[Scan-DC] News article on reband; Big Rapids, Michigan

[Alan Henney]

The Pioneer (Big Rapids, Michigan)

August 29, 2013 Thursday

Dispatch Copes with Smaller Signals; 
Local Emergency Agencies Adjust to Federal Mandate Restricting Radio Frequencies

BYLINE: Lonnie Allen; Pioneer Staff Writer

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 771 words

MECOSTA COUNTY - Federally mandated changes in frequency bandwidth have caused local law enforcement agencies to make upgrades in older equipment in order to hear radio calls.

The Federal Communications Commission mandated all users on the 25 megahertz bandwidth to broadcast using 12.5 megahertz - basically cutting the broadcast signal in half.

Much like a FM radio dial, this spectrum is divided up and allocated to those who need to broadcast using a radio frequency. Each user is given a unique frequency so interference between broadcasters is avoided. 

Commonly known as "narrow banding," this mandate constricts these margins so that new usable frequencies can be issued to meet increasing demand. Reducing the bandwidth also reduces the range radio signals can travel.

The FCC mandate has caused some smaller municipalities to pay for upgrades to older equipment in order to receive calls from the Meceola Central Dispatch Center.

"We experience a degradation in the signal because of distance and buildings," said Terry Vogel, technical manager for Meceola Central Dispatch Center, and Barryton Fire Chief.

At the higher bandwidth, it was much easier for a signal to bounce around trees, building and other objects to be received on the other end, Vogel said.

With less range, narrow banding limits the signal's ability to penetrate buildings and other objects.

"I don't believe one person will say it was a good thing," Vogel said "My department in Barryton had to spend $30,000 to buy equipment so we could hear calls."

Big Rapids Department of Public Safety Director Andrea Nerbonne was not part of the DPS when the department was preparing for the narrow banding mandate. She does acknowledge some problems with hearing radio calls in certain areas of the city.

The narrow banding mandate opens up more frequencies for the FCC to sell. Vogel said the FCC plans on narrowing the band even more to free up more space. This has some law enforcement agencies transitioning to the digital 800-MHz system, which can be encrypted. That move would cause regular scanner traffic to go silent.

Laurie Smalla, director of Meceola Central Dispatch Center, said law enforcement is moving to digital because everyone can monitor the regular police frequency.

"Bad guys monitor law enforcement frequencies too," Smalla said "They can hear what police are doing in the area, and it's not always good for law enforcement."

Smalla did say Meceola has not switched to the digital system and there is no plans to switch over.

Theron Shinew, deputy director of Michigan Public Safety Communications System, said Michigan has led the way on the digital system.

"We have had this system in place since the late 1990s,"

Shinew said. "We were one of the first ones in the country. In fact, after Sept. 11, is when you saw the scramble of law enforcement agencies to adopt systems similar to ours."

Originally set up for the Michigan State Police, it was quickly recognized the digital system could do much more than intended, Shinew said.

"Today, it is one of the largest systems in North America," Shinew said. "We have more than 1,400 police, fire and EMS and more than 60,000 radios on our system.

"Entire counties have switched over, including Monroe, Genesee, Saginaw, Berrien and all of the Upper Peninsula."

The state of Michigan maintains the infrastructure to the system, similar to how a person's cellphone plan works.

"You buy the radios and pay us for the plan," Shinew said.

The most expensive plan would cost a municipality roughly $17 a month, Shinew said. The amount of radio use required would depend on the agency's needs. The digital system requires fewer towers and people can still listen to the scanner if the agency is not encrypted.

"You just need to use a digital scanner," Shinew said. "It is no different than the television changes where you needed to convert to the digital signal."

The option to encrypt, is there for any law enforcement agency but Shinew said undercover agencies are more likely to be using encryption.

The advantages of going digital allow mass communication between agencies on the system. Another advantage is the ability to communicate with other states on the same digital radio.

"If we have a bad guy that leaves the state and goes into Ohio, for example, the MSP can continue to communicate when they leave the state and not worry about inoperability between the agencies," Shinew said.

He understands smaller communities could be already invested in the high-band system and are not ready to switch.

"We know they want to get their money's worth from their current equipment," he said.

LOAD-DATE: August 30, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: CALLS: Meceola Central Dispatch Center is the hub for police, fire, rescue and 911 calls for Mecosta and Osceola counties. (Pioneer photo/Lonnie Allen) SMALLA: "They can hear what police are doing in the area, and it's not always good for law enforcement."