At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, the safety of Chester County residents improved dramatically, according to a group of first-responders and county officials.
Slightly more than 24 hours after their swearing-in ceremony, the county commissioners gathered with a group of about 20 stakeholders to perform their first official act of 2016: initiating the shift to a $42.1 million radio system that boasts improved coverage as well as clarity.
The new Harris Corporation voice radio system, which is now being used by Chester County’s 5,000-plus first responders, was applauded by a host of officials. They all expressed gratitude to the commissioners for their continued commitment to public safety.
Chester County Commissioners’ Chairman Terence Farrell said the previous system, installed in the late 1990s, has been plagued by coverage problems and is now technologically obsolete. He said the commissioners appreciated the “hundreds of hours” that emergency responders volunteered in a team effort to ensure that the replacement system would be exceptional.
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone noted that the switchover represented a day “that’s been long-awaited by everyone present” as the commissioners continue to prove that public safety remains a top priority. She said the consultants and vendors on the project, including ACD Telecom, Fox Rothschild, and Harris Corporation and its many subcontractors, also played a pivotal role in the project’s success.
Cozzone’s sentiments were echoed by Commissioner Michelle Kichline, who said the county matched its dedication to safety with smart fiscal management. She said the original estimates for the system came in at $90 million. The $42.1 million pricetag followed “a year and a half of intense negotiations.” She said the county also spared municipalities from some of the costs by providing first-responders with almost $13 million in radio equipment.
Robert Kagel, director of the county’s Department of Emergency Services, explained that three years have elapsed since the commissioners signed the contract with Harris – a period that saw design, installation, testing, more testing, and implementation. Among the new benefits: high audio quality; encryption for select law-enforcement, such as detectives; and 99.8 percent portable on-street coverage.
Kagel said the county had hoped to achieve 97 percent coverage, which is two percent above the industry standard. Being able to increase that to 99.8 percent was a bonus, Kagel said. To accomplish that, the county constructed a 300-foot lattice tower in Upper Uwchlan Township, a 100-foot monopole tower at the Public Safety Training Campus in South Coatesville, a 190-foot lattice tower at Bucktown in South Coventry Township, and a 180-foot tower at the Pennsylvania State Police Embreeville barracks in West Bradford Township.
He added that in the very rare instances when a call doesn’t go through, by moving slightly, the caller will be able to connect. To demonstrate the system’s clarity, Kagel handed Farrell a handset so they could communicate within earshot of onlookers. “It’s really like standing next to someone and having a conversation,” Kagel said.
Kagel said the county purchased 1,221 vehicle-mounted radios, 2,750 hand-held radios, and 132 control stations for emergency responder station applications. Kagel said more work remains.
All of the vehicle-mounted radios need to be installed by April 21, the day that the former system will be decommissioned, Kagel said. Plus, “we still have a lot of work to do on interoperability planning with our surrounding counties,” he added.
In addition to Kagel and the county commissioners, the speakers at Monday’s event included Tredyffrin Township Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo, who heads the Chester County Police Chiefs Association; Leo Scaccia, representing the Chester County EMS Council; Ernie Holling, president of the Chester County Association of Township Officials; Butch Dutter, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 11; and Ron Miller, who heads the county’s Fire Police Association.
