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Sheriff’s department looking to implement a new radio system
Published Thursday, December 4, 2008
Photo by Tom Hintgen
Cheryl Petersen, seated, and Sandy Brown view the console in the dispatch center at the law enforcement center in Fergus Falls.
Narrowbanding is coming to Otter Tail County, and the beneficiaries will be police departments, fire departments, emergency responders, public works and disaster response teams throughout the county.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established Jan. 1, 2013, as the deadline for migration to 12.5 narrow banding KHz technology. With this in mind, the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a plan to install the ARMER communications program.
ARMER is the acronym for Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response.
“Narrowbanding is the change that needs to take place,” said Lt.. Mark Englund of the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department. “Area counties such as Douglas County are converting to ARMER, and for us (Otter Tail County) to do the same is the right decision.”
Changes will take place in the next few years with paging and other communications systems, including Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems operating in Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF).
“Using the Minnesota-based ARMER program will be what I call future proof (security),” said Lex Rutter, GeoComm communications consultant, St. Cloud, who gave a presentation to the county board Tuesday morning. “ARMER is as good as anything that’s available today.”
Federal and state grants will likely be available to help position Otter Tail County with ARMER technology well before the Jan. 1, 2013 deadline. The new communication system for law enforcement, public works, fire, ambulance, emergency response and disaster response will be close to $3.9 million.
The 2007 Minnesota State Legislature provided funding to complete the ARMER system and pay all backbone operational costs. Additional funding allows the Department of Public Safety to contract with technical consultants to provide an assessment of needs throughout all of Minnesota’s 87 counties.
Some entities may only need new radio systems, while others may want increased coverage and additional infrastructure.
In addition to Englund, who represents the sheriff’s department, the changeover to 12.5 KHz technology also involves Fergus Falls Fire Chief Sparky Hovland and others throughout the county. Commissioner Robert Block serves on the Central Minnesota Regional Radio Board that includes representatives from 18 counties.
With the county board’s acceptance of the ARMER system on Tuesday, the next step is for Otter Tail County Sheriff Brian Schlueter and his department to develop a participation plan for not only his department but for all county agencies. This plan will include and provide for budgets for the integration of public safety agencies.
Submitting an overall plan will likely be necessary for approval of Otter Tail County for the ARMER system, at the state level. The plan will be submitted to the Minnesota Departments of Transportation and Public Safety as well as the Statewide Radio Board.
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Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by Olga (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Doesn't look like any of the public service organizations supported by taxpayers are looking to watch the budget. Of course when there is a bottomless pit like the taxpayers money why should anyone care? The city of Fergus Falls evidently haven't been listening or are not watching what is happening across the country - How many more layoffs? What is the bailout and how far in debt in Minnesota? I saw the city gravel truck drop gravel on the street where I live this morning!!!!! It must be really really slippery out and all those people driving must not live in Minnesota. Oh well just like last year they did the same thing and then when the storms did hit they were out of MONEY! Please someone explain the mentality and judgment!
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