Los Angeles Regional Communications System Receives $154.6 Million Grant

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On September 28, Deputy Chief and Los Angeles Regional Communications System (LA-RICS) Authority's Interim Director Scott Poster gathered alongside Congresswoman Jane Harman (36th District) and JPA Chair Bill Fujioka and other State, City and County officials to announce a $154.6-million federal grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop the "LA-Safety-Net," a regional broadband network that will enable first responders to successfully obtain data-intensive situational awareness during emergencies not supported by our current systems. LA-RICS is proposing to deploy the LA-Safety Net a 700 MHz public safety mobile broadband network across the County using new and existing infrastructure. The fourth generation wireless technology is supported by fixed microwave backhaul rings and 100 miles of high-capacity fiber optics. The new LA-Safety Net will:

• Enable computer-aided dispatch, rapid law-enforcement queries, real-time video streaming, medical telemetry and patient tracking, geographic information systems services for first responders, and many other broadband-specific applications.
  
• Allow law enforcement officers to send and receive photos of suspects and transmit video to supervisors.
  
• Allow paramedics to instantly transmit vital patient information to emergency room doctors.
  
• Allow firefighters to send real-time fire video to a command post and incident commanders can automatically monitor the deployment of resources around a fire.
  
• Be a significant step in improving the ability of first responders to protect the lives and property of our residents.

In the event of a terrorist attack or widespread natural disaster, the ability of responding public safety agencies to communicate on a broadband system using their own equipment will be vital.

The NTIA grant is the largest ever awarded to upgrade emergency services communications, and it is a vital first step toward the completion of a future National Broadband System. "California stands to benefit a great deal through improvements in infrastructure and job creation thanks to the broadband grants awarded today," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a press conference after the award was announced. The LA-RICS team recently received three sealed bids for the upgrade project, and the evaluation process is expected to run through December 2010. Poster contributes the LA-Region's success to his diversified team of multi-agency professionals and consultants and his strong partnership with municipal stakeholders. Los Angeles County emergency responders, comprising more than 80 public safety agencies, had long sought a solution to the problem of not being able to effectively communicate with each other during wide-ranging emergencies.

Republished with permission of County of Los Angeles Fire Department. View original article here.


Author:County of Los Angeles Fire Department