excused Warren Lee Donnie Hall, Excused Steve Smith Sgt. Macneish, Excused Leslie Stanfield Robert Matheson, Excused Larry Bergman Chief Billy Younginer Sgt. Michael Clemmons Officer James Conway Dennis Cooper Frank Blackley Chief Brian Roberts Andre’ Mallette GUESTS: Brenda Hewlett, New Hanover County Public Safety Communications Center Debora Cottle, New Hanover County Public Safety Communications Center Wayne Pearce, New Hanover County Emergency Management David Welsh, City of Wilmington Police Department Capt. Michael Core, Wrightsville Beach Police Department Officer Charles G Smith, Carolina Beach Police Department Ron Groves, Coastal Electronics Lt. C.A. Hayes, New Hanover County Sheriffs Department Lt. Cynthia Deacon, University of North Carolina at Wilmington Chairman Powell called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m. Steve Smith introduced Lynn Lancaster as the new Secretary for the board and Chairman Powell requested all introduce themselves. OLD BUSINESS: 800 MHz Radio System Improvement Project Update: Warren Lee updated Committee members on the 800 MHz Radio System Improvement Project. 􀁸 Overall status of the project, still working on punch list items with Wireless Communications & Motorola. 􀁸 There is still going to be one more change order comprised of three parts for the system. o Defining the alarms monitored by Motorola in Illinois. o New software licenses for network management which includes generating reports. o Grounding issues for installation, Motorola gave Warren a report. Corrections will be made to make existing system up to Motorola standards. 􀁸 Final sign over date for the new system will be June 27, 2007. Every thing will be complete; change orders and punch list. There will be one-year of maintenance at no cost starting July 1, 2007. 􀁸 One of the final pieces is the simulcast paging for VHF, fire & EMS. Licensing issues are being handled with the FCC for the relocation of the transmitters. They are sort of an oversite group that comes in to be sure that everything is connected the way it is suppose to be so that we have what our specifications say we have. Standardized Radio Template Discussion: Warren Lee updated the Committee members on the standardized radio template issue. 􀁸 Template information sent to everyone generated confusion. Each agency will have to give Warren the information of which talk group is specific only to their group or that each agency would like to have added to their talk group. 􀁸 If each agency has an adequate number of id’s fine but if there needs more added that is what needs to be relayed to Warren. 􀁸 Robert Llora with Motorola is working to get a numbering convention statewide. Some radio ids are duplicated in other areas of the state. IDS are going to be allocated to each county. 􀁸 Warren Lee asked if Project 25 Systems, for the numbering system could be voted on 􀁸 Frank Blackley made a motion to adopt Project 25 Systems 􀁸 Andre’ Mallette seconded the motion. 􀁸 Motion passed. 􀁸 Radio programming is handled in-house. Programmers will have guidelines. 􀁸 Warren turned this issue over to Leslie 􀁸 There will be an I button or “smart key” issued to each agency. All radio ids, talk group ids and common talk ids in each agencies system will be on that button for the programmer to maintain the radios. 􀁸 If you need access to other agencies you will have to get an authorization from that agency. 􀁸 Buttons on each radio are set up differently for each agency. A standard button set up will be proposed so that the same basic functions will be the same for each radio. 􀁸 Multi groups need to be reviewed to see if you want it to go to specific talk groups. There may be information that you may not want sent out to each multi group. Each talk group can only be assigned to one multi group. Each agency has an all talk group set up. 􀁸 Let Warren know via email before the next meeting about each agencies needs of talk groups and the primary template and if there are inadequate id numbers or talk groups. Charles Smith with Carolina Beach wanted to know if there was a limit on talk groups can be monitored on the consoles. There are an unlimited number of talk groups monitored on the consoles. 􀁸 Early April, Motorola will conduct a class on how to use the radio. There are 30 seats available in “Train the Trainer”. An interactive end user CD will be given in the class. The trainers will then go back and train their respective agencies. 􀁸 Warren will send an email requesting the number of spaces needed for each agency. 􀁸 The Sheriffs Department will be going to Schaumburg to learn how to program the radios from Motorola. 􀁸 End user manual has been updated. Warren will email copies after he reviews it. Priority level definitions were changed in the most recent version. 􀁸 Wrightsville Beach passed out a proposed digital template. Programming will begin the 1st or 2nd week of March and switching to the 9-1-1 system around the 28th of March. 􀁸 When we switch to the system, the old will be hard patched into the new. The primary talk groups will be the only ones patched, not all talk groups. If one of the groups you need to talk to is not on the primary talk group you get dispatch to patch you in to that group. 􀁸 Primary tac channels will be hard patched in also. 􀁸 Forms need to be signed before access to programming. Forms for authorizations are in your operations manual. Plain Talk Protocol: Officer James Conway updated Committee members on the plain talk protocol. Gave a handout on the top 20 codes to keep in the Ten Codes. 􀁸 The New Hanover County Sheriffs Department and Wilmington Police Department have agreed to use the shortened list of codes. 􀁸 The newer recruits are the first to start using the codes, the veterans of each department will take a little while to get used to the shorter list. 􀁸 Wrightsville Beach will not be using the shortened code list. 􀁸 Public Safety will still leave the codes in the consoles; there will have to be a blending period. Proposed By-Law Changes: 􀁸 Legal will have to make the changes; adding the new representatives and quorum changes. The changes have been drafted and will have to be approved by the county commissioners first. NEW BUSINESS: Information Technology Sub-Committee Report Leslie Stanfield updated Committee members on Viper, a state-wide 800-MHz system, cellular services and computers. 􀁸 Viper was put into place to serve the Highway Patrol and add local interoperability and coverage 􀁸 They have set up two sites for New Hanover County. 􀁸 Viper does not have capacity to accommodate New Hanover County. 􀁸 New Hanover County will have a couple of ids on Viper for out of county travel. 􀁸 Funding was discussed for Viper. Proposal was for Highway Patrol to continue to maintain through their operational budget. 􀁸 They want to charge local government for tower space. New Hanover County does not charge Highway Patrol for tower space. If there is to be a user fee, it needs to be across the board or they need to get a value of in kind contribution of the usage. And a distinction needs to be made for the usage of Viper. 􀁸 The county has no control over the system, the Highway Patrol issues IDS and maintains the system. 􀁸 Viper upgrades require a $600 upgrade, so IDS for Viper are available on a limited basis for roaming purposes. 􀁸 The City of Wilmington upgraded their query server. 􀁸 Staff is working day light saving time issues with servers, wireless and the net clock. 􀁸 Priority Dispatch worked with staff in the center to iron out things on the fire protocol and changes were made. 􀁸 Unit recommend on City Fire is working for the UNCW campus. 􀁸 EMS is moving to cellular wireless. Six units have been done already and will all be moved to cellular from CJIN to the wireless cellular protocol. 􀁸 The county is changing to Verizon & will migrate as each agency is ready from Sprint. We are working around each cellular network for encryption to make sure each is up to DCI standards. 􀁸 Warren asked how many wireless carriers are DCI certified. Leslie stated that it is more the ability to accept encryption. Verizon & Sprint are not a problem. We have not looked at Cingular or Alltel. DCI looks for 128 bit encryption for the standard. 􀁸 DCI traffic is encrypted coming to our network and the switch going back is encrypted. The state network connection allows any carrier of your choice if you can have the encryption from end to end. 􀁸 New Hanover County has put in a second firewall just for DCI that sits behind the existing firewall to maintain the encryption back to the SBI who are very strict. 􀁸 Verizon offers the high speed data for about $48. Some carriers are asking $34 and you can only do DCI or MCT. Verizon allows email & other applications in the car. 􀁸 The speed on MDT speed for the state is 19.2. There is no upgrade path for that. 􀁸 Half of the sheriffs MDTs are being replaced this year and half will be done next year with new non-ruggedized laptops with the Verizon card. Verizon was selected because we can get some of the laptops have Verizon built in. Lenovo, which used to be IBM, and Dells have the modem built in the screen so you don’t have to put a card in. 􀁸 We are trying to get Gateway to incorporate Verizon service into their machine but right now Dell and Lenovo have it. 􀁸 A more rugged laptop by Dell for Public Safety is out that is a fraction of the cost of the Panasonic tough book and has the backlit keyboard and other features that are really more popular. 􀁸 ADP is a good idea for anyone who has bought a laptop for the cars. The Accidental Damage Protection runs about $150 for three years with a limit of two claims a year; they replace it no questions asked. 􀁸 Lenovo has a model that is touch screen and has a light above the screen and some of the guys that tested the model really liked it. Most models that have a touch screen require a stylus but this is a true touch screen. 􀁸 James Conway inquired about the price of this laptop and Leslie said that she would would check on it and send it out. New Wilmington Police Department Headquarters James Conway updated the committee on the new headquarters. 􀁸 The Wilmington Police Department is opening their new 84,000 square foot building. They still have some bugs to work out. They are in the middle of moving. 􀁸 The new security system uses the ID cards. 􀁸 They are setting up to open March 5, 2007 and be out of the Red Cross Street. 􀁸 March 1, 2007 DCI will be moved out. 􀁸 Any agencies that would like to visit the new facility are welcome. 􀁸 There is a parking lot available so no on will have to contend with meters when they visit. 􀁸 The new facility does not have a helipad but a recreation pad. The helicopter can land on this pad on a limited basis. 􀁸 There are kennels and stables included on the new property and parking places for the cycles. Public Safety Communications Center: Steve Smith distributed the monthly agency reports to Committee members and gave an update on the happenings in the Center. 􀁸 Budget items were discussed. The main thing was the request for AVL software and that will be put into Information Technology as it is software. 􀁸 The quote from OSSI for the license will require us to put in the server and the CAD station upgrade necessary to read AVL. In the car you will have to run MCT because it runs through the MCT software and a device to transmit the lat/long of the computer. The quote is about $750 per unit plus installation. Budget approval is required and if there is someone who will use the system. 􀁸 Wilmington PD and EMS were planning on using it but it got kicked from Wilmington PD budget but it is in this year’s budget. The Sheriffs Department may be interested because of the area coverage. 􀁸 The vehicle locator will impact dispatch for the closest unit situations that occur. 􀁸 OSSI is not available in the lapel mikes as their interface is unit based and it will not read into their system. 􀁸 Steve needs to know if AVL will be used and how many units are going to have it installed. Please send an email to Steve as to how many units each agency is asking for in their budgets. 􀁸 To upgrade a console is about $2,000 per seat. The $35,000 server will be in the IT budget as it will be the central piece for everyone to use. 􀁸 James Conway said that he will take this information back to Wilmington PD. 􀁸 The potential this system has to help officers and others that are in harms way and to have the ability to have a unit close to respond to help is huge. 􀁸 There is also a request for a training aid the “9-1-1 Stars” a simulator which is a $5,000 investment. It is a radio dispatch simulator which allows training staff to do realistic simulations of 9-1-1 traffic and would upgrade the training significantly. 􀁸 The recorder that tapes 9-1-1 calls loses telecomm activity on the weekends. The hookups were checked by NICE and thinks there were problems with power. Steve is hoping to replace the recorder and may get some numbers for the upcoming budget. This is surcharge eligible. 􀁸 Motorola claims that NICE is the only okayed system for doing the digital. Other recording systems say that they can integrate theirs to record. 􀁸 There are good and bad aspects with the NICE systems. NICE is an Israeli company and they acquired several other systems like Dictaphone. Every time there is a need to call tech support there is a discussion as to whether we have a maintenance agreement. When techs finally get here the service is great. 􀁸 Steve will be out of the office for the next two weeks on active duty but will be available if needed and the following week will be in DC for NENA. He would like to get in to see US Congressman Mike McIntyre who is a big public safety supporter. 􀁸 The Highway Patrol is going to an automated phone system. system. Communication centers are saying that they are having trouble getting through and it takes a while when an officer calls for Highway Patrol. We are trying to work through this and get them to come up with a different way to get through. 􀁸 As you go through your templates be aware of what you want recorded and revisit ones that you may not. The ones that are recorded are public information. Chairman Powell mentioned the approval for the minutes from the previous meeting had been overlooked. Chief Youngier made a motion to approve the January 25, 2007 board summary, Larry Bergman seconded the motion. Motion passed. Chairman Powell adjourned the meeting at 11:44 a.m.