State radio strategy moving ahead

In early October, Maine’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) held meetings in Bangor and Lewiston designed to update county and local officials on the status of the Maine State Communications Network (MSCommNet) project which involves upgrading the state’s entire radio communications system. There is currently no fixed completion date for this project.

Discussions included collaboration opportunities for county and local entities, along with information about the state’s so-called “CONOPS” plan which allows for an incident commander in certain circumstances to instantly acquire six additional radio frequencies, designated as on-site “talk-around” channels. The goal is to enhance multi-agency, interoperable communications especially during emergency response operations involving large incidents and natural disasters.

Among the attendees was CMSgt Harry L. Marsters II, Chief, Mission Systems Flight, 265th Combat Communications Squadron, Maine Air National Guard. CMSgt Marsters oversees emergency communications for Cumberland County and spearheaded the drive to solve the interoperability problem in Maine. Dick Thompson, the state’s chief information officer, chaired these sessions, while Shawn Romanoski, OIT’s director of radio services answered many of the questions. Approximately two dozen people were present at the meeting in Bangor.

Many issues were addressed including whether or not radio base stations at regional communications centers (RCCs), for example, should have access to the above-mentioned six frequencies. Proponents argued that when multiple agencies involved, it is imperative that an RCC have the ability to monitor all radio traffic on the radio frequencies in question. The state determined that these six frequencies are for immediate on-scene use for limited amounts of time, and that radio base stations should not access them during these emergencies. These are not to be installed in base radios without a formal letter of approval from the Maine State Police, attendees were told.

How exactly the CONOPS frequencies will be activated was discussed as well. The use of the channel designator, State Fire, instead of State Wide Fire, was debated. In other words, participants engaged in exchanges involving specific details as well as the big picture.

During a meeting at the Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center based at Eastern Maine Medical Center about 10 days prior to the session in Bangor involving preparations for an upcoming emergency communications exercise involving seven hospitals in Greater Bangor, there was a discussion about the fact that Penobscot County had been given access to an MPBN tower – Almanac Tower – free of charge in order to help solve a radio coverage problem that had been present for years in one part of the county. The county pays for ongoing electric service at the site.

Thompson conceded that the state was unaware of this development, that MPBN is not a state entity and that the state continues to consider all options. Tristan Richards, MPBN’s director of operations, attended the Lewiston session where, among other things, he tried to convince the state to proceed with his now dormant “MaineNet” proposal which involves the use of MPBN’s vast digital television transmission infrastructure to beam Internet data – the process is known as datacasting – to Maine’s emergency management personnel and first responders – EMS, fire and law enforcement. The state has shown little interest in this concept thus far.

Datacasting enjoys strong support from the Department of Homeland Security, and public television’s nationwide digital TV signal is being considered for use as part of the national Emergency Alert System.

Other topics included the installation of new radio base stations at all hospitals, and whether or not there is a link (frequency) available for inter-hospital communications statewide. The installation in all schools of NOAA all-hazards radios for alerts and warnings was discussed briefly. Thompson said his group was not engaged in the NOAA school radio issue.

The fact that Cingular cell phone calls to the 800 hotline number for the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) from the Bangor area were refused service was discussed and subsequently corrected. Thompson reminded attendees that the state is rapidly migrating to narrowband frequencies, and that all public safety agencies should do so as well, “as quickly as you possibly can and use them.” All frequencies will be required to go to narrowband, according to FCC rules, yet the state will remain backward compatible until 2013 with all frequencies keeping the same frequency number.

It will be several weeks before the MSCommNet rate structure emerges for the 2008 budget year. Interested parties and officials are urged to contact MSCommNet project manager Lavana Snyder for further details at 624-9511 or via e-mail at Lavana.Snyder@maine.gov.

While these meetings only lasted a couple of hours each, they represent an attempt by the state to make the process more transparent and help ensure that local and county decision- makers are well aware of their options, especially when it comes to planning and approving the placement of radio equipment on towers which the state owns and maintains.

One can detect subtle improvements over practices in years past, and yet there is still a need for more dialogue involving all parties concerned. Furthermore, there is an even greater need for additional communications training and exercises, but that has been the case all along.

Peter J. Brown, a freelance writer from Mount Desert, serves as an adviser to MEMA on satellite communications and chairs the communications subcommittee at the Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center.