Ohio MARCS IP: Local Partnerships

Ohio MARCS-IP / Local Partnership Program

Ohio MARCS has implemented a Local Partnership program which allows counties around the state to enter into partnership agreements with the State of Ohio for the use of the system. There are five partnership Tiers, each offering different levels of sharing and use. The Tier levels are:

Tier 1 - Basic Subscriber

• County uses MARCS towers and pays MARCS subscriber fees (currently $20/month per radio).

Tier 2 - Enhanced Local Infrastructure

• County which builds their own tower sites and asks MARCS to handle tower maintenance and subscriber management.

Tier 3 - Connecting P25 Systems

• County with separate standalone system connected to MARCS. County can determine which talkgroups and agencies may roam to their system.

Tier 4 - Sharing Core Resources

• County which builds, maintains and manages their own tower sites and subscribers but shares the appropriate MARCS zone controller. County can determine which talkgroups and agencies may roam to their tower sites.

Tier 5 - Shared Zone Controllers

• County with separate zone controller connected to and part of the MARCS network. The State of Ohio owns the MARCS Master Site (master controller) and Zone 1 controller.

Current Partners

• Clermont County (Tier 4) - currently under construction
• Clinton County (Tier 2) - currently under construction
• Franklin County (Tier 4) - currently under construction
• Geauga County (Tier 4) - operational
• Greene County (Tier 2) - operational
• Jefferson County (Tier 5) - owns and maintains Zone 3 controller
• Lake County (Tier 5) - owns and maintains Zone 2 controller
• Warren County (Tier 4) - operational

Montgomery County / City of Dayton and the City of Columbus have stated the intention to enter into Tier 4 partnerships.