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Those who protect and serve and are at the other end of your 9-1-1 call came together last week to attend a special meeting for two-way radio network users in Chisago County.

On a subzero night the Wyoming Area Library Community Room was filled with police, firefighters, elected officials, city administrators, and others who rely on the transmission and reception capabilities of the local network.

Sheriff Todd Rivard walked attendees through the early efforts in a planned multi-million dollar countywide radio upgrade; and then turned the meeting over to the county's experts.

Consultant Jeff Nelson explained that systems don't get overhauled often, it's been about 20 years since the last major improvements here, and this is a "window of opportunity" for a long range communications network plan to be laid. He said making appropriate new tower siting and related decisions now positions the county for keeping ahead of population growth.

Chisago County's system now is sufficient for what Nelson called "light building coverage" which means two-way communication works basically outdoors and in buildings that aren't very substantial.

Nelson recommends at minimum adding two tower sites. Four added sites would be ideal. Each site is an estimated $1 million. Maps of radio coverage adequacy were supplied that approximate how well the system works based on terrain.

Sheriff Rivard said as other Minnesota counties sign onto statewide radio enhancements, under FCC orders for narrowband users, Chisago County is "becoming an island," which is what he wants to avoid.

The County Board is expected to hold a workshop on this issue February 10. Rivard asked everybody to set that date aside to meet with commissioners.

"Go back to your decision-makers, at your departments and cities and review what you've learned here," said the sheriff. He'd like it if all the agencies are prepared to start finalizing plans kick-starting a couple of years of design and buildout.

County Administrator John Moosey told those at the meeting the county wants to hear about anything that's not working, radio-wise.

"We want the communication to be there from the start," he said of local agency radio needs, "...and get what's expected in black and white...the County Board wants to be your partner."

Commissioner George McMahon was the only Board member attending; and he stated the commissioners just want "everybody to be safe out there" and is willing to listen to whatever the local agencies contribute to the plan.

Chisago County Information Systems Director Jon Eckel also remarked that the county can not physically visit each radio location or see each vehicle. He advised the representatives, "Anything that can't go narrowband (equipment programming) can't be used after January 2013.

"If there's a piece of equipment you can use on narrowband, plan to keep it."

The cities, law enforcement agencies and responders affected by this system upgrade were given approximate costs for radio replacements, for maintenance agreements and for subscribing. Rivard said customized programming needs will be addressed later in this process. "Fleet programmers" will be provided to set radios to channels that each agency prefers.

Eckel explained that so far the concept is the county will pay for the backbone, the infrastructure for the system. He added, the county is responsible for who is on the system, for keying the radios and for knowing who is on the system at any given frequency. He said, think of the county as managing the network. The county works with the state radio board on meeting mandated operations, but there's flexibility for local talk groups, he added.

Cities, fire departments, etc. will have to buy and "own" their radios. Eckel said a basic "middle of the road" portable single band radio runs about $2,700. A "mobile" unit is around $4,000.

Cost per year, per unit should be figured at around $400, based on Washington County experience, Eckel said. This includes state system fees, maintenance and two programmings yearly.

He estimated mobile radio installation costs at $300. This will vary greatly depending on where the radio is, or in which vehicle.

There's also a potential for pager replacement estimated at $450 per. Eckel said old pager "tones" should remain the same, only the channel is being narrowed. What the County Board has seen so far for an upgrade plan does not include paging system transmitters.

If fire halls use "control stations," so firefighters can be moving around and have hands free, listening to dispatch while they gear up, for example, the new control stations could run about $7,500.

Sheriff Rivard summed up saying it's his intention to "balance" what is affordable, moving towards the best upgrade the county can accomplish.

He said this may be a "phased" approach. He encouraged all the users to apply for outside grants and aid available to support this effort.

He reminded all the radio network users to plan to attend the Feb. 10 workshop so this project can get designed and implemented soon.

The federal deadline requiring narrowband on all two-way radios operating below 512 MHz is January 1, 2013.

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