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STARRS - St Louis Area Regional Response System

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Links

Old STARRS Reference info (to be moved to wiki)
http://www.stl-starrs.org/
http://www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/maplibrary/SharedRR8X11MOM.pdf

http://www.stl-starrs.org/library/library.htm#prs

For additional information, see the wiki page: * STARRS - St Louis Area Regional Response System Wiki Page

Communications Study

Communications Study February 2008

Purpose of the Study

  • Assess the radio systems in use and develop design recommendations
  • Develop cost estimates for a system implementation plan
  • Provide a roadmap to Interoperability
  • System Assessments


  • Study began November 2007
  • Interviews held with 34 constituent groups
  • Site inspections currently underway
  • Continued meetings with STARRS committees and staff

Interview Topics

  • Document the formal and informal institutional arrangements among public safety agencies
  • Detailed wide range of technical and operational issues
  • Define interoperability, range, coverage, performance and reliability
  • Summary of Current Systems
  • Conventional Systems (VHF and UHF)
  • Aged systems and equipment
  • Congestion and interference - Too many users, too many systems, not enough channels
  • FCC 2013 “Narrowbanding” Mandate
  • Wideband VHF
  • Franklin County
  • Jefferson County
  • St. Charles County – all but 2 municipalities
  • St. Louis County
  • Madison County – all but Sheriff's Office
  • Monroe County
  • 800 MHz Systems
  • City of St. Louis
  • Metropolitan Police Department 2 site analog 800 MHz system
  • Upgrading to 3 site digital system including Fire Department
  • Lambert Airport 1 site 800 MHz analog system upgrading to a digital 2 site system
  • 800 MHz Systems
  • Metro
  • Existing VHF/UHF and 11 site 800 MHz system upgrading to 21 site 800 MHz system
  • Moving VHF and UHF users to 800 MHz system
  • Madison County Sheriff’s Office on 800 MHz StarCom 21 Network
  • St. Clair County – 800 MHz system connected to StarCom 21 Network
  • Franklin County
  • Jefferson County
  • Lambert Airport
  • Madison County
  • Metro
  • Monroe County
  • St. Clair County
  • St. Charles County
  • City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis County
  • Mixture of systems throughout the region & within same county
  • In conventional systems, equipment is outdated, circa 1960’s
  • 911 dispatch communications changing
  • Volume of users in conventional systems inhibits interoperability
  • Migration to 800MHz is underway
  • Regional users recognize the need to collaborate

Key Findings

  • In our region, we have a complex patchwork of conventional systems (VHF and UHF) and 800MHz

Interoperability issues

  • Coverage problems & requirements
  • System configuration (base equipment, mobiles, and portables)
  • System performance and operational procedures

Current system reliability

  • Existing service requirements
  • Available engineering documentation pertaining to site plans, antenna layouts, and transmitter locations

Planned radio system upgrades

  • 1960’s technology
  • Regarding the FCC narrowbanding mandate: All regional VHF systems operate in wideband mode
  • No active local or regional narrowband plans
  • Upgrades will alter existing system coverage
  • Limited availability of parts
  • Adds layers of complexity to interoperability
  • Caused by both internal and external agencies
  • Perpetuates dispatch and field retransmissions
  • Overrides emergency and routine radio traffic
  • Results in delayed communications
  • Regarding 911: Efficiency and effectiveness is impacted by radio congestion and interference
  • Over 50% of 911 calls are from cell phones
  • Significantly increases incoming 911 calls for a single incident
  • Reduction in landline subscribers/911 calls
  • Decreasing 911 revenues
  • VoIP Internet 911 calls increasing

St. Louis Land Mobile Communications Study

  • February 2008
  • Purpose of the Study
    • Assess the radio systems in use and develop design recommendations
    • Develop cost estimates for a system implementation plan
    • Provide a roadmap to Interoperability

System Assessments

  • Study began November 2007
  • Interviews held with 34 constituent groups
  • Site inspections currently underway
  • Continued meetings with STARRS committees and staff

Interview Topics

  • Document the formal and informal institutional arrangements among public safety agencies
  • Detailed wide range of technical and operational issues
  • Define interoperability, range, coverage, performance and reliability
  • Summary of Current Systems
  • Conventional Systems (VHF and UHF)
  • Aged systems and equipment
  • Congestion and interference - Too many users, too many systems, not enough channels
  • FCC 2013 “Narrowbanding” Mandate
  • Wideband VHF
  • Franklin County
  • Jefferson County
  • St. Charles County – all but 2 municipalities
  • St. Louis County
  • Madison County – all but Sheriff's Office
  • Monroe County
  • 800 MHz Systems
  • City of St. Louis
  • Metropolitan Police Department 2 site analog 800 MHz system
  • Upgrading to 3 site digital system including Fire Department
  • Lambert Airport 1 site 800 MHz analog system upgrading to a digital 2 site system
  • 800 MHz Systems
  • Metro
  • Existing VHF/UHF and 11 site 800 MHz system upgrading to 21 site 800 MHz system
  • Moving VHF and UHF users to 800 MHz system
  • Madison County Sheriff’s Office on 800 MHz StarCom 21 Network
  • St. Clair County – 800 MHz system connected to StarCom 21 Network

Key Findings

  • Mixture of systems throughout the region & within same county
  • In conventional systems, equipment is outdated, circa 1960’s
  • 911 dispatch communications changing
  • Volume of users in conventional systems inhibits interoperability
  • Migration to 800MHz is underway
  • Regional users recognize the need to collaborate
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