Narrowband transition underway to update countywide communications

With the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandating the switch of all radios to the narrowband system by Jan. 1, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department has been working to upgrade all radios inside the county.

The FCC mandated the deadline nearly two decades ago. Narrowbanding makes radio bands operate at 12.5 kilohertz (kHz), where systems have previously been operating at 25 kHz.

Narrowbanding creates a more efficient technology that creates additional channel capacity on the same radio spectrum that has been operated. This will help support additional users and create more efficient communication on each channel.

For the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, all officers will be using the Project 25 (P25) standard. It is a public safety communications standard that allows fast, secure, communication between safety personnel.

Adams County Sheriff Doug Barger said that when the switch occurs on Jan. 1, the department is going be in compliance, as they have purchased all of the necessary equipment. All of the law enforcement radios have now been updated, with 95 percent of the fire department communication system also in compliance.

Barger continued on to explain the budget for the project is around $1.5 million, and has been split into two phases. The county commissioners have put around $100,000 into the first phase of the program, which has already been completed.

The commissioners explained it was necessary to split the project in order to do a full analysis of cost and price comparison for equipment. The initial funds were provided in the first phase to assist the department to meet the Jan. 1 deadline.

The department has received grant money from Homeland Security to purchase mobile and portable radios, but the grant does not fund the entire cost of the project.

Aside from the individual radios for officers and employees, the department also has to construct shelters at the towers inside of the county. There are five towers that will require additional shelter for the radio equipment and computers.

The shelters are built to help protect the radio equipment and computers necessary to run the radio system. The equipment is susceptible to heat, cold and dirt, and each shelter must have air conditioning installed to lower the temperature. The only tower that has been upgraded is the shelter in Washtucna.

“There are varying degrees of updates,” Barger explained. “The real issue is with the infrastructure here at Sheriff Hill.”

The five towers are Sheriff Hill, Lind, Marengo, Washtucna and Radar Hill. Barger explained the department is looking into building a new tower, potentially at Saddle Mountain, to replace the antenna they use on the Radar Hill tower.

The department does not own the Radar Hill tower and is looking to build a new tower to have clearer radio signals without interference from other agencies.

“Our intention is to make all law channels digital, and everything else will be analog,” Barger said.

The police department has all converted to a digital radio system, but Adams County fire departments will remain analog. Barger explained not every department and agency can afford to make the switch to digital, but using narrowband analog still allows agencies to communicate.

With the new digital scanners, law enforcement channels and transmissions can only be heard using the P25 standard. Any individual who currently owns a scanner will no longer be able to hear communications unless they upgrade to the narrowband system.

Barger admits the transition to narrowband will be an adjustment and communication between other agencies will have to be worked at. But the overall purpose the radio communication stays the same: keep the county safe.

“We need to keep connectivity to deputies clear, we need to keep them safer,” Barger said. “We need to create a safer environment and be as responsive as possible to citizens’ needs.”