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Home My WebLink AboutORD-2014-037 VIPER Radio System Capital Project revisionORD- 2014 -03 7 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 7, 2014 Action Agenda Item No. 6 -i SUBJECT: VIPER Radio System Capital Project Revision DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) I No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Current VIPER Radio System Capital Jim Groves, 245 -6140 Project Clarence Grier, 245 -2453 Revised Orange County Radio /Paging Systems Upgrade Capital Project PURPOSE: To approve a revision to the existing Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) Radio System Capital Project, as included in the FY 2014 -19 Capital Investment Plan (CIP), by changing the Project Name and Project Description. BACKGROUND: All emergency service agencies within Orange County use the State of North Carolina Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) Radio System for emergency communications. The system's functionality within Orange County has been less than desirable. It does not meet the current or future operational needs. The original intent of the VIPER Radio System Capital Project was to add more channels to several towers in and around Orange County to help improve the VIPER system's capacity to handle radio traffic. It also funded three (3) additional towers through year 10 on which to locate new infrastructure to help improve the coverage and building penetration throughout the County. A recent Tower Study was presented to the BOCC on February 11, 2014. The Tower Study concluded that more than three (3) towers are needed to provide adequate coverage and building penetration to keep responders safe and operations efficient. The study also showed that paging (alert and notification) capabilities must be enhanced so that career and volunteer fire, rescue, and EMS emergency responders can be notified of a call. The current VIPER Radio Capital Project does not address this paging issue. As the emergency response agencies in Orange County have expressed their disappointment with the VIPER system, along with their desire to move away from the VIPER system, staff believes it does not make fiscal sense to spend funds on a system that does not meet the operational needs. Emergency Services proposes to re- purpose the existing funds to address the immediate needs of emergency responders. As part of this proposal, the name of the VIPER Radio System Capital Project would change to the Orange County Radio /Paging Systems Upgrade. The existing $3 million identified for building radio towers would not change and would not be re- purposed as new towers are still needed to improve coverage and building penetration in various areas of the County. The primary change of the proposal is to use the $543,750 that is currently identified for VIPER channels, and re- purpose it for building the VHF paging and radio infrastructure (as identified in the revised Orange County Radio /Paging Systems Upgrade Capital Project). This would enable the County to enhance the existing VHF paging system by building a robust and resilient multi - site simulcast paging and radio system that would provide robust and stable coverage throughout the County for Fire, Rescue, and emergency medical services (EMS) paging and communications. It would also enable the County to provide station alerting for EMS stations, provide new pagers for EMS personnel, and provide for back -up radios for each unit. Enhancing the VHF paging capability also enables the County to develop a backup communications capability countywide. If VIPER operation fails again (it has failed twice in the past year), the VHF systems can function as a backup radio system for Fire, Rescue, and EMS. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact for this proposal. It only changes the use of funds from VIPER to a more immediate and practical use of existing funds. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the revision of the VIPER Radio System Capital Project to the new Orange County Radio /Paging Systems Upgrade Capital Project, as proposed by Emergency Services. 3 County Capital Projects Fiscal Years 2014 -19 Project Name Viper Radio System Project Status Approved Functional Service Area Public Safety Starting Date 71112012 Department Emergency Services Completion Date 613012021 Current Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Five Year 6 Prior Years Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Year to Project Budget Funding 2013 -14 2014 -15 2015 -16 2016 -17 2017 -18 2018 -19 Total Year 10 Appropriation Additional Channels on Existing Towers 5437750 - Towers 5007000 5007000 5007000 5007000 11500,000 170007000 Total Project Budget 5433750 5003000 5003000 - 500,000 500,000 - 17500,000 1,000,000 General Fund Related Operating Costs Personnel Services Operations New Debt Service 1187701 2277853 3377005 3377005 4467157 5557309 179037329 176377280 2273853 337,005 337,005 446,157 555,309 11903,329 17637,280 Total Operating Costs 1183701 Revenues /Funding Source General Fund - Debt Service 1187701 2277853 3377005 3377005 4467157 5557309 179037329 176377280 Capital Projects Fund Balance Debt Financing 5437750 5007000 5007000 5007000 5007000 175007000 170007000 7273853 337,005 837,005 946,157 555,309 31403,329 21637,280 Total 5433750 6183701 Project Description /Justification Additonal Channels: Equipment and hardware on the existing towers in Orange County as well as the surrounding areas will be upgraded to allow for increased system capacity which will reduce busy signals received by field units during times of high demand. If the upgrades are not funded, the system will not be able to alleviate the current service /coverage issues. Channels and additional equipment will be added to the following locations based on the most current information from the state. Chatham Site: 3 channels /1 combiner; Hillsborough Site: 2 channels /1 combiner /1 antenna package. The tower is currently full and may require additonal work to allow channels to be added; Laws Site: 3 channels; UNC Site: 2 channels. Site is maintained by UNC and may require additonal work to add channels; Altamahaw Site: 1 channel; Mebane Site: 2 channels. Towers: The addition of two towers over the next five years (costs for each tower are spread over a two year period) will expand coverage which in turn will increase capacity allowing better access for field units increasing safety and more stable interoperability. A third tower is planned in Years 6 -10. Can not be funded by 9 -1 -1 funds. Note: This Viper Radio System project was reviewed as part of the charge to the Emergency Services Work Group. REVISED County Capital Projects Fiscal Years 2014 -19 Project Name Orange County Radio /Paging Systems Upgrade Project Status Approved Functional Service Area Public Safety Starting Date 71112012 Department Emergency Services Completion Date 613012021 Current Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Five Year 6 Prior Years Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Year to Project Budget Funding 2013 -14 2014 -15 2015 -16 2016 -17 2017 -18 2018 -19 Total Year 10 Appropriation P25 compliant paging and multi -site 5437750 - microwave on existing towers Towers 5007000 5007000 5007000 5007000 11500,000 170007000 Total Project Budget 5433750 5003000 5003000 - 500,000 500,000 - 17500,000 1,000,000 General Fund Related Operating Costs Personnel Services Operations New Debt Service 1187701 2277853 3377005 3377005 4467157 5557309 179037329 176377280 2273853 337,005 337,005 446,157 555,309 11903,329 17637,280 Total Operating Costs 1183701 Revenues /Funding Source General Fund - Debt Service 1187701 2277853 3377005 3377005 4467157 5557309 179037329 176377280 Capital Projects Fund Balance Debt Financing 5437750 5007000 5007000 5007000 5007000 175007000 170007000 7273853 337,005 837,005 946,157 555,309 31403,329 21637,280 Total 5433750 6183701 Project Description /Justification Remove antiquated VHF Fire repeaters and VHF EMS repeaters and hardware and replace with a P25 compliant VHF simulcast system for Fire and EMS supported by a multi -site microwave link (2 or 3 sites depending on quotes). Add station alerting and paging for EMS stations and add 30 portable VHF radios for EMS vehicles for communications back -up if VIPER fails. This radio systems upgrade will provide a robust and stable paging capability for Fire and EMS responders, and will also be a communications back -up for Fire and EMS on separate frequencies so radio traffic can be better managed. The multi -site microwave link will be able to support future growth if Orange County decides to build our own radio infrastructure. Towers: The addition of two towers over the next five years (costs for each tower are spread over a two year period) will expand coverage which in turn will increase capacity allowing better access for field units increasing safety and more stable interoperability. A third tower is planned in Years 6 -10. Can not be funded by 9 -1 -1 funds.