HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-20-2010 - 4hORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 20, 2010
Action Age~a
Item No.
SUBJECT: Public Safety Communications Improvements
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
1) Emergency Services Reserve Capital
Project Ordinance
2) NCDOT Highway Camera Map
3) Public Safety Communications
Improvements Project Specifications
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Montes de Oca, 919-245 -6100
Craig Blackwood, 919-245-6100
PURPOSE: To consider an allocation from the Emergency Services Reserve Capital Project to
update and improve the Public Safety Communications infrastructure.
BACKGROUND: In January 2009 the Orange County Emergency Services E911 Center
relocated to 510 Meadowlands Drive. Following several years of planning, the project
culminated in a successful transition from a conventional radio system consisting of various
aging components to 800 MHz technology. This system is the critical communication link
between the County and all emergency first response units within Orange County, the state and
partners in adjacent counties.
Backup Antennas: This system utilizes towers to transmit radio signals from the E911 Center
throughout the system. Currently there is no redundancy in the tower configuration. Should
one of the towers malfunction or fail catastrophically, an alternative link must be available to
maintain system integrity. Installing directional antennas on each back-up radio located in the
E911 Center will provide connection to these individual towers and regain communication with
the agencies on that tower if it becomes isolated. The cost to purchase back-up radio antennas
is $10,000.
Portable and Mobile Radios: Another integral part of the 800 MHz radio system is the field
units operating from portable and mobile radios. Since the system's startup, several changes
have taken place including the need to fully activate the system's "mayday" feature. This allows
firefighters and first responders to activate the button to summon help if they become trapped or
come under fire and cannot call for help using verbal communication. This requires portable
and mobile radios in the system to be re-programmed. This action will update every 800 MHz
radio in the County system with needed radio template changes and implement the emergency
"mayday" button feature. The cost for this 800 MHz radio programming is $25,000.
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Amateur Radio Link Support: Supporting our communication efforts and playing a key role
during disasters and special events is a group of dedicated volunteers -the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service CARES). To support their operation, the Emergency Services Meadowlands
site needs to properly accommodate the equipment in the form of an antenna and radio set-up
within the Emergency Operations Center at a cost of $10,000. ARES members bring to the
operation their own portable radio equipment reflecting thousands of dollars of personal
investment. This action will provide equipment complimenting their system to allow better,
quicker start-up time during disasters when time is critical.
Satellite Phone Link: The satellite phone system provides Orange County with a satellite
based communications tool during a widespread disaster. The Satellite phone system can
connect directly with mutual aid counties as well as the State Emergency Operations Center
when other forms of communication are down. In addition, maintaining the satellite phone in a
state of operation is a requirement of the annual Emergency Management Performance Grant
(EMPG) from North Carolina Emergency Management. Emergency Services will move the
satellite phone hardware from 1914 New Hope Church Road and reinstall it in the new
Emergency Services building at 510 Meadowlands Drive at a cost of $2,000.
NCDOT Highway Safety Camera System: The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
allows access to its network of traffic cameras to assist public safety with monitoring traffic
along major highways and interstates. This action will allow Emergency Services through the
E911 Center to monitor roadway situations and more effectively route emergency response
vehicles to major accident scenes. Several traffic video monitors will be used with E911 having
full control (pan, tilt, zoom) of the cameras which is not allowed to the public. The public does
have "view only" access to the NCDOT cameras through the NCDOT travel information website
(http://www.ncdot.org/traffictravelh. Weather conditions could also be better monitored along
Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 utilizing this system. The cost of this initiative is $65,000.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funds for the purchase of the above mentioned items, totaling
$112,000, will come from the remaining $400,000 surplus 911 funds that the Board approved
setting. aside in an Emergency Services Reserve Capital Project for equipment, vehicles, and
capital maintenance. Purchases will go out to bid as appropriate. With this appropriation,
$288,000 would remain available for future allocations from the Board for Emergency Services
equipment.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1. Approve the purchase of the items described under BACKGROUND above to update the
Public Safety Communications Infrastructure; and
2. Approve funds up to $112,000 from the Emergency Services Reserve Capital Project,
allocate this amount to the Emergency Services Department's capital budget section
within the General Fund for the purchase, and approve the attached capital project
ordinance.
A~a ohm ent 1 0 2-p- ao Id - 033 3
Emergency Services Reserve
Capital Project Ordinance
Be it ordained by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that pursuant to
Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the following
capital project is hereby adopted.
Section 1. The project authorized reserves monies for Emergency Services related
equipment, vehicles and capital maintenance. Proceeds from the use of
Emergency Telephone funds as authorized by the General Assembly in
FY 2008-09 finance this project.
Section 2. The officers of the County are hereby directed to proceed with the project
within the budget contained herein.
Section 3.
Section 4.
The following revenue is anticipated to complete this project:
Through FY
2008-09
FY 2009-10 Through FY
2009-10
Sales Tax $0 $0 $0
2001 Bonds $0 $0 $0
2004 Two-Thirds Net Debt $0 $0 $0
From E911 funds $0 $1,200,000 $1,200,000
Other $0 $0 $0
Total Funding $0 $1,200,000 $1,200,000
The following amount is appropriated for this project:
Through FY
2008-09
FY 2009-10 Through FY
2009-10
Land/Buildin $0 $0 $0
Planning/Architect/Engineering $0 ~ $0 $0
Reserve $0 $288,000 $288,000
Transfer to General Fund
(Communications Improvements -
FY 2009-10)
$0
$112,000
$112,000
Transfer to General Fund (Vehicle
Purchases - FY 2009-10)
$0
$750,000
$750,000
Transfer to General Fund (Revere
Road EMS Station - FY 2009-10)
$0
$50,000
$50,000
Total Costs $0 $1,200,000 $1,200,000
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Section 5. This ordinance shall remain in effect until the Board of County
Commissioners takes action to amend the ordinance or close the project
ordinance upon completion of the project.
Adopted this 20th day of April 2010.
Attachment #2
NCDOT Highway Safety Camera Locations
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ATTACHMENT #3:
Public Safety Communications Improvements Project Specifications
Backup Antennas:
The Orange County E911/Communications Center maintains telephone, data and radio
communications with:
Caldwell Volunteer Fire District
Carrboro Fire Rescue
Carrboro Police
Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire District
Chapel Hill Fire Department
Chapel Hill Police
Durham County EMS
Efland Volunteer Fire District
Eno Volunteer Fire District
Hillsborough Police
Mebane Fire Department
New Hope Volunteer Fire District
North Carolina Forestry
North Carolina Sate Highway Patrol
North Chatham County. Fire
Orange Grove Volunteer Fire District
Orange Rural (Hillsborough) Fire District
South Orange Rescue Squad
UNC Public Safety
White Cross Volunteer Fire District
The center was designed as the. replacement for the aging former center at 1914 New Hope
Church Road and contains only the basic components to maintain radio connectivity throughout
the area. In the event a mechanical or electronic malfunction occurs to the primary (only)
antennas, the center will lose communications with those areas and units affected by the
particular antenna that fails. The center is located at the same location as the County's
Emergency Operations Center and must remain operational in the event key figures are
relocated to the EOC to maintain governmental services during or after a disaster. The
antennas are one component that are vital to the continuity of operations.
Portable and Mobile Radios:
The basic communication component of the first responder is the portable ("walkie-talkie")
assigned to most field personnel. As a safety component, the portable is indispensable in
assuring the safety and welfare of the individual in the event he/she is threatened, enters a
hazardous area or requires immediate backup to mitigate a threat. Coupled with the mobile
radio installed in the police cruiser, fire truck, ambulance or command vehicle, the system
requires a complex matrix of channels, zones and frequencies to ensure all responders can
maintain interoperability. During emergency events the incident can quickly become chaotic
with many different agencies communicating with the E911/Communoications
Telecommunicator coordinating the crosstalk by assigning various channels to the different
disciplines -police, fire, EMS. The system is software-driven requiring each portable and
mobile radio to be programmed to synchronize the dozens of frequency combinations/.
The initial programming enabled the system to "go-live" and use a review period of the initial
year to determine if any corrective frequency updating would be necessary. Following a
meeting with the users, reprogramming is necessary to ensure all zones, channels and
frequencies work together properly without interference. The orange mayday button will also be
included in the reprogramming process to allow first responders access to this critical
emergency feature. This action will allow firefighters and other first responders to activate the
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button to summon help if they become trapped or come under fire and cannot call for help using
verbal communicration.
Amateur Radio Link Support:
The Amateur Radio Emergency Services group is an active organization of volunteers operating
in Orange County that maintains their personal (ham radio) equipment to service first
responders in the event the primary radio communications system fails. They also can be
placed into service to open a communications fink at the evacuee shelters, thus relieving
communications and EOC personnel from the task, so they can focus on maintaining
communications links with field responders. The ARES folks invest a great deal of time and
their own money in the worthwhile effort to serve their community.
To properly supK-ort their efforts at the Meadowlands Emergency Services site, appropriate
support equipment needs to be installed to accommodate their equipment. An antenna and
radio interlinking equipment is necessary to fully bring the ARES support network online. A
support site at the EOC has been al{ocated to ensure safety and dependability of the systems
and ensure quicker start-up time immediately following EOC activation.
Satellite Phone Link: In the event that all landline telephone communications are cut, this
system provides Orange County with a satellite based communications tool during a
widespread outage. The Satellite phone system can connect directly with mutual aid counties,
North Carolina State Emergency Operations Center, other emergency sites such as FEMA
facilities when other forms of communication are down. The North Carolina EM Emergency
Management Performance Grant (EMPG) requires the County to maintain the satellite phone
system. The State of NC funds the project through the annual Emergency Management
Performance Grant (EMPG) process, .but it is the department's (Orange County Emergency
Services) to move the hardware from the previous E911/EOC site (1914 New Hope Church
Road) and reinstall it in the new Emergency Services. building at the Meadowlands Drive
complex.
During hurricane and other region wide disaster events, the satellite phone proved to be critical
in maintaining communications and coordinating efforts moving during widespread landline
outages.
NCDOT Highway Safety Camera System:
The NC Department of Transportation allows access to their network of traffic cameras to assist
public safety with monitoring traffic along major highways and interstates. During recent events
the system could have been used to keep first responders on I-40 and I-85 apprised of several
important factors: 1) a vehicle driving the wrong way down I-40; 2) a hazardous chemical spill;
3) a vehicle accident along I-40 alerting first responders to respond from a specific exit/entrance
to speed aid to the victims; and 4) keeping law enforcement updated during a chase along I-85.
The system will reside in the E911 Communications Center to monitor roadway situations and
more effectively route emergency response vehicles to major accident scenes. Weather
conditions such as flooding, fog or other highway problems could also be better monitored
along 1-40 and I-85 utilizing this system.
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