Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

Read what I wrote--NGO SAR is mostly highband simplex around here (155.160,
155.265, a mobile only input channel repeatered out on either 160 or 265,
and DCNR channels mostly).  Most agencies that were large area coverage are
still highband and some are still as low as 33MHz. 

Amateur repeaters, 6M, 10M, 2M, and UHF typically lack standby power at
fixed sites other than government buildings or commercial radio sites. And
require a suitably licensed control operator(s). Before 800 came in the
local 450-512 police repeaters all lacked long term emergency power.  A
trunk is extremely complex to build and manage. Each county in the 5 county
region uses a different system-- Philadelphia and Montgomery use Motorola
800 digital simulcast that differ only in software release.  Bucks use a
500MHz analog voice system, Delaware uses a 500 MHz conventional system
(with some 45MHz fire still) and Chester uses ELTR at 800MHz. Each of these
systems is elaborately backed up and made redundant and load shedding to
support police, fire, and EMS operations on a daily basis. And most cost in
excess of $20 Million to build the fixed sites. Paging or alerting is on
different systems with some counties using simulcast alphanumeric, tone and
voice, open voice and RSAN as redundant systems. Local government operations
(streets, highways, trash, water and sewer) are for the most part on private
systems. Yes, our county tower sites have an on site Diesel power pack while
the commercial cellular equipment does not. We have a backup PSAP and
several other sites where 9-1-1 can be answered. Because the NFPA wants
every firefighter to have a portable radio there are lots of portables
available in the region for each system. Local fire companies have spent a
fortune to comply with this rule, especially those along county borders
where multiple radios are needed. And many still maintain the highband
portables and licenses from before the trunk. The county would prefer we
operate on their system so that we are integrated with other responder
services and can be more easily supported by their field communications vans
and repeaters. The problem is that many other agencies we work with are not
800 systems or may be not compatible with the county.  

Yesterday (8-02) the Bucks County fire system went down.  Unlike the others
in the area which have backups they don't and lost alerting for several
hours. 

An individual, whether a natural person or a corporation, can license almost
anywhere except GMRS where natural persons are the only eligibles for new
licenses/ major modification since 1987. Shared access repeaters in GMRS are
difficult to manage with each user having to license the site and the
control operator having to make sure no commercial use is made of the site.
And one member of a group can take on the license and operation of a GMRS
repeater, so long as he pays for it since you cannot charge to access a
non-commercial site. Since 1987 GMRS has been limited to family recreational
use.    


We don't use amateur equipment because of licensing and availability issues.

We don't use trunk 800 in the field usually because we can't afford it or
the agency we are supporting doesn't use it. GMRS does not cover, even in
our urban areas, and while Nextel is available the service isn't worth the
cost.

If you want to study public safety communications go to APCO International,
the association of public safety communicators.  There are many articles in
their archives concerning disaster survivability, redundancy, and features
needed in current public safety systems.  But you have to read what is
written carefully because proper English is used, not texting speech (which
dates back to the telegraph where saving letters was important in terms of
keystrokes). 

Irv Lichtenstein 

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Louis
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 8:20 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Radios