SyTech Corporation and communication interoperability, I
early 2007, for example, SyTech designed, fielded, and trained twenty-six Joint Incident Site Communications Systems for the Army and Air National Guard. The systems are all operational and connectivity is provided via satellite bandwidth using the RIOS Wide Area Network (RWAN) mesh technology. The costs provided in the table below are thus actual system costs. The only variable would be the selection of more items, that is, portable radios to be included in the recommended radio “cache.”
Assumptions:
The following assumptions are being made to provide interoperability at a reasonable cost:
- The cost is based on a “standard state” with 100 counties (PSAP locations)
- Each PSAP uses a combination of installed base radios and ten mobile radios
- The mobile radios will be costed for each PSAP
- Each state will have six mobile vehicles. The mobile vehicles will have radios, VSAT, routers, switches, video server, RIOS server, antenna, video, internet, two laptops with 802.11 wireless, and two RIOS client licenses and EVDO broadband internet connectivity
- Each state will have three transportable shelters for incident commander command and control
- Each transportable shelter will have 6 mobile radios, 25 handheld UHF or VHF handheld radios, VSAT, routers, switches, video server, GIS server, RIOS server, antennas, repeater, video, internet, 15 laptops with 802.11 wireless, and five RIOS client licenses, EVDO broadband internet connectivity, 1.5 Mbps satellite bandwidth (on demand), tent, 3 diesel generators (13 KW, 6 KW, and 3 KW), 42 BTU A/C unit; transportable systems will also include one 2.5 ton short bed pick capable of being transported in a C-130 with the trailer
- Each state will have a radio “cache” of 100 VHF, 100 UHF, and 100 800 MHz portable radios; this cache of 300 radios is over and above the 25 portable handhelds provided with each transportable shelter
|
No. |
System |
Equipment description |
Cost/System |
Qty. |
Total price |
|
1 |
PSAP location |
RIOS dual server, RIOS wide area Sw, UPS, rack, KVM switch, five client computers with RIOS client software, leased IP net connection (384 Kbps), router, switch, LAN, installation, training, system documentation, commercial manuals, other misc. items |
$75,000 |
100 (PSAP locations) |
$7,500,000 |
|
2 |
Mobile radios |
Combination of VHF, UHF, and 800; includes remote control Sw, rack, installation |
$45,000 |
100 |
$4,500,000 |
|
3 |
Base radios |
Supplied by site (10 connections to current radios, $1,000/connection) |
$10,000 |
100 |
$1,000,000 |
|
4 |
Mobile vehicle |
Expedition (2007 or 2008), heavy duty battery & alternator, six mobile radios, RIOS server, six radios, VSAT, routers, switches, video server, RIOS server, antenna, video, internet, 2 laptops with 802.11 wireless, and two RIOS client licenses and EVDO broadband internet connective |
$300,000 |
6 |
$1,800,000 |
|
5 |
Transportable shelter |
Six mobile radios, 25 handheld UHF or VHF handheld radios, VSAT, routers, switches, video server, GIS server, RIOS server, antennas, repeater, video, internet, 15 laptops with 802.11 wireless and five RIOS client licenses, EVDO broadband internet connective, 1.5 Mbps satellite bandwidth (on demand), tent, 3 diesel generators (13 KW, 6 KW, and 3 KW), 42 BTU A/C unit; transportable systems will also include one 3/4 ton short bed pick up capable of being transported in a C-130 with the trailer. |
$550,000 |
3 |
$1,650,000 |
|
6 |
Radio cache |
VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz portable radios (three caches of 300 radios each) |
$900,000 3,000 X300 |
3 |
$2,700,000 |
|
|
Repeaters |
Repeaters (portable) with antenna tower and antennas, small portable diesel generator (1 KW). |
$35,000 |
6 |
$210,000 |
|
|
Shelter (trailer) plus cases |
Thirteen foam padded storm cases plus trailer per cache |
$15,000 |
3 |
$45,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
$19,405,000 |
-read more about communication interoperability in:
- Gil Armendariz, “Interoperability and Infrastructure Planning: A Practical Solution to Public Safety Interoperability,” Pt. 1, Emergency Number Professional Magazine (March 2008): 59-64
- Gil Armendariz, “Interoperability and Infrastructure Planning: A Practical Solution to Public Safety Interoperability,” Pt. 2, Emergency Number Professional Magazine (April 2008)
- Guide to Radio Communications Interoperability Strategies and Products,” Report No. TE-02-02 (Rome New York: National Institute of Justice, 2003)
- Jim Szalajeski, SyTech Systems Engineer, “Radio Inter-Operability, It’s Simply Planning,” MRT Magazine (January 2007)
