[ScanIndiana] Few Glitches In Fort Wayne System

[David Safdy]

Article from yesterday's Fort Wayne News Sentinel.
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Emergency agencies switch smoothly to new radio system 

Thursday, January 17, 2002 
By Shawn McGrath
of The News-Sentinel

Authorities encountered few glitches during the switch over to a digital
800-megahertz communication system Tuesday.

"We're very pleased with it," Fort Wayne Police Department Assistant
Chief John Grannan said. "It went very smoothly."  City communications
changed over around 7 a.m., Grannan said. The Allen County Sheriff's
Department switched shortly afterward, Sheriff Jim Herman said.

Herman said Allen County officers are used to the enhanced
communications of an 800-megahertz system - they switched to an analog
system in 1988. But the digital system is a first.  For now, the $13
million system lets most emergency departments communicate directly,
instead of depending on dispatchers to relay messages.

New Haven Police Chief Mike Sweet said his department will join the
system in the coming months. Most of the work of setting up the system
concentrated on Fort Wayne and Allen County, and New Haven had to wait.

"Basically, the people doing the install for the city and county were
tied up with that," Sweet said. "We're just kind of taking a backseat. I
imagine it will be a month at the earliest (before New Haven joins the
system)."

Grannan said city police had a few minor glitches, such as officers
accidentally trying to use their old radios. But there were no major
problems.  The old communication system likely will be sold or donated
to a smaller law enforcement agency or organization, Grannan said.

Motorola Corp. had planned the switch for Jan. 8, but missed a paperwork
deadline with the Federal Communications Commission.  The hand-held
radios cost around $3,000 and aren't available to the general public, so
local scanner enthusiasts won't be able to listen in on radio traffic.