Cross-posted with permission from the DHS Office of Emergency Communications SWIC newsletter, today's State Spotlight is a guest post by Joe Galvin, who is the Illinois Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC). Joe talks about the state's business model for emergency communications and how it may be leveraged for planning of the nationwide public safety broadband network. For more information about the state's FirstNet activities visit the Illinois Emergency Management Agency webpage.
Interoperable communications has been a priority in Illinois for more than 45 years. The Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network (ISPERN), is the Nation’s first statewide emergency radio network and was established in Illinois in 1965. The foresight of Illinois’ officials sets the standards for the state’s national role as a leader in the field of interoperable communications. With its rich tradition of success, coupled with today’s climate of opportunity and technological growth, Illinois’ commitment to its role as “A State of Interoperability” has been replicated across the Nation. The ISPERN is still operational today. In fact, over the past half-century, Illinois’ interoperable communications networks and channels now include the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System’s Fireground channel concept, which many states are beginning to adopt.
Illinois will have a continuing and sustainable interoperable and emergency voice and data communications environment in which all public service providers will be able to seamlessly communicate across disciplines and jurisdictions when necessary and appropriate, while maintaining awareness of new and emerging technologies.
Today, Illinois’ public safety agencies are served by multiple interoperability systems, providing effective, efficient data and voice communications platforms among service-aligned agencies as well as in cross-disciplinary applications. The implementation of Illinois’ State Radio Communications for the 21st Century (STARCOM21) radio platform continues to raise the state of interoperability in Illinois to an unprecedented level. This state-of-the-art 700/800 megahertz (MHz) Association of Public Safety Communications Official’s Project 25 (P25) radio platform is bringing interoperability into the mainstream of police, fire, emergency medical response, and other public safety agencies throughout Illinois.
STARCOM21 links the state government to local agencies and statewide response teams. STARCOM21 has over 40,000 users and 245 sites, and is widely used as the primary command and control interoperability system in the state. In 1991, the state of Illinois began creating their vision of a statewide communications network. After 10 years of planning it was decided to build a P25 statewide network; but, as further investigations uncovered, funding for the capital procurement and sustainment of operating expenses was a challenge that the state’s budgets could not absorb. The state elected to pursue a “build, own, and operate model,” where a third-party vendor would construct the constellation of terrestrial towers, connect them together with backhaul, maintain the repeaters, refresh the technology every couple of years, and manage the day-to-day operations of keeping the network online and available 99.99 percent of the time.
In 2001, the state of Illinois signed a contract with a large LMR manufacturer to construct the network. The fees for service ranged from $10 to $65/radio/month depending on requirements. The network was designed around the needs of the users and not how efficiently the system would be built. Guaranteed coverage, robust redundancy, and system availability were negotiated into the contract. Illinois was out of the statewide LMR business to become a consumer of services.
Technological advances often promise to resolve existing issues, but it is each state’s responsibility to move cautiously and evaluate the options. Embracing change is the key to success, but only after careful consideration and planning. FirstNet will deliver nationwide data (and voice) communications services similar to cellular but dedicated to public safety and public service. Illinois is positioned to begin evaluating this next generation technology. The similarities to the STARCOM21 planning process described above will assist us in our planning efforts for the delivery of FirstNet in Illinois.
Key Elements:
• To build a network above and beyond your own capabilities will require partnerships;
• It should be considered as another tool in the toolbox, and will run in conjunction with legacy systems;
• Built on standards–have multiple vendors for sourcing and competition;
• Technology is the easy component–it boils down to governance and funding;
• Consumer of a service, not an owner of a network;
• Use State and local assets (towers, fiber); and
• Monthly fees are paid directly to a vendor for the building and maintenance of the network.
Embracing these changes will require a complete paradigm shift in attitude and willingness to embrace the private sector. With limited budgets and increasing scrutiny on spending, there must be a shift in thinking as states make the jump from today to tomorrow in order to continue taking advantage of the technological advances.
Achieving effective mission critical communications requires more than technology, it requires a complete shift from traditional thinking to a more comprehensive, coordinated strategy. Effective mission-critical communications planning is about change, including technological, strategic, tactical, and cultural elements. The Illinois vision quoted above, although written around traditional LMR technologies, is based on principles and values that are “future-proof” and will continue. There is no “finish line;” as communications continue to evolve, we must select and implement those technologies that will improve our ability to effectively communicate with each other. To better understand the future, we need to start by looking at our past. STARCOM21 offers that link for Illinois.
