West Chester >> The all new, high-quality $42.1 million Chester County emergency radio system had a successful switch over and roll out this week, an official from the county’s Department of Emergency Services (DES) reported on Thursday.
The new system will allow emergency responders to get and deliver radio messages across county departments in a much clearer and more encompassing manner than the out-dated and frequently criticized system that had been installed in the mid-1990s. There will no longer be any dreaded “dead-spots” in townships and boroughs across the county, and the buildings in their borders.
“The reports thus far have been extraordinary,” DES Deputy Director John Haynes told the three county commissioners at their work session Thursday. The three officials had participated in the formal switch over on Monday, when the new Harris Corporation radios went live.
“We have been very happy with the quality and penetration (of the radio dispatches),” Haynes told the commissioners. He said that many emergency responders who had been harshly critical of the former system had called with their congratulations. “It is a very significant milestone for us.”
The system had been undergoing extensive testing since the summer, when construction and installation had largely been completed. The switch over on Monday is only the first phase of the new system’s installation, with police, fire, ambulance, and fire police opting to begin using the system with portable radios. Mobile radios installed in emergency vehicles will not be available until April, Haynes said.
The commissioners have expressed pride in the accomplishment of introducing a new emergency radio system that is better than the former one, and which came at a cost far less than initial estimates. They have also praised the process by which the Harris system was chosen, which included a committee composed of all of the emergency response fields.
According to information provided by Bobby Kagel, director of the county DES, the system provides 99.8 percent portable on-street coverage; improved in-building coverage; high audio quality; consistent system availability and reliability; modern diagnostic and maintenance features; a dedicated emergency communications feature; encryption for a selected subset of law enforcement radios; ere-planned expandability and modernization, and Interoperability to meet operational requirements.
“The radio system is a much needed upgrade,” said commissioners Chairman Terence Farrell in comments during a ceremony making the switch over held at the county Government Services center, where the DES is located.
“The exceptional work our emergency responders do every day make them well deserving of only the best,” Farrell said. The process that has brought us to today’s cutover was very inclusive including emergency responders, township officials, and expert consultants. While I offer my sincere thanks to everyone involved in this project, I want to offer a special thanks to the emergency responders’ involvement. These folks didn’t get paid to volunteer hundreds of hours to make this system exceptional. And believe me, they volunteered hundreds of hours.
In her remarks, commissioners Vice Chairwoman Kathi Cozzone pointed to the importance the county places on emergency responders.
“We are very dedicated to public safety,” she said. “It’s a priority in our strategic plan. This new radio system is just one of the many ways we show our commitment to public safety. The strategic investments we make in public safety are just a small way of showing our unwavering support for our emergency responders. We thank them for what they do.”
Commissioner Michelle Kichline pointed to the favorable economics of the new system.
“Initial estimates of the cost for this system were $90 million,” he said. “Through smart financial management we were able to sign a contract with Harris for $42.1 million – less than half the initial estimated cost. The reality is we have delivered a state-of-the-art radio system to our emergency responders with more features at a better price than any other county in the area.
The commissioners on Thursday also noted that not only does the system upgrade radio transmission quality, but the lower cost allowed the county to provide all of the portable and mobile radio equipment to our municipal and volunteer emergency responders free of charge.
The county purchased 1,221 vehicle-mounted radios, 2,750 hand-held radios and 132 control stations for emergency responder station applications.
According to Kagel, in order to achieve the desired near-full coverage, the county had to construct a 300 foot lattice tower in Upper Uwchlan; a 100-foot monopole tower at the Public Safety Training Campus in South Coatesville; a 190 foot lattice tower at Bucktown in South Coventry; and a 180 foot tower at the state police barracks at Embreeville in West Bradford.
“And we’re not done,” Kagel said. ” All the vehicle-mounted radios need to be installed by April 21; the EF Johnson system needs to be decommissioned; and we still have a lot of work to do on interoperability planning with our surrounding counties.
Also speaking at Monday’s ceremonies were Anthony Giamio, president of the Chester County Police Chiefs Association; Neil Vaughn, president of the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association, Leo Scaccia, board member of the Chester County EMS Council; Ron Miller, president of the Chester County Fire Police Association; Ernie Holling, of the Chester County Association of Township Officials; and Butch Dutter, president of the FOP Lodge #11.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
