When everything is encrypted, the public must trust that agencies will release enough information quickly enough. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they do not. The Garden Grove hazardous materials emergency is a perfect example of why public safety radio encryption matters. A chemical tank incident at the GKN Aerospace facility forced large evacuations, road closures, school […]
From the Sky-Hi News: The Grand County Communications Center announced that, effective May 22, countywide public safety radio communications, including law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, will transition to an encrypted radio platform. This change is being implemented to enhance responder safety, protect sensitive information and reduce the risk of public safety radio traffic being misused,
Grand County Colorado Public Safety Radio Communication Transfers to Encryption Read Post »
Goodbye, Scanner. Austin Police, Fire, EMS will Stop Making Messages Available to Public Public safety agencies in Austin — police, fire and EMS — will soon go radio silent to the public after they switch to an encrypted radio system. This means that the current publicly available scanner information, which residents can use to listen
Austin Texas Police, Fire, EMS Going Encrypted Read Post »
January 26, 2021. Motorola Solutions today announced the launch of the MOTOTRBO Ion, a “smart radio” that combines DMR narrowband voice capability with broadband capabilities across carrier LTE, private LTE/CBRS, and Wi-Fi into a rugged package that is designed to work in enterprise environments. Carlos Camps, Motorola Solutions’ director of engineering, noted the challenges of
A team from NBC News’ digital news unit Left Field was in Hawaii to visit with some radio amateurs to produce a report when the false nuclear missile alert happened on January 13. Left Field’s report points out how much we rely on cell phones and 21st-century technology…and what we would do if these
NBC News Report Says Hams “Could Save Our Lives” in a Disaster Read Post »
The following article is from the SystemWatch Newsletter published by the Orange County Sheriff Department Communications and Technology Division. As all of you know, we are in the midst of a major upgrade to our 800 MHz Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS). This upgrade provides several key enhancements to the current system. First and foremost, it
Orange County Project 25 Upgrade Report Read Post »
The much-anticipated public-safety LTE network being deployed by the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) is on track to be completed by next week’s federal deadline, and the new system should be operational by the end of the year, according to an LA-RICS spokesman. In the spring, LA-RICS reduced the number of eNodeB base
LA-RICS LTE Network On Track to Meet Sept 30 Deadline Read Post »
Los Angeles City Council members voted to approve the use of 19 city-owned police stations as the location of cell sites for the amended Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) public-safety LTE proposal. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is expected to restart the project—suspended by NTIA since April 3—next week, according to
LA City Council Approves Police Sites for New LA-RICS LTE Plan Read Post »
For years, the Santa Monica police and fire departments had separate dispatch centers. They operated independently, frequently collaborating but regularly coping with staffing shortages, information gaps and delayed responses. The fatal shooting at Santa Monica College in 2013 was a watershed moment for the two agencies. If they hadn’t seen a pressing need for better
Santa Monica Joint Dispatch Center Unites Police and Fire Read Post »
A 93 year old water main broke near the campus of UCLA sending a torrent of raging water through parking structures and athletic facilities. The 30-inch pipe’s rupture shot water 30-feet into the air sending an estimated 20 million gallons roaring onto roads and the campus. Urban search and rescue crews from the LAFD searched the flooded parking garages
UCLA Water Main Break Read Post »
