Harris County ITCpublic safety radio communications. } Through DHS grant funds, Harris County has...

Steven W. Jennings, CIO Harris County ITC

} Harris County operates an 800 MHz Motorola Multi-cast SmartZone Regional Radio System that supports 33,000 users in 512 departments in the region, covering nine (9) of the thirteen (13) counties in the HGAC region.

} The system employs 23 tower sites utilizing over 230 channels.

} The system is capable of operating in either analog or digital mode. The digital system is still being built out so it has limited capacity at this time.

} Very limited expansion of the SmartZone 4.1 System due to obtaining additional 800 MHz frequencies. There are no more 800 MHz frequencies available in the region, and the current system capabilities are near capacity.

} A backup master site is presently being built and is expected to be online by end of October2007. This will serve as our disaster recovery site should our main site be rendered inoperable.

} The current SmartZone 4.1 radio system does not support 700 MHz channels and is not a P25 compliant system.

} Motorola SmartZone 7.X is the Project 25 compliant system that uses 700 MHz radio channels as well as 800 MHz radio channels. Project 25 is the digital standard in public safety radio communications.

} Through DHS grant funds, Harris County has begun implementing a Motorola SmartZone 7.X, P25 compliant system that will support 700 MHz. The master site and various sites have been installed and is on air.

} This region has exhausted the pool of 800 MHz radio channels, and 700 MHz is required to further expand the Regional Radio System.

} Region 51 will be submitting their 700 MHz Frequency Plan to the FCC in the November time frame due to the new FCC requirements and revamping our CAPRAD to 12.5KHz.

} The FCC has allocated 24 MHz of spectrum for public safety services at 764-776 MHz and 794-806 MHz (referred to as the 700 MHz band). On August 6, 1998, the FCC adopted a First Report and Order and Third Notice of Proposed Rule Making that established a band plan and service rules for this spectrum.

} Project 25 (P25) is a set of open standards for digital radio communications systems for use by local, state, and federal public safety agencies. Its goal is to enable interoperability and mutual aid between agencies regardless of equipment manufacturer.

} P25 is being implemented in two phases: ◦ Phase I specifies the requirements for 12.5 kHz bandwidth operation.

Standards are complete in this phase and systems are currently being deployed by manufacturers.

◦ Phase II -To improve spectrum efficiency, standards are being developed to provide an equivalent of 6.25 KHz bandwidth operation. This will effectively double channel capacity as compared to phase I.

} The Department of Homeland Security has adopted P25 as the radio communications platform that it supports and grant funding considerations usually require migrating to P25 compliant systems.

} For many years, public safety radio systems operated in the 800 MHz band with only occasional harmful interference.

} Public safety users began to encounter pockets of "dead zones" within their coverage areas, where the signals from commercial wireless systems overwhelmed the sensitive public safety receivers.

} The solution is reconfiguring the 800 MHz band. Under this band reconfiguration, many 800 MHz public safety and commercial mobile radio licensees will have to move to another part of the 800 MHz band.

} To ensure a smooth transition to the new 800 MHz band plan, the relocation process will be managed by an independent Transition Administrator (TA).

} Harris County has begun aggressively planning to transition to a new band plan. All radios in the Regional Radio System will require reprogramming or replacement to operate after the new band plan is complete.

} The Region’s overall strategy is to continue to integrate all existing compatible radio systems/channels, into a Regional Radio System for the purpose of interoperability. This should encourage user agencies to acquire and use appropriate radio equipment to access the system.

} The Regional Radio System is designed using a priority based approach, giving all first responders the highest priority regardless of agency. Using this approach, all users share the same set of channels at a particular site.

} The future of the Regional Radio System is in the expansion of the SmartZone 7.X system. A migration path must be established for moving from the existing SmartZone 4.1 platform to the SmartZone 7.X platform, and funding sources identified to achieve the migration.

} The Regional Radio System SmartZone 7.X is currently at version 7.1. Project 25 phase I.

Current ASTRO 25 System

•Seven repeater sites

Phase 1

•Add microwave radio connectivity to all existing SmartZone 4.1 and ASTRO 25 repeater sites.

Phase 2 •Harris County (simulcast/multicast) •Brazoria County (simulcast/multicast) •Chambers County (multicast) •Fort Bend County (simulcast) •Galveston County (simulcast/multicast) •Waller County (multicast)

Phase 3

•Liberty County (multicast) •Montgomery County (simulcast) •Walker County (multicast)

Phase 4

•Austin County (multicast) •Colorado County (multicast) •Matagorda County (multicast) •Wharton County (multicast)

} Harris County has selected the Bunker Site in Conroe, Texas, as the Disaster Recovery Center for the Regional Radio System. This facility is located approximately 50 feet under ground in a secure bunker.

} The Disaster Recovery Center will house the backup Master Site for the Regional Radio System’s SmartZone 4.1 System.

} This site will also house the Master Site for the P25 SmartZone 7.X.

} This site will be critical in the event that the region experiences a natural or man made disaster. This project contract with the Bunker started early summer and we are presently in the construction phase.

} The Regional Radio System currently uses leased T- 1 and DS3’s to connect all tower sites and dispatch centers into the Master Site. History has proved that the weakest link in this system has been the connectivity piece.

} Licensed microwave is a proven solution for connectivity. If designed properly it can provide uninterrupted service which is critical in a public safety systems.

} A design of a microwave backbone for the Regional Radio System has been performed by Motorola. The result of this study is being incorporated into the current development of the Regional Radio System. The estimated cost to build out this microwave backbone is $13MM. Funding is needed to begin this implementation.

} City of Austin ◦ Rio Grande Valley ◦ Lower Colorado River Authority

} East Texas Medical Center } DPS Dispatch Centers } Harris County Regional Radio

Texas Radio Coalition Texas Radio Coalition

Discussions with other large private system private owners are underway.

Seeking sustained infrastructure cost support, possible tax based

Bringing together Large Systems Bringing together Large Systems

• Harris County Regional Radio System

Harris County Regional Harris County Regional System System

Large Systems Large Systems


• East Texas Medical Center TXWARN

East Texas Medical Wide Area Radio Network




• Beaumont/Jefferson County Radio Network

The City of Beaumont, Jefferson County and Surrounding Region.

Large Systems in Eastern Large Systems in Eastern




• Brazos COG

Brazos Councils of Governments Proposed Coverage





• Brazos COG

• Parker County

Parker County/P25 switch





• Brazos COG

• Parker County

•North Central Texas Council Of Governments NCTCOG

20 Sites Proposed as a Interoperability Overlay

Conceptual Proposal For a Conceptual Proposal For a Collaboration between Large Collaboration between Large Systems and proposed Systems Systems and proposed Systems • Harris County Regional Radio System/P25

• East Texas Medical Center TXWARN/Upgrade P25

• Beaumont/Jefferson County Radio Network/Upgrade P25

• North Central Texas Council of Governments Region

putting in 20, 6 channel P25 sites tied to Parker County

• Brazos Council of Governments Region

Conceptual Proposed Coverage

Conceptual Proposal Benefits Conceptual Proposal Benefits • It would create a large seamless roaming capability for

Public Safety users, greatly enhancing interoperability

capabilities between agencies locally and over a large area.

• It would allow better coordination in the event of mass evacuations.

• It would create the largest level 6 interoperable system in

the State.

• It would put our jurisdictions closer to the goal of State wide standards

based systems by 2015.

• It would allow broader access to grant funds for system expansion

• It would save dollars on reoccurring maintenance fees

through a collaboration of a tiered approach to maintenance and

combined buying power.

• This collaboration would create a safer environment for the public due to the enhanced communication capabilities.

Conceptual Proposal Statistics Conceptual Proposal Statistics

• It would involve 7 Council of Governments representing 71

Counties.

• Using 2005 numbers it would involve over half the

population of Texas 12,238,484.

• It would involve the two largest UASI regions in the State.

• It would involve the largest number of target threats in the

State.

• It would involve 58,103 square miles. Larger than most

states.

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Harris County ITCpublic safety radio communications. } Through DHS grant funds, Harris County has...

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