[FedCom] Interoperability Hamppers Agencies

[Jeff Kenyon]

It will be interesting to see once everyone in Wayne County, Michigan goes
to P-25 MPSCS systems, and the existing type II systems are upgraded and
become intograted into MPSCS digital system and how many take advantage of
features.  In the summer of 2002 I think that our digital system went into
failsafe mode after a storm, and it was one of the first of the summer,
and we have some VHF radios around, but not much, so in that case I would
be in favor of refresher training to remind users of what is available to
them, and what to do/expect should a system like that fail and what to
expect.
	I know that coming from the  vendor they will say nice things
about their digital trunked systems, but I had heard good and bad things
about the new EDACS digital trunked system in Florida and how it has
weathered the last few hurricanes.  M/Acomm says it did a great job, but I
am taking that with a grain of salt.





On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 Milspec390 at aol.com wrote:

> Brilliant, Ken. Simplicity. As you say, many states/towns have - had? -
> 'Intercity' V/UHF PD/FD mutual aid freqs. Many a high speed chase and rescue
> coordinated on these.
>
>  "Interoperability" crisis is as you say, blather from press nitwits shilling
> for bureaucrats whose 'solution' to every problem is blow more money on
> baffling unreliable systems.
>
>  How many of us know people in agencies at all levels who say new digi-trunk
> stuff ok until crisis, then it fails? Many keep old systems at ready,
> recommend others do likewise.
>
>   Hurricane Charley, summer '04, Charlotte County, FL, first systems failed?
> You guessed it, 800 digi-trunks. Had even a few lo/hi band bases been
> retained, life would have been much easier first several days after storm.
>
>   As you note with clarity, how much could it possibly cost for concerned
> agencies to purchase some V/UHF portables and bases for 'interoperability'?
>
>   Cruise ship passengers carry FRS/GMRS portables, particularly when
> travelling in groups. Of late, also using V/UHF Itinerant freq & Marine VHF handhelds.
> Amazing how citizens develop economical reliable simple 'interoperability
> solutions'.
>
>                                                                          =Z.=
> Paul Vincent Zecchino
> Manasimplex Key, FL
> BT
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