In public safety, the radio is the lifeline between the dispatcher and first responders. The importance of calling for help and getting through to dispatch or the other units in the field on the first try really can be a matter of life or death for the personnel trying to get help. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, really brought this point home. The biggest tragedy at an event is that one of your team members didn't come home because the radios do not work properly.

In working on radio systems for more than 40 years each, we have seen firsthand many systems with problems that contribute to the public-safety radio systems not allowing first responders to get the required help when it is needed.

A perfect system will have 100% coverage for the department's jurisdiction. In addition, the department must have the proper FCC authorizations for the radio channels it is using. Finally, the department must have a standard operating procedure that ensures that the radios always are used in a manner that ensures help is available on the first transmission, as sometimes that is the only transmission that is made. In that case, the seconds really do count.

It is very rare that we do not find at least some problems when we are working on a system. Some of the most common problems that we encounter include:

• Short-range system range does not match the jurisdiction.
• Inadequate system engineering.
• Inadequate installations.
• Unforeseen problems at sites.
• Components not meeting specifications.

The results of these problems include:

• No access by mobiles or portables into the system.
• Operation does not match the FCC authorizations.

The other major issue that we find is that the SOP for the organization does not obey the laws of physics. The radios cannot work from some locations back to the repeater or trunking system. A change of the SOP and hardware might be necessary to correct these problems.

Proper Operation

Even if your system does have good coverage and meets all of your demands and needs, you still may have issues and not even know that they exist until an incident arises and you find out there is a problem, but only after someone is injured or killed.

If you can answer yes to every one of the following items, then you probably do have a good system. If you answer no to any of these, then there probably are other items that also need examination.

• Does the system range cover the entire jurisdiction?
• Can you go into a building that is burning with the AC power off, and that building has a bi-directional amplifier that is battery powered?
• Do you have all of your radio channels properly licensed and all of your interoperability channels also licensed properly?
• Does everybody hear everybody else?

It only takes one incident to wake up your department that there is a problem with the radio system.

FCC Licenses

The FCC — and the NTIA for all federal government stations — does an excellent job to help achieve have good radio coverage, if the applications are in proper order. The designated frequency coordinators are very diligent in trying to keep interference as low as possible, and also keeping co-channel users as far apart as is practical. No agency can use transmitters that are not authorized. Just because your local radio dealer says it has taken care of the licensing does not mean that it was done. The licensee is fully responsible for having the correct authorization for every radio channel that it uses.

Some of the problems that we have found include:

• Base stations on the wrong frequency, running the wrong emission type and modulating more than the authorized bandwidth.
• Mobile and portable unit counts grossly understated, on the wrong frequency, running the wrong emission type, modulating more than the authorized bandwidth and working outside of the authorized operational area.
• Control station counts grossly understated, not licensed, on the wrong frequency, running the wrong emission type, modulating more than the authorized bandwidth and working outside of the authorized operational area.
• Interoperable channels that are not properly authorized between agencies and jurisdictions.

Operational Plans and Radios

Every agency has at least one dispatch location. Sometimes it is inside the headquarters of that agency. Many times, the county sheriff provides that service. What is missing at many agencies is a backup dispatch point that can be activated should there ever be a technical or operational problem at the primary dispatch point. In addition, the backup dispatch point is required to be properly licensed if a base station is at that site.

Many agencies use pagers for alerting field personnel. The pager count and operating parameters are required to be stated on the FCC authorization.

The tactical and ground-control channels also are required to be licensed. Many agencies are purchasing digital radios, and these do require that the FCC license be modified for the change in emission type.