Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee (KWIEC) Overview

Presentation to: 2006 Homeland Security and Local Government Conference

April 5th, 2006

KWIEC

• Formed the KWIEC in the 2003 Session• Administered through the Commonwealth Office of

Technology (COT) • Established Objectives of the Committee:

– To formalize the role and reporting requirements of this group– To adopt a nationally recognized title for the organization– To expand membership to include local stakeholders at all levels of

public safety service provision– To address communications interoperability, a homeland security

issue critical to the ability of public safety first responders to communication with each other by radio

– To advise and make recommendations regarding strategic wireless initiatives to achieve public safety voice and data communications interoperability

The passage of HB 309

KWIEC - Membership

• 21 committee members representing various disciplines of public safety spanning multiple levels of government:– State Government– County Government– Municipal Government– Municipal Police Department– Local Fire Department– County Sheriff’s Department– Local Emergency Medical Services– Local 911 Dispatch

COT

• Mission– To provide leadership in the area of information

technology, promote efficiency, eliminate waste and duplication and improve government services

• Administration of the KWIEC– To facilitate committee meetings– To host interoperability communication conferences– To research and advise architecture standards regarding

technology initiatives to achieve public safety voice and data communications interoperability

– To maintain the KWIEC Website– To maintain the KWEIC Listserv

KWIEC - Timeline

May 2001KentuckyWirelessSteering

Committee

July 2001Law Enforcement

TechnologyProject Begins

(Center for Rural Development)

February 2002Public Safety

Working GroupFormed

December 2002Public Safety

Wireless NetworkConference

October 2001WirelessStrategic

Plan

April 2003Kentucky Wireless

Interoperability ExecutiveCommittee Formed

April 2004HB 226

was signed

May 2004Kentucky Wireless

Interoperability EducationConferences Begin

August 2004Kentucky HomelandSecurity Conference

Focuses onInteroperability

November 2004Wireless Data Standard

Mutual Aid PlanNetwork Communications Plan

November 2004Assessment of Project PlansEvaluation of Project PlansKnowledge Management

System

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

2004 – Interoperability Goals

1. Develop a template for the review and approval process of project submission plans to be in compliance with the directives of HB226

2. Support a statewide wireless voice mutual aid plan3. Pursue a strategic initiative for a statewide

wireless data network4. Support a tactical initiative to improve

communications interoperability using a networked voice gateway technology solution

5. Develop a network architecture that meets the national standard (P25) for statewide public safety voice communications systems

All Five Interoperability Goals have been Accomplished

2005 Interoperability Accomplishments

• Establishment of procedures for the evaluation and recommendation of all public safety wireless communications architecture, standards, and strategies. The following methodologies have been approved and endorsed by KWIEC (Goal 1)– Assessment of project plans – Evaluation of project plans– Knowledge management system (store, retrieve, and post reviews) – Review, recommendation, and approval of eighty-two state and local

agencies’ project plans for primary wireless public safety voice or data communications systems

• Development and recommendation of required architecture and standards that will ensure new or upgraded public safety wireless communications systems will interoperate. The following standards and methodologies have been approved and endorsed by KWIEC (Goals 2, 3, 4)– Mutual aid voice communication interoperability plan – Public safety wireless data interoperability standard– Network communications gateway plan

• Research and presentation of “Public Safety Wireless Architecture for the Commonwealth of Kentucky – Project 25 Wireless Voice Communications Interoperability” to KWIEC (Goal 5)

2005 – Above and Beyond

• Partnerships Established to Promote Communications Interoperability

• Interoperability Communication Conferences• SAFECOM – First Responder Interoperability Pilot

Project• KWIEC Website• Kentucky Emergency Warning System (KEWS)• Wireless Data Communications Interoperability• Wireless Data Communications Deployment• Wireless Voice Communications Interoperability• Wireless Voice Communications Deployment

Partnerships

• Consortium of agencies united to establish the methodology to interlink their standards-compliant wireless data networks in a single logical network, thus creating a seamless statewide wireless data network.

– Ohio Valley Interoperability Communications Consortium (EM Region 3)

– Lexington Fayette County Urban Government– Louisville Metro Government– Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet – Commonwealth Office of Technology – Center for Rural Development

Interoperability Communications Conferences

• To educate, plan, and foster voice and data communications interoperability among local, state, and federal public safety agencies

• Speakers include:– Representative Charles Siler, Kentucky House District 83– Dr. David Boyd, Director of SAFECOM Project– Major Woody Sandy, Director of Support Services, North

Carolina State Highway Patrol– Chris Essid, Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator,

Commonwealth of Virginia– John Antenucci, Founder of PlanGraphics

SAFECOM – Pilot Project

• Selected by SAFECOM as one of only two states to take part in a First Responder Communication Pilot Project to provide a statewide strategy to implement radio interoperability communications throughout the Commonwealth.

• For the Kentucky pilot project, SAFECOM will work with the Commonwealth and local partner agencies to implement the following steps:– Establish key relationships and gather information– Create a project plan and identify roles and responsibilities for project

team– Prepare and conduct focus group interviews– Prepare and conduct strategic planning sessions– Develop a statewide communications interoperability strategic plan – Create guidelines for the first ninety days of implementation 

www.kwiec.ky.gov

KWIEC - Website

Wireless Data Communications

• Developing Directions– Emergence of wireless data communications

as an integral role in providing emergency

services to the citizens of the Commonwealth.– Increase deployment of wireless data networks across the

Commonwealth.– Infusion of funding from KOHS will increase in both urban

and rural deployments of wireless data communication networks.

– Increase participation among public safety agencies to coordinate activities among each other while responding to an emergency.

Wireless Data Communication

• KWIEC’s Involvement– To provide a Vision that will establish a seamless

public safety wireless data communications infrastructure and methodologies that will enhance the Commonwealth’s ability to deliver effective and timely emergency services to its citizens and avoid the creation of separate disparate non-interoperable wireless data communication networks

– To establish a Wireless Data Interoperability Standard that will achieve the above Vision

Wireless Data Interoperability

• The support of the shared vision and the passage of the wireless data interoperability standard by KWIEC established the foundation for public safety agencies to operate their wireless data equipment within their own networks.

• This action facilitated the creation of a consortium of agencies to develop a public safety wireless data communications infrastructure that supports user roaming throughout the Commonwealth and permits local agency users to access their mobile applications from “foreign” service areas.

Wireless Data Infrastructure

• Achieving the Vision of a Commonwealth-Wide, Fault Tolerant, Seamless Public Safety Wireless Data Communication Network

Various Existing Systems (Non-Interoperable)

Various Proposed New Systems (30)

Wireless Data Standards Enables Interoperability

Completion Date May 2006

Wireless Voice Communication

• Public safety agencies operates in either one of the 150, 450, or 800 MHz Bands.

• Most radios Do Not have the capability to operate on different Frequency Bands. Therefore, three mutual aid channels are established to cover each of the three frequency bands.

Frequency Bands (Active in Kentucky)

68%

29%

3%

150 Mhz

450 Mhz

800 Mhz

Mutual Aid Plan – 150 MHz

• Use KSP KLEEN National Channel– 22 Base Stations Currently Operating across Kentucky– Each Base Station Connects to a KSP Post– Major Highways Have Coverage– Currently Maintained and Operated by KSP

• Use KSP Inner City (IC) National Channel – 16 Base Stations across Kentucky– Each Base Station Connects to a KSP Post– Currently Not Maintained

• Combine KLEEN and IC Channels to improve statewide coverage

Mutual Aid Plan – 450 MHz

• Use Kentucky State Police State Channel– 96 Base Stations Currently Operating across

Kentucky– Each Base Station Connects to a KSP Post– Excellent Statewide Coverage– Maintained and Operated by KSP– 43 Public Safety Agencies currently use this

Statewide System for Mutual Aid

Mutual Aid Plan – 800 MHz

• Use NPSPAC National Channels

• All Radios Purchased are Pre-Configured with the NPSPAC National Channels

ChannelName

ChannelNumber

Frequency(Mobile/Base in MHz)

Call 601 821.0125 / 866.0125

TAC1 639 821.5125 / 866.5125

TAC2 677 822.0125 / 867.0125

TAC3 715 822.5125 / 867.5125

TAC4 753 823.0125 / 868.0125

Mutual Aid - Summary

• Mutual Aid Plan adds new dimension to our effectiveness and efficiency to improve all aspects of Emergency Management in protecting our citizens and our first responders.

• 150 MHz Plan combines two separate “Mediocre” coverage into a single infrastructure with ”Good” statewide coverage. However, requires a small capital outlay to reprogram the radios and base stations.

• 450 MHz Plan requires no capital outlay and achieves “Excellent” statewide coverage.

• 800 MHz Plan is Talk-Around Mode only.• 150 and 450 MHz Mutual Aid channels can be connected by

leveraging the KSP’s existing “Patch” technologies. Requires no capital outlay.

2006 Wireless Interoperability Plans

• Completion of the Statewide Wireless Data Communications Project

• Completion of the Mutual Aid Voice Communication Interoperability Plan

• Pursuit of a strategic initiative by KWIEC for the exchange of wireless data among public safety agencies (i.e.. Instant Message)

• Participation in the SAFECOM First Responder Interoperability Pilot Project

• Installation of the first phase upgrades for Kentucky Emergency Warning System (KEWS)

Conclusion

• The interoperability goals of 2006 are ambitious, but with continued support of public safety agencies, KWIEC, and the legislature, the Commonwealth of Kentucky will continue to witness improvement in public safety communication interoperability.

Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee (KWIEC) Overview

Questions ???

Submitted by:

Ken BornCommonwealth Office of TechnologyFinance and Administration Cabinet