LTE  |   P25  |  2022-04-12

Benton County Awards Contract to Federal Engineering for First Responder Radio Improvements

Source: FE
Curated by: Gert Jan Wolf - Editor-in Chief for The Critical Communications Review

On April 11, 2022, Benton County, Oregon USA awarded Federal Engineering (FE) Inc., a contract to provide a radio infrastructure assessment and detailed improvement plan for first responder agencies in the area.

Captain Don Rogers, Project Manager for the County, provided background, “This project is all-encompassing with the following agencies involved:

  • Benton County Sheriff’s Office
  • Benton County Public Works Department
  • Corvallis Fire Department
  • Corvallis Police Department
  • Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District
  • Benton County 911 Service District
  • Philomath Police Department
  • Philomath Fire Department
  • Monroe Rural Fire Protection District
  • Blodgett Rural Fire Protection District
  • Kings Valley Rural Fire Protection District
  • Alsea Rural Fire Protection District
  • Adair Rural Fire Protection District

 

“The project will allow participants to plan appropriately for future resource allocations,” Rogers stated. “It will be a phased plan that includes a basic assessment, gap analysis, and specific recommendations for improvement and resource investments.”

Mr. Rajit Jhaver, FE Director, described the project: “FE’s comprehensive approach will take into account the following:

  • Long-term maintenance, management, and budget issues
  • Future FCC 6.25 kHz narrow-banding and spectrum issues
  • Interoperability with local, state, and federal users
  • Next-generation radio system options and recommendations
  • Upgrades and expansion of the existing VHF system
  • Upgrades and expansion of existing 700/800 band system
  • Existing interconnection network for capacity and viability
  • Current radio sites
  • Life of the existing system
  • Potential use of trunking technology
  • Use of VHF, UHF, or 800 MHz frequency band
  • Potential use of FirstNet or similar technology to enhance radio performance

“Because of our long history of supporting first responders in the State of Oregon, we understand the distinctive conditions of the region, political influences, and the geographical terrain,” Jhaver explains. “The end result, therefore, will be the development of a plan and scalable budget for moving forward that can be implemented at a minimum of risk.”