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York County

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The York County, Pennsylvania Department of Emergency Services are in the final build-out stages of a new, state-of-the-art, radio communications network. The system is an M/A-Com P25ip 500mhz digital trunked radio system, and is anticipated to see end user loading in 2008.

The new system will allow public safety users throughout the county to communicate with one another seamlessly while they carry out their respective daily missions, as well as during periods of extreme emergency and disaster. Currently, public safety professionals in the county operate with a patchwork of obsolete and unreliable radio systems in many different bands. Implementation of the new system will bring all users together onto a sturdy, trustworthy network that will serve York County deep into the 21st Century.

York's system will employ a series twenty-two tower sites encompassing four simulcast zones and a single-site zone to provide reliable portable radio coverage in all reaches of the county. While some tower sites are situated on existing towers or structures, a handful of new towers have been erected. Also, new hardened, climate-controlled shelter buildings have been built to house the system's electronics. The simulcast timing is controlled by redundant GPS clocks located at each simulcast site. A microwave backbone will connect system sites to one another and to the control stations at the newly constructed 911 center and the back-up facility.


                                        Central Zone

The most robust of the simulcasts, this zone employs nine tower sites and utilizes fourteen repeater channels to provide coverage for the central mass of the county, which includes Metro York, Springettsbury, Manchester, West Manchester, Spring Garden, Spry, Dallastown and Red Lion.

Tower Sites: Emergency Service Center (Pleasant Acres Road), Judicial Center (downtown York City), Manchester Township, Pleasureville, Queen Street (Fox 43), Red Lion (TV49), Long-Term Back-Up Facility (West Manchester Township Complex), Wrightsville Water Tank, and East Manchester Water Tank

Frequencies: 500.31250, 500.36250, 500.56250, 500.61250, 500.78750, 500.86250, 501.03750 501.11250, 501.28750, 501.36250, 501.53750, 501.63750, 501.76250, 501.88750


                                        North Zone

Covering the northern areas of the county, the North Zone utilizes ten repeater channels from four tower sites, and provides service for Dillsburg, Yocumtown, Lake Pinchot, and Fairview.

Tower Sites: Dillsburg, Ramsey Hill, Reesers Summit, and Yocumtown

Frequencies: 500.48750, 500.53750, 500.81250, 500.91250, 501.06250, 501.31250, 501.33750 501.56250, 501.58750, 501.81250


                                        West Zone

The West simulcast will provide coverage for the Hanover area, as well as Spring Grove, West Manheim, Lineboro, and Heidelburg/Porters Sidling. The zone will simulcast from two towers, and employ ten repeater channels.

Tower Sites: Iron Ridge (Pigeon Hills), Spring Grove

Frequencies: 500.63750, 500.68750, 500.93750, 501.08750, 501.38750, 501.46250, 501.73750, 501.78750, 501.93750, 502.03750


                                        South Zone

Providing signal to the ever-growing communities of southern York County, the South Zone will take advantage of two towers constructed by the Commonwealth for the state wide radio system, along with four other tower sites. This zone will provide adequate capacity with it's ten repeater channels.

Tower Sites: Crossroads (East Hopewell Township Building), Gatchelville (York 89),Lower Chanceford, Glen Rock, Shrewsbury (York 94), and Stewartstown Water Tank

Frequencies: 500.33750, 500.46250, 500.58750, 500.73750, 500.88750, 500.98750, 501.18750, 501.26250, 501.43750, 501.48750


                                        Fulton Zone

A single tower site, this system employs three repeater channels to provide coverage of the often troublesome Susquehanna River proper in extreme southeast York County. Located on the Lancaster County side of the river, it provides a clear shot upstream.

Frequencies: 502.01250, 502.36250, 502.53750


                                        Paging

York County's legacy paging includes one low band frequency and two UHF channels to disseminate calls to public safety workers. Upon completion of the new system, a single channel UHF POCSAG alphanumeric paging system will be deployed, eventually replacing the legacy paging entirely. Operating on a frequency of 453.600, the new paging system will simulcast from 18 of the county's 22 tower sites, providing reliable service to all first responders county-wide.


                                        Conventional

It is anticipated that York County will maintain very few conventional channels once cut-over to the new digital trunked system is complete. FMARS (Fire Mutual Aid Radio System, 154.280mhz) and NLEEF (National Law Enforcement Emergency Frequency, more often referred to simply as "National" 155.475mhz) base stations will be maintained for inter-county communications. It is unknown as to whether York County intends to deploy 8-TAC or U-TAC base stations for additional interoperability.