Ohio radio update to cost $3.8M

By Amelia Robinson
Dayton Daily News

GREENE COUNTY, Ohio ? Greene County officials are considering spending $3.8 million on Motorola equipment and six strategically placed radio towers that would link the county's first responders, and potentially those from all of the community emergency agencies in the county, to the state's Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS).

The move could improve communication between first responders throughout Greene County and be a step toward compliance with "Project 25" (P25) standards that call for seamless digital radio communications among federal, state and local public safety agencies, county administrator Howard Poston said.

Proponents say joining MARCS will save communities the heavy expense of building and maintaining their own radio systems and allow for interoperability among agencies. They point to first responder communication issues during the 911 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina to illustrate the need for safety services agencies to have compatible radio systems.

Systems must be upgraded to P25 standards to be eligible for future federal funding.

The county would recoup about $1.8 million from the state program partly through user fee credits.

"We are in the process of talking with MARCS in Columbus to see if we can come to an agreement," Poston said. "There may be some other ways we get some of that money back."

The state budget included a $90 million upgrade MARCS to increase interoperability and to meet those standards.

There are about six separate communication systems in Greene County with various issues.

State Sen. Chris Widener has said it could cost Ohio's 13,000 fire and police radio systems a combined $2 billion to buy Project 25 radios outright.

Those that join MARCS pay a $20 a month fee per radio. The state maintains the infrastructure. Greene County currently pays an $180,000 annual user fee. Poston said the county will need about 330 radios if it joins MARCS.

MARCS currently is at capacity with about 48,000 radios from nearly 700 first-response agencies including the Ohio State Patrol and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections on the system, but the state funded upgrades will expand the system's capacity to more than 128,000 radios, enough for nearly every agency in the state.

Dick Miller, manager of MARCS, said the system with 218 towers aims to increase interoperability between safety service agencies.

"What it does is give you the opportunity to communicate from one side of the state to the other," he said. Jurisdictions in at least 10 counties including, Clark, Montgomery and Warren are considering joining MARCS.

"It saves a lot of taxpayer money. It takes away a lot of redundancy of you building a system on your side of the street and I building a system on my side of the street," he said. "It is going to save lives."

Beavercreek Twp. Fire Battalion Chief Nathan Hiester , one of Greene County Communications Committee's 15 members, said Wright State University is planning to join the MARCS system, but some of the jurisdictions responsible for the 30 individual emergency agencies - mainly police and fire departments - in the county are still exploring options.
"The county isn't forcing anyone to move to MARCS," he said.

Still, Greene County and Beavercreek this week joined on to a loan to purchase radios for MARCS migration. Miami, Cedarville and New Jasper townships also are partners in the 10-year, $369,000 loan from the Local Government Innovation Fund to be paid to Beaver-creek Twp.

The competitive statewide program awards up to $100,000 in loans per entity and up to $500,000 in loans for collaborative demonstration projects.

Hiester said Motorola and Harris, two of six companies that sell radios that can be used on MARCS, are offering radios for about $2,700 each as an incentive. The radios typically cost $5,000 to $6,000 each. The offer also has been extended to jurisdictions in Clark County.

The Greene County Communications Committee recommended migration to MARCS to commissioners, Hiester said. It has been exploring the P25 compliance issue since 2003.

The MARCS issue and loan has been a point of contention in Beavercreek Twp.

Trustee Dan Paxson has repeatedly voted no or abstained during issues related to MARCS and the state loan. He said he has received little information about the plan or its costs, a claim disputed by township fire chief David VandenBos and others.

VandenBos recently gave Paxson a box containing 5,000 documents related to MARCS and communications. Vanden-Bos said it cost $1,350 in personnel and copying expense and more than 37 hours to produce.

Trustee Bob Glaser, MARCS' main advocate in the county, said jurisdictions have about six years to comply with Project 25 standards.

Copyright 2012 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.

Source: http://www.ems1.com/communications-dispatch/articles/1325505-Ohio-radio-update-to-cost-3-8M/

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