Office of Chief Information Officer

Public Safety CommunicationsNEBRASKA

STATEWIDE RADIO SYSTEM

Building a Statewide Communication System, Partnerships, AND

Interoperability from the ground up.

State of Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer

Public Safety Team

How We Accomplished…

The Project The Partnerships The Interoperability Plan

What we’ll cover

It takes a cast of many to accomplish a successful system. It’s a big task to maintain focus and stick to the project scope. There can only be a few leaders.

Implementing a communication system of any size is a large undertaking!

First (Expectations)

Define the purpose and get political support: Improving communications for state law enforcement. Improve technology, coverage, capacity, reliability.

It’s not too difficult to understand the need.

Set realistic objectives: State agencies would be the primary users initially. State would manage certain aspects of the project. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS – This will be a constant

challenge!

This gets a little trickier. What are the stated objectives and project scope?

The project: How we got started

Know your cost factors: Frequencies, licensing, tower infrastructure, remediation,

network, subscriber equipment, facilities, personnel, maintenance, training, system lifecycle, ongoing support.

Have a timeline: Obtaining the needed information (consultants, RFI, user

input…) Assembling the interested parties Framing user agency requirements RFP process, evaluation, contract award, protests Implementing the system Project acceptance and final closeout

The project: How we got started

RFP in 2007 Contract award to Motorola in 2008 State and public power owned, managed, and

maintained(the partnership started coming together during the RFP requirements)

Green light! Funded and ready to go…now what?

Governor support and Legislature funded

Building a plan: Hiring a consultant - Consultants are for advising, not

deciding. You need a clear idea about your system, who the system

will serve, a realistic scope, cost, timeline, and adjusting to unexpected change.

Gathering the participants and relevant information: Participation by the user agencies Framing the RFP requirements Using your consultant’s input Coordinating with your purchasing agency

The project

The project

Project Management: Working with multiple Project Managers (Motorola, State, NPPD) The Customer’s objective – a successful system and successful users The Vendor’s objective – win the contract, install the system, and get

paid

RULE #1: These objectives are NOT the same!(Although both want a successful outcome.)

We divided ours and the vendor’s responsibilities and learned to coordinate.

Business process ensures invoicing and payments are tracked. Technical process ensures implementation goes as planned and delays

can be minimized. Joint PM ensures deliverables are met on both sides.

We managed two project timelines to track progress and anticipate work flows.

How we managed the process: Division of responsibilities and deliverables Avoiding the Blame Game Dealing with Conflicts, Negative media attention and the

Politics. Coverage testing and the so-called “coverage

guarantee.” Towers, network, frequencies, and system acceptance. There is no one way to do a system, but there are many

common issues with all systems. Project closeout and tying up the loose ends

The project

The project 2 Master Switches: State location in

Lincoln and NPPD location in Kearney DSR (dynamic system resiliency) 51 towers networked to the masters 6 state and 2 public power dispatch

centers VHF multi-site trunked wide area roaming Digital “P25” radio standard Mobile VHF radios, portable 700/800 MHz

radios 700 MHz DVRS extends portable

coverage Make use of urban trunked 800 MHz

systems for portable coverage

The partnership

Interest by NPPD, the state’s largest public power utility in joining the state project. They needed a new radio system too.

Interest by the state OCIO in partnering to share the cost, ownership, management, and maintenance of the system.

The partnership

The result: Joining the state Office of the Chief Information Officer public safety team and Nebraska Public Power District telecommunication team to integrate system management.

How we Manage the System: System Operating Group – Director level

decisions System Administrative Group – System policy

and operating decisions System User Group – User agency representation

Partnerships are a lot of work but they work!

The System User Group involves decision makers who understand their agency communications operations.

The partnership

Key principles: System User Group is an education forum and to discuss any issues deemed

important by the users.

Everyone takes responsibility for the issues under their control.

No one gets to blame the process or the system or what is outside their control.

Accountability for each agency’s responsibilities ensures everyone is getting the correct information.

Problems are openly acknowledged and discussed.

Solving problems takes understanding the process, and everyone understanding that it takes commitment, time and money.

The partnership

OCIO and NPPD have joint ownership and maintenance

System Operating Group (SOG): State Chief Information Officer and NPPD Telecom Admin

System Administrative Group (SAG): OCIO Public Safety and NPPD Telecom

System User Group (SUG): All agencies using the system (local, state, federal)

System management

1. Establish a Project leader and Coordinator.2. Hire assistance to advise while forming the

process.3. There is no one system that fits everyone. You

have to decide a starting point, stick to your plan.4. Develop processes for policies and to continually

improve the system and management. 5. Training and education for the users and

dispatchers is hugely important. 6. The system is dispatch oriented.

Lesson learned

Training the users and dispatchers is THE biggest

issue for success in any communication system.

Training

Cost model is a basic fee structure Consideration given for local enhancements to system Each partnership is taken case-by-case Accommodating local legacy systems Consolette radio on the local legacy console User radios for interoperability on the system Console upgrade to network on system Towers/facilities that may benefit the system. Interoperability on designated talk groups Flexibility to add agencies, consoles, towers, talk groups,

capacity

Partnering

Sharing a system successfully lays the groundwork for creating other partnerships.

How we are creating partnerships in the system Joint infrastructure ownership, management, and maintenance User Group of user representation Federal spectrum sharing Local access to the system Opportunities for investment in the system that meets user needs while

growing participation in the system System sharing is what it’s about Evolving talk group planning Established subscriber unit planning Cost modeling…create a recipe for success attractive to adding new partners It’s more than creating a fee, it’s a creating a sustainable support plan, and the

flexibility to consider what partners may be able to contribute

Partnering

Maintenance of towers, generators, sites, network is all shared between state and NPPD

OCIO and NPPD both support their respective networks NPPD sends the outage notifications to users agencies OCIO maintains 75% of the towers, NPPD owns 25% 50/50 cost share of the Motorola system Technicians can go to any site for system maintenance

Internal vs vendor support services We buy software support, technical call-in, and security software All other needs we support internally between OCIO and NPPD

Shared maintenance

Statewide mobile coverage

Optimistic Coverage Map User perception

Pessimistic Coverage Map User perception to

Slightly Pessimistic Coverage Map User perception

Noise value or budget to set coverage expectation. 12-15 dB noise not-to-exceed (issue is then vehicle not the

system)

Coverage

Creating a fleet map structure and shared talk groups Training and ongoing support for all users and

dispatchers Dispatcher and user input Education on radio features Operational policies and field practice System statistics on user operation Education on system sharing between agencies Fleet map revisions and ongoing subscriber planning

Subscriber radios

System orientation System use planning Explain costs Equipment options and guidance Ensure the plan fits the agency’s needs Public Safety Agencies POC = OCIO Public Utilities POC = NPPD

Assisting local agencies

One-Time costs Purchase dispatch consoles & network connection Purchase user radios User equipment installation and programming

Recurring costs Service Agreement with state OCIO Maintenance/repair/replacement dispatch consoles and radio

equipment (radio service shop) Apply software patches/updates (radio service shop) Console network connection recurring fees (network provider)

Cost to join the system

State Patrol Nebraska Public Power District Lincoln Electric System State Fire Marshal’s Office Game and Parks Commission Department of Corrections Department of Roads Agriculture, Adult Parole, DEQ, DMV, NEMA… Lincoln County Sheriff and Emergency Manager FBI, US Marshal, ATF, US Fish & Wildlife

System Users

Interoperability is about having a plan that fits people. Start realistic, and simple is best. Don’t underestimate the time and training involved. Common mistakes:

1. Creating a plan for interoperability before testing it with the users and dispatchers.

2. NOT taking into account user and dispatcher feedback.

“Interoperability without testing and training is a myth.”

Interoperability

The “ROC” talk group plan Orientation, training and testing provided at no cost No use fee

One-Time costs Purchase consolette and/or user radios User equipment installation and programming

Recurring costs Maintenance/repair/replacement radio equipment (radio service

shop) Apply software patches/updates (radio service shop)

Interoperability

Interoperability

Shared talk groups

Regional Operations Common “ROC” talk groups.

Shared frequencies

National interoperability frequencies “VTAC” “UTAC” 8TAC”…

Working with multiple manufacturers to test their radios Provide expanded equipment options and

pricing Ensure manufacturer support WSCA contract participating addenda Provide state expertise in programming radios Ensure problems are addressed with

manufacturers

Testing other manufacturerP25 radios

Orientation for local radio shops Training and assistance to educate about the system We’re assisting radio shops and their technicians to

understand: How their services support the system and its users The state process for their involvement The requirements for equipment installation, programming

and testing

Don’t just go buy a bunch of radios before talking with the OCIO about your intentions!!!

Local radio shops

“ROC” Talk Groups Regional Operations Common (Based on Patrol troop areas)

Interoperability

Interoperability

H ROC CALLH ROC1H ROC2

B ROC CALLB ROC1B ROC2

Etc…

Interoperability

ROC talk groups at local dispatch console(In Patrol consoles and state radios also)

E ROC Call

Interoperability

Partnerships

Mike JeffresPublic Safety Systems Manager

Office of the CIO501 S 14th StreetLincoln NE 68508

402-471-3719mike.jeffres@nebraska.gov

Thanks!!! Please let us know how we can assist!