[Scan-DC] Alex. PD Hosts NIJ/NLETC Radio Interconnect System

[email protected] [email protected]
Tue, 13 Aug 2002 12:22:31 -0700 (PDT)


Alex. PD Hosts NIJ/NLETC Radio Interconnect System

Is anyone familiar with a realtime, inter-agency,
interconnect hosted by the Alexandria PD, and is
working with the US Park Police and the Metro Transit
Police? It is an audio bridge between the various
radio networks and also has phone patch capabilities.
It sounds similar to the PMARS system, but slightly
more sophisticated. It is only slightly more
sophisticated than a audio patch panel, a bridging
amp, and VOX control.

A friend (out of town) is interested in it and wants
to know how well (or not) it preforms in the real
world.

It is funded by the National Institute of Justice
(NIJ) as an AGILE project, and in conjunction with the
National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology
Center (NLECTC). The systems is called the "Gateway
System" or ACU-1000. A mobile configuration is call
the TRP-1000 or the Multiple Agency Radio
Interoperability Program (MARIP). The manufacturer of
the audio switch is JPS Communications.

  www.jps.com/products/prodinfo/acu1000.html

The Alex. PD has the equipment set up at their
dispatch center. I have not heard it, but I suspect it
is used with the USPP on one of their non-dispatch
channels (F1, F3, or F4).

It was used for Bush's inauguration in 2000.

Has anyone ever hear this system?  Any Alex. PD
talkgroup IDs or USPP or Metro Transit Police
frequencies?

Please reply here on the list, but if you prefer to
respond privately, email to:

 [email protected]


Below is a web site that has considerable information
on the system and tests done on it in 2000.

  www.nlectc.org/agile/research_dev/voice_comm.html


 Voice Communications Interoperability Using the
ACU-1000 

 A fundamental interoperability challenge is
over-the-air voice communications among public safety
agencies that have different radio systems operating
in different radio frequency bands. As part of the
AGILE Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
Initiative, a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) team
led by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center-Northeast has deployed a
Comunications interoperability capability in the
Washington (DC) region. The key component of this
capability is a Gateway Subsystem installed in the
Alexandria (VA) Police Department (APD). This Gateway
Subsystem provides direct connectivity between the
radio systems of the Alexandria Police Department and
departments with overlapping or adjacent jurisdiction,
even though these systems operate at different
frequency bands (VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz). 


Under the AGILE project, the Alexandria Police
Department, along with the following law enforcement
agencies, are participating with NIJ in an operational
evaluation of this communications interoperability
capability: 

Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, DC United
States Park Police Metro Transit Police Department,
Washington Metro Area Transit Authority 

 Each agency uses radio repeater sites that provide
communications coverage on each agency's frequencies
for its areas of responsibility. The Gateway Subsystem
at APD allows the radio channels of these agencies to
be linked together over-the-air through their existing
radios. The Gateway Subsystem also provides a
telephone interface to allow phone calls to be
connected to the radios. Two-way connections can be
made between any combination of radios and telephone.
The Gateway Subsystem can also simultaneously connect
all interfaces (radios and telephone) to provide a
conference call capability that could be used during
multi-jurisdictional incidents.

 The Gateway Subsystem has been installed at APD's
headquarters and includes antennas, radios, and a
crossband audio switch. The antennas are mounted on
the roof of APD, while the radios and crossband switch
are mounted in an equipment rack in the Equipment Room
of the APD Dispatch Center within APD headquarters.
The radios in the Gateway Subsystem are programmed for
frequencies licensed to the participating agenciesb
and
typically are set to a channel programmed for a
default frequency corresponding to the channel that a
participating agency designates for inter-agency
communications. Radio channels may be changed manually
as required to transmit and receive on different
frequencies.

 There are a number of audio switches available today
that can be used as the basis for the Gateway
Subsystem. However, for this initiative, an ACU-1000
Intelligent Interconnect System (manufactured by JPS
Communications) is being used. The ACU-1000 includes a
rack-mounted (briefcase-sized) chassis with a
backplane to route audio and control signals among the
control module, a local operator interface module, and
radio and telephone interface modules. A graphical
user interface facilitates setting parameter values of
the interface modules and facilitates establishing and
disconnecting links between radio channels/telephone.

The evaluation of the communications interoperability
includes several specific activities.


 The ACU-1000, in its transportable configuration (the
TRP-1000), underwent a technical evaluation at the
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) Institute of Telecommunication
Sciences. These tests investigated Operational
Functionality and Voice Quality performance of the
system. 

 The ACU-1000 was then installed as part of a Gateway
Subsystem to provide communications interoperability
among multiple agencies in the Washington metropolitan
area. 

 Functional and operational tests were conducted
during Summer and Fall of 2000 to determine how the
communications interoperability capability can be
utilized to address real public safety requirements.

 The initial operational use of the Gateway Subsystem
was in support of security for the Inauguration of
President Bush. 

 A comprehensive evaluation of the operational utility
of the interoperability capability is planned for the
Winter and Spring of 2001.

Results of the above activities have been compiled as
Initial Lessons Learned in Testing and Deploying the
ACU-1000. 

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