MnDOT Office of Statewide Radio Communications (OSRC) Overview -Summary and ARMER Status Update Central Region Summit- Alexandria, MN Sept 28, 2016 Mukhtar mook-tar Thakur
The Office of Statewide Radio Communications does the 2-way radio communications work for: ARMER System Backbone (Backbone serving all public safety agencies throughout Minnesota. Almost all of 87 Counties are on the system) MnDOT DPS (State Patrol, Capital Security, BCA, Etc.) DNR (Enforcement Officers, Forestry, State Parks, Etc.) Our office also: Contracts with NWS to perform maintenance of NWS transmitters statewide. Maintenance of the Road Weather Info.System (RWIS) for MnDOT.
MnDOT Office of Statewide Radio Communication Main Office in Roseville 17 Radio Shops across the state Current staff of 87 9 Office Management/Support 16 Electrical/Radio Engineers 5 Radio Maintenance Supervisors 55 Radio Technicians 2 Tower Technicians 1 MnIT System Administrator
Shared Public Safety Radio Communication System
Minnesota Statutes : 403.36 STATEWIDE RADIO BOARD. Subd. 1e. Implement plan and establish statewide system. The Statewide Emergency Communications Board has overall responsibility for the statewide, shared radio and communication system project plan. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall implement the plan adopted by the Statewide Emergency Communications Board. Commissioner of Transportation to construct, own, operate, maintain, and enhance the elements of the backbone system defined in the plan.
ARMER LEGISLATION State Statute 174.70 Public Safety Radio Communications, commissioned the Office of Statewide Radio Communications to purchase, lease, gift, exchange, or other means, obtain sites for the erection of towers and the location of equipment and may construct buildings and structures needed for developing the state's ARMER communications systems. Of the total 335 planned tower sites, two sites remain to be acquired, 4 are under construction, and others are in various stages of pre construction. System is substantially complete with 326 towers in operation today.
800 MHz Trunked Project 25 system (Motorola Smart Zone 7.13) State Backbone designed for mobile coverage of the 95% area in each county.
Governance of ARMER Minnesota Statutes (Chapter 403. Emergency And Public Safety Communications) Created the Statewide Radio Board (now known as Statewide Emergency Communication Board) consisting of 21 members: Commissioner of Public Safety Commissioner of Transportation State chief information officer Commissioner of Natural Resources Chief of the Mn State Patrol Commissioner of Finance Chair of the Metropolitan Council 2 elected City officials, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn 2 - elected County officials, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn 2 Sheriffs, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn 2 Police chiefs, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn 2 Fire chiefs, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn 2 Representatives from Emergency Medical Services, 1 from metro, 1 from Greater Mn Chair of the metro area regional radio board 1 chair from one the greater Mn regional radio boards (Rotates)
97 % of Backbone Sites On The Air
ARMER Backbone Construction Funds Phase 1 (Metro) Trunk Highway Funds (THF) $ 7,500,000 GO Bonds $ 7,500,000 Metro Council $ 3,000,000 911 Backed Bonds $ 16,000,000 Phase 3 911 Backed Bonds $ 45,000,000 Phase 456 Land pre-work 911 Cash $ 3,000,000 911 cash/bonds $186,000,000 6.0 System Upgrade 911 cash $ 5,100,000 SECB Funds(911 cash) Day site $ 1,000,000 Additional MnDOT A-D Conversion THF/TOCC $ 21,000,000 TOTAL: $295,100,000
ARMER Construction Elements The ARMER Backbone Construction Included: Radio Sites (Towers, Equipment Shelters, Generators, HVAC, etc.) Backhaul Connectivity (Microwave radios, Fiber, Alarms systems, Cross connect Switches, etc.) Motorola 800 MHz Trunked Radio System VHF Interop System
USERS OF THE ARMER SYSTEM OSRC currently has 138 ARMER agreements for various public safety agencies to utilize the ARMER system. These users include, local, state, and federal governmental agencies, local and regional hospitals, ambulance services and various Tribal Bands. Ex. civic police, fire and rescue; county law enforcement, fire and rescue; DPS, MnDOT, DOC, MSOP, MnDNR; Border Patrol, FBI, U.S. Marshall s Service, ATF, Homeland Security, Forest Service; Regions, Fairview, Hennepin County Medical Center and Mayo Health System; Leech Lake, White Earth, Bois Forte and Mdewakanton Sioux Tribal Communities.
ARMER LEGISLATION State Statute 174.70 Public Safety Radio Communications also granted the Office of Statewide Radio Communications authority to lease, allow, or permit commercial wireless service providers or other tower owners to install privately owned equipment on state-owned lands, buildings, and other structures under the jurisdiction of the commissioner when it is practical and feasible to do so. To date, OSRC has completed nearly 350 lease agreements to permit public and private equipment to be installed on MnDOT s towers. Revenue generated from these leases go back into the OSRC s operating funds and assists with paying ongoing maintenance and electricity costs at the tower sites.
Why is MnDOT involved in this partnership? What does it do for us? MnDOT had a need to change it s radio system: MnDOT had poor radio coverage in many parts of the state. MnDOT had limited operational capability with the old system. MnDOT along with all other FCC licensed part 90 public safety radio users were required to narrowband its radio channels by January 1, 2013. By partnering: MnDOT gained better coverage and a higher performance radio system than MnDOT could have ever afforded or justified on its own. OPERATIONALLY: MnDOT is on the same radio platform along with a majority of the other public safety agencies in Minnesota which allows for greater interoperability during normal work activities and major event or disasters. (eg 35W bridge collapse, tornadoes).
Number Snapshot of Progress 1 ARMER towers constructed and operational 350 300 305 311 318 326 250 258 200 216 150 164 100 50 0 ARMER Towers
Snapshot of Progress 2
Future ARMER System Challenges Coverage and Capacity System Reliability New Functions/Features Added system or user requirements Staff Availability System Upgrades/Lifecycle Motorola System, Microwave, Facilities, VHF Interop
Motorola ARMER System Support/Upgrades The ARMER System Utilizes a Motorola ASTRO 25 SmartZone system as the backbone of our 800MHz statewide radio system. 6 zone controllers master switching sites Approx. 410 radio repeater sites Over 570 Dispatch Console positions The Motorola piece of the system is one of the larger operating cost of the system. We have a very large system that has equipment owned by multiple agencies, as the system vendor does upgrades to the entire system it s all at once. We cannot have part of the system go and the others come later, we all have to go together. With the upgrade schedule the vendor supplied and the all the different agencies having different budget cycles and budget constraints how do we keep us all together and move Forward.
ARMER System Upgrades History of Motorola System Upgrades
Motorola ARMER System 10 Year Lifecycle Plan
ARMER Construction Status as of Sept 12, 2016 Madelia- being processed for bidding Lake crystal- Final reviews Eden Valley- On air- upgrade Cromwell Construction - Power and antennas are needed Duluth South- On Air- upgrade Molde- On Air- upgrade Finland- On Air Upgrade- ROW discussions Saw Bill Trail North- Prospects- Waiting for Power Cascade River- Construction- waiting for power Silver Island Lake- Construction- Forest service NEPA Lima Mountain- Search area-row discussions Devil Fish- Construction- Antenna Installs Red Lake- prospects/discussions Berner- under negotiation
Motorola System Upgrade Status
Old Towers that Need Replacement
Questions and Thank You. Learning is Not Essential Neither is Survival -Guru Edward Deming The ARMER Monthly reports are also available on the DPS- SECB website (included with the minutes of the SECB monthly meetings).
- QUESTIONS?
Q?