[Scan-DC] Washington-Allegany-Garrett Interoperable Network (WAGIN)

[Alan Henney]

http://www.radioresourcemag.com/newsArticle.cfm?news_id=4904

Arinc Supplies Cisco System for Maryland Interoperability Network (10/28/09)
The Maryland counties of Washington, Allegany and Garrett, in partnership with the state of Maryland, announced plans to build a three-county radio interoperability network connecting their public-safety mobile radio systems and linking them with the radio systems of three state agencies.

Local and state authorities awarded a federally funded contract to Arinc to deploy the new system, known as Washington-Allegany-Garrett Interoperable Network (WAGIN). The system is expected to be operational as early as January 2010.

“Several serious events, including the recent helicopter crash on Route 70, have shown that interoperable communications are imperative, particularly in rural areas where we often rely on each other for mutual aid,” said Kevin Lewis, a director in the Division of Emergency Services for Washington County, who heads the WAGIN operations committee. “Up to now, we’ve had independent systems that hindered coordination among agencies. This project will connect the systems, providing open communications.”

The WAGIN network will connect to the current radio systems of the Maryland State Highway Administration, the Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland State Police. It will also provide access to all radios of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency operations center, located near Reisterstown.

“Recognizing that state and local budgets are tight, we coordinated efforts to obtain funding for the project under a U.S. Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) grant. This maximizes the value to the counties while minimizing our capital investment,” said Richard DeVore, chief, Allegany County Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management Division, and a member of the WAGIN team.

Arinc has started the network deployment with site surveys, and the company is staging the system in preparation for implementation, said Marvin Ingram, director of Arinc Public Safety Solutions. The WAGIN system will be built using IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) technology from Cisco Systems. It will accommodate physical radio connections, personal computers, IP phone users, and public switched telephone network (PSTN) connections. Arinc also will provide training for county and state agencies that will use the network.

“This network will provide robust radio communications and backup dispatch between these counties and their local and state agencies,” said Craig Fetzer, chief of communications for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Fetzer is the interim chair for WAGIN and project manager for the deployment. “In addition to being a great partnership between the state and local governments and an effective use of grant funds, this open standards-based system is consistent with the statewide communications interoperability plan (SCIP).”