800 MHz system passes new test in Delaware

By D.L. Bonar, Staff writer

REHOBOTH BEACH - As hundreds of thousands of people headed to the beach for the final fling of the summer season, Delaware's new 800 MHz emergency radio system began a process officials hope will make it more effective.

According to Gov. Thomas R. Carper, the phrase repeatedly heard in Friday's testing of additional equipment in the area was "loud and clear.''

The 800 MHz radio system, hailed as the best money can buy, cost Delaware taxpayers $52 million. When it was completed, several areas of the state, including Claymont, Talleyville, Hartly and much of the Delaware coast, were left without coverage.

Representatives of volunteer fire services and some police agencies howled that the ultra-modern system, billed as enabling everyone to be able to communicate in times of emergency, did not work.

The resulting furor ended with several bouts of finger pointing. These were resolved only after the governor personally stepped in to mediate.

Initially, Motorola Communications, the provider of the 800 MHz system, claimed Delaware knew it was getting only a system that worked outside and was only guaranteed to provide 95 percent coverage of the state.

In August, after contacting Motorola CEO Christopher Galvin and president Bob Barnet, the governor announced the communications company would fix the outside communications problems and cover the costs.

Now that improvements have been made in the beach area, attention will turn to the Hartly area in western Kent County.

According to fire officials, radios that are supposed to be able to communicate with one another switch channels and are in communication with units in New Castle County instead of Kent County.

The problem will be resolved, in part, through a series of "intelli-repeaters" and channel locking systems which will keep radios honed in on their local signals.

"Motorola has committed to fixing these problems and using their own money to do so," Gov. Carper said Friday.

"We will hold Motorola to that commitment while they continue fixing the system in other areas of the state. After spending more than $50 million on this project, Delaware taxpayers should expect no less."

Friday, representatives of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association, police and state and Sussex County emergency communications agencies tested the system at the beach and were satisfied with the outcome.

"After observing the test conducted in Rehoboth, we feel very confident that with the assistance of Gov. Carper, Motorola, Sussex County and the city of Rehoboth Beach, the 800 MHz radio system is working as it was intended to work," said Michael Vincent, president of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association.

Although the immediate problems in Sussex County appear resolved, there are still questions about the in-building coverage firefighters and police have sought.

At this point it is unclear what technical improvements will have to be made to bring the system up to the coverage level emergency officials said they need. The in-building coverage will likely require the installation of additional towers or repeaters. No cost estimates have been made for those additions.

The solution to fix problems in New Castle County hit static this week because new frequencies needed to repair the system were unavailable.

In New Castle County, which has three of the five dead zones, state officials say no frequencies are available. The setback means state radio officials must pick from among several alternatives, each with its own drawbacks.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to rule on the frequency allocations later this year.

D.L. Bonar can be reached at 741-8228 or dbonar@newszap.com

Contents © 2008 by David Schoenberger