Saratoga County System Design Review

1. Saratoga County System Design Review Mark Hoppe Andrew Maxymillian

2. Overall Objectives • #1 - Provide Reliable Effective Public Safety Communications for Saratoga County • Develop a System that would provide the foundation for Public Safety Communications for the next 20 plus years • Provide Reliable Coverage throughout Saratoga County • Enhanced Operations via Voice and Data • Enhance Interoperability with neighboring cities and counties, and state agencies • #2 – Achieve the Public Safety Communications Goals with the least impact on the community • Environmental impact of sites • Share resources as with other groups to reduce overall costs

3. Current System Departments Overview

4. Current System Issues • Reliability and Repairability • Basic System Design dates back to the 1960’s • Components • Fire late 1950’s • EMS - 1970’s • Sherriff/Police system – 1960’s • Systems have many older components and components no longer available • Issue will remain with unpredictable outcome and consequences • Operations • Voice • Coverage Issues • Data • No data in most operations, limited coverage and use • Paging • Voice only • No data • Reliability of receiving

5. Current System Issues • Interference • VHF Low-Band • Interference due to propagation characteristics of the band – generally ducting from distant areas • Unpredictable • Unavoidable – Most parties are operating within FCC guidelines • Low-band equipment lifecycle is near end • Coverage • VHF Low-Band and High-Band • Southern part of the county - Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Waterford • Eastern areas along Hudson • APA Areas - South shore and Military Road • Corridor Between Saratoga Springs and South Glens falls

6. Current System Issues • FCC Issues • Narrow banding • Narrowing channels from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz for spectrum efficiency - double the number of channels, but narrowing the FCC allowable channel, currently Saratoga County is non-complaint with future requirements. • Manufacture and importation of any equipment on 25 KHz channel will be not be permitted after December 31, 2010 • Systems operating on 25 KHz channels will not be allowed after December 31, 2012, all system after this date must operate on 12.5 KHz channels

7. Current System Issues • Inhibiting Enhancements • Voice Features • Enhanced console abilities • Direct Interoperability between agencies • Data • Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) functions for dispatching does not have the RF pipe and end-user radios to use functions • Paging • CAD functions for paging has the RF pipe, but not the end-user equipment – pagers - to use enhanced features • Overall • Many advanced functions that are becoming commonplace for public safety operations are not available until one has the RF delivery mechanism and end-user equipment

8. Evaluation Process • Requirements Review • Review and validate existing County licenses • Review frequencies to determine availability (VHF, 700, 800) • Review traffic and loading to determine channel requirements • Review Functional Requirements with County (multiple radios, connectivity, coverage, etc.) • Site Analysis • Develop understanding of APA requirements, tendencies • Review NYS - SWN design to determine if shared site placement achieved • Review existing sites and potential sites • Develop Candidate Site List • APA View Shed by Chazen • Propagation Analysis • Preliminary Propagation Review • Review NYS - SWN design to determine if shared site placement achieved • Send out propagation request to Motorola and MA/Com to confirm coverage • Propagation drive test to confirm coverage • Finalize Candidate Site List • Report Development • Draft Final Report that contains findings and recommendations • Present and Discuss Final Report to Saratoga County

9. Review Requirements Frequency Resources • VHF • Find at a minimum 3 pairs for VHF simulcast or 9 pairs for preferred VHF multisite solution • Review frequency reuse, splinter frequencies or use of other non-County controlled VHF assets • 700 MHz • (16) 700 MHz 25 KHz Frequencies Available for Use in Saratoga County • Involvement in process will ensure maximum amount of frequency allocation • 800 MHz • (22) 800 MHz NPSPAC County Frequencies • Licensed currently to existing sites • Frequencies are available for licensing including Spruce Mountain • Rebanding • Frequencies will have to be rebanded in the future • Rebanding will not have significant impact on the use of the frequencies

10. Requirements Review Traffic and Loading • Channel Requirements • Based on traffic characteristics, radio users, channel loading requirements, and earlier traffic analysis • Channel requirements • (3) Voice/Data channels in the APA region per Site • (8) to (12) Voice/Data channels in the non-APA region per Site • Number of Radios • APA Region - • (2) Two Radios - VHF High-band and 700/800 MHz • Hadley is dispatched from Warren County on VHF High-band • Edinburg/Day have significant weekly operations with Fulton on VHF High-band • NYS DEC operates on VHF High-band for lost person and fire operations • non-APA Region • (1) Radio - 700/800 MHz • Currently, there is cross band operations occurring, most or all could be eliminated via cross-banding thru console and migration of users to one common system

11. Review Requirements Functional Requirements • Coverage • Most important element in communications systems is coverage • Use defacto standard and commonly applied measure of 95% coverage, 95% of the time • Non - APA • 700/800 Mobile Coverage - 95%/95% of the Non-APA Area • APA Area • 700/800 Mobile Coverage - 95%/95% of the most populated areas of the APA • VHF Mobile Coverage - 95%/95% of the land area of the APA • Connectivity • Simulcast technology mandated the use of microwave • If Simulcast not a requirement, Microwave preferred because of reliability

12. Site Analysis Develop understanding of APA requirements, tendencies • Met with APA at Ray Brook and in the field • Defined conditions • Refined and gave feedback on findings • Reviewed View Shed and loading criteria • Refined "Substantially Invisible" • Minimal access, road and power requirements • Minimize ridge line sites that are back light • Reduce height to minimum required • Minimize size of antennas - especially MW • Blend/camouflage if improves substantially invisible Other Criteria • Land ownership • Review focused on county or city owned property • Focused on willing land owner • Developed or minimum access requirements Review existing sites and potential sites • Reviewed SSI work and site identified • Existing tower sites • Other tower sites and identified sites

13. Findings Sites • APA New Builds • Fraker (Original Design - New Build) • Lakeview (Original Design - New Build) • Conklingville Dam (Replaces Mt. Anthony - Willing Landowner) • Lake Luzerne (Replaces Mt. Anthony - Town Property) • APA Existing Sites • Spruce Mountain (Existing Site - Potential Upgrades) • Corinth High School (Existing Site - Antenna on building for MW) • Non-APA Sites • McGregor (Original Design - New Build) • Providence (Original Design - Existing Site - Upgrades) • Halfmoon (Original Design- Existing) or Bald Mountain (Alternative - Existing) • Saratoga Springs Area (Existing) • Stillwater (Existing ) or Willard (Alternative - Existing)

14. Findings Coverage • New Design - Key Elements • Meets coverage Replace Mt. Anthony with two low lying sites Conklingville Dam and Lake Luzerne • Brings Spruce Mt. into design for coverage and redundancy • Allows a vendor neutral solution for any vendor - Motorola or MA/Com • Provides Microwave connectivity to sites • Places sites to provide better coverage in critical portable patrol areas

15. Next Steps • Coverage and Connectivity Field Tests • VHF and 800 MHz Coverage Tests to finalize Height of Antennas above trees • 960 Links Tests to Verify Path Loss • Frequency Issues • Refine 700 MHz availability • Complete research on additional VHF frequencies • Site Agreements • Finalize Site Agreements with land owners at Lake Luzerne, Conklingville Dam and Corinth High School • Site Approvals • Complete site documentation for new APA sites for various government applications • FCC • Complete NEPA and other required Federal approval for new towers • Local Approval