Transcript Document

Interoperability
Through
Gateways
Officer Alan Felsen
Montgomery County, MD
Police Department
Types of Interconnects….
Regional systems compatibility
Gateways
Radio exchange / radio cache
Interoperability Continuum
Regional Compatible Systems
The best way to achieve interoperability is
if everyone involved shares a common
radio system
National Capitol Region public safety
agencies are on 800 MHz trunked Motorola
systems
Shared operational talkgroups and
interoperability talkgroups (pre-planning)
Very helpful in the initial response to the
Pentagon
Regional Compatible Systems
Benefits
Easily accessible interoperability (just
change channels)
First responders bring a useable radio
More comfortable with their own radio
Instant availability – no switches to
deploy, etc.
May be able to provide redundancy for
one another
Regional Compatible Systems
Implementation Challenges
Cost
Most communities can not avoid to
change out their radio system(s)
Spectrum
Those who could afford a new system may
not have licenses for compatible
frequencies
No one band is ‘best’
State police and highway patrol may opt
for lower bands while fire fighters and local
law enforcement may prefer higher bands.
Regional Compatible Systems
Operational Challenges
Maintenance
Common resources for all subscriber units
require ongoing coordination. If jurisdiction
“A” makes a change then “B”, “C”, … must
change their radio templates as well to
remain in sync
User training
Users may not know how to access the
capabilities of their radios if they don’t use
them regularly
ID Number coordination
Trunked systems may have a fixed and
limited number of subscriber ID’s
Interconnect Gateways
Types of deployment
Portable / tactical
Attach radios on the fly
Mobile Command vehicles
Mobile subscriber radios with the right antennas or
telescoping masts increase range
Fixed site gateways and networked systems
NCR “MIRS”, Maryland MIMICS, etc.
24-7 links vs. on-demand operation
Fixed Site Gateway
The Operation Test Bed (OTB)
AGILE (CommTech) implemented the OTB in
Alexandria, VA to test an interconnect device
operationally in public safety and publish
‘lessons learned’.
Why the Alexandria Police Department was
chosen as the OTB
Willingness to accept new technology
Located in tri-state region (test ability to coordinate
tri-state politics)
Located in conjunction to vast local, state and
federal public safety agencies
Location with significant operational need
Ideal location to gather the most “Lessons Learned’
Effective Interoperability
Deployments in the OTB
Inauguration
Presidential Motorcade Escort
4th of July
Sniper Incident
National Police Week
Bike trail abduction
Main Repeater out of service
Original OTB switch
configuration
Single ACU-1000
Four partners – APD, MPD, USPP
and Metro Transit
Six radios
First tested in mobile environment
then migrated to fixed site concept
Picture: This is the configuration of the fixed
site gateway at the APD OTB during the
Inauguration of President Bush. The Secret
Service had requested creation of a common disaster channel by
linking the Secret Service, FBI, U.S.P.P., U.S.C.P. and the DC Police.
The link was active for 36 hours and tested every half hour around
the clock. Luckily the disaster channel was never needed.
Early Lessons Learned
Starting with just a few partners allowed
easier resolution of issues
Supporting equipment costs exceed
gateway device cost in a fixed site
installation and are the most likely to result
in cost overruns (clogged conduit, etc)
Functional tests need to be progressive –
start with a single monitoring (receive only),
then a single unit to the switch (transmit),
then move up to unit to unit tests and then
finally to multiple agency links
Never jump on someone else’s channel
without notifying them first – generally
Alexandria called landline or via PMARS
(MWCOG Police Mutual Aid Radio System)
Early Lessons Learned (cont.)
Connecting convention radio systems
to trunked radio systems can be a
technical challenge
Ping-pong effect (VMR helps)
Delay in acquiring tower in trunked system
can drop the beginning word of a
conventional system – not good in ‘shoot
don’t shoot situations’. (Buffering helps)
Not all repeaters are the same. Squelch
tail, tones, signaling, etc. vary greatly. A
configurable switch is needed.
Early Lessons Learned (cont.)
Units need to use an agency prefix with its
unit designation.
There may be a ‘Unit 17’ in more than one of the
connected agencies. APD unit 17 or MPD unit 17 is
appropriate in multi-agency communications.
Ten-codes are not universal
A 10-50 in Montgomery County is a ‘Police Officer
in Trouble’; in Washington DC it is a ‘motor vehicle
accident’. There is a big difference.
In multi-discipline connects terminology can
be confusing
What does a ‘pumper truck’ look like anyway?
Early Lessons Learned (cont.)
Even “10-4” acknowledgements may not be
universal.
DC police and Montgomery County each also use
10-99 as an acknowledgement to distinguish
between one and two man units.
S.W.A.T. teams and fire fighters use numbers
and/or letters to designate the sides of a
structure but they are not consistent from
agency to agency.
“Cover me” means different things in law
enforcement circles than it does in the
military!
OTB Switch Configuration
Today
The OTB Switch after
expansion
2 - ACU-1000s
19 radios
2 – remoted low band radios
Telephone patch (PSTN)
Remote console attached
NXU-2 Internet control and switch to
switch interface
ETS-1 Network control
19 roof mounted antennas
Additional partners include
Fire, EMS
State police in MD, VA
DOT
Federal LE Agencies
OTB Switch
Success and Growth
Early successes brought buy-in from other
public safety agencies.
Agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service,
State Department and others have joined the
project - often providing their own radios.
Non-aggressive approach in building
partnerships and in use of the channels has
proven successful.
PSWN - IPT followed the lead of this
installation and installed four additional sites
around the beltway.
Maryland State Police are deploying 18
additional sites modeled after the OTB.
Formal Agreements (MOUs)
In our MOUs the agency where the switch is
located is termed the ‘host’ agency.
Host agencies agree to provide interconnect
between agencies even if they are not a part
of the operation. (APD was not linked in
during the Inauguration)
Host agencies are NOT necessarily the IC.
Regional meetings aid in continued
coordination and advancement.
Should include language to cover regular
maintenance, testing and upgrade of
equipment.
There should be formal agreements for the
region and each jurisdiction should develop
their own more specific SOP.
Types of Activations to Cover
in SOPs
Planned
Many events that require Interoperability
are known well advance. The 4th of July,
Inauguration, IMF demonstrations, etc.
Unplanned
Many events can be spontaneous such as
wild fires, earthquakes, storms, riots, etc.
Radio to landline telephone interface
Channel Considerations
National Calling Channels
Put them in the system even if they are not
monitored in your area yet.
Weather channel
Put the National Weather Service channel on one of
the radios. You never know when it might come in
handy.
FRS
Program the capability to link in the FRS channel.
These little radios can be obtained easily and can
be a great aid in a disaster.
School bus and or local bus service channels
These vehicles may be used in mass evacuations
or mass arrest situations.
Other Considerations
Field Operations on channels that are not
monitored by a dispatcher may be
dangerous
Originating radio ID’s are lost when the
audio passes through a switch
The radios attached to the switch need to
transmit identifiers
These switches are passing clear audio.
Use of encrypted radios is possible but the
switch itself is unencrypted
Often ‘tac’ channels are used for these
interconnects and in many cases these
channels are not recorded
More Lessons Learned
The need for training was underestimated
Interoperability doesn’t come naturally
Switches are best suited for short-term ondemand use
They do not add spectrum or fix a failing radio
system
They do not extend system footprint
To become Interoperable you must first be
operable
Not everyone wants to share even when
they should
The technology is the easy part
The difficulty lies in the three P’s: People, politics
and paperwork
Training Considerations
There are various levels of training
required
Technical training – for those who will setup and maintain the communications
gateway and its infrastructure
Dispatcher training – the people who will
actually make and break the connections
Field unit training – for the front line
personnel using the radio system(s).
Command level personnel – need to be
aware of the capabilities to interconnect
Training Considerations
Technical Training
Many gateways, including the ACU-1000,
have sophisticated settings that may need
to be tweaked. Technical staff but not
necessarily a radio expert should be the
only ones adjusting these settings.
Programming radios in the switch may be
necessary as new partners are brought in
or in the event of an unanticipated player in
an emergency.
Technicians may need to install a new
communications device (radio, cell phone,
SatCom) for an emergency.
Training Considerations
Dispatch Training
Making and breaking interconnects is
usually rather simple. Knowing when to
make an interconnect is not as simple.
Monitoring the channels and reminding
the users to use plain English is
important.
Dispatchers need to know the nuances
of multi-agency, multi-discipline
communications.
Training Considerations
Field Unit Training
Field units
Need to be aware that an interconnect is
available to them.
Need to know to use plain English and
understand that they are not just talking
within their own ranks.
Must have sufficient practice to remember
that the interconnect is there and to use it
during an emergency.
Need to be completely comfortable with it
Training Considerations
Command Staff Training
Field commanders are sometimes
reluctant to use an interconnect
because are unfamiliar with it
They need to be trained and to be
completely comfortable in an interoperable
mode.
Commanders need to know the full
capabilities of the interconnect –
vertical links between nets, telephone
interfaces, SatCom, etc.
Training Considerations
Other
Don’t wait for an emergency to use the
interconnect
Get comfortable with using it before you
really need it
Try to conduct join field exercises,
mock demonstrations, etc. to practice
Conduct regular tests
This not only makes sure the equipment is
working but it also builds comfort on the
part of the person test and it reminds
everyone on the channel(s) about the
interconnect device
Gateways
You can’t plan too much for these
projects.
Early buy-in by all parties is vital.
Training is probably the most
important factor to consider.
Technology is not difficult – getting
people to change the way they do things
is!
Regional committees on
Interoperability are a sure way to
achieve the best possible program.
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Purchased with UASI funds
Result of lessons learned from the attack
on the Pentagon
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
1,000 Motorola XTS-5000 800 MHz
radios
500 stored in Montgomery County, MD
500 stored in Fairfax County, VA
Leveraging existing US&R team abilities
Each radio is programmed with 14
different trunked radio systems plus
NPSPAC and RINS channels
Each cache includes
1,000 Ni-Cad batteries & chargers
1,000 single-use Li-Ion batteries
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Each cache includes:
1,000 Ni-Cad batteries with chargers
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Each cache includes:
1,000 single-use Li-Ion batteries
Shoulder mics and carrying cases
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Each cache includes:
Support equipment
Computers with inventory software, printers,
bar-code readers
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Each cache includes
JPS ACU-T gateways
VHF/UHF radios
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
Three P’s
The radios were procured, programmed,
and deployed for the 1st time before the
MOU’s or deployment protocols were
finalized
NCR Emergency Radio Cache
One-stop shopping for Interoperable
Communications
Free local delivery!
Ongoing NCR Initiatives
Additions to radio cache to provide
capability in METRO tunnel system if
fixed infrastructure is disabled
Regional adoption of standardized
police radio codes with emphasis on
plain speech when possible
Pre-planning of MIRS
interconnections for specific needs
Creation of an online interoperability
asset database
Final Thoughts
Interoperability
Effective interoperable communication
requires an effective incident
command system
Interoperability is not the goal
The goal is effective operations
Operational requirements dictate the
communications solutions
When done right interoperability
become invisible
Web Resources
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij
www.AGILEprogram.org
www.nlectc.org
Interoperability
through
Gateways