Public Safety

Emergency Comm Networks

Statewide Outcome(s):

The Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) supports the following statewide outcome(s).

People in Minnesota are safe.

Context:

The radio communication capability of emergency responders is often a matter of life or death. The analog radio systems used for the past 60 years are outmoded and problematic by today’s technology standards. The 911 system is also a critical communications system that allows the citizens of Minnesota to request emergency assistance. The current system is over 30 years old and is not able to accommodate text to 911 or services like OnStar that allow vehicles to send accident information. The ECN program was created to plan, organize, implement, and operate a state of the art digital radio system and 911 high speed network that allows better communication within each public safety entity (individual police departments), and also across public safety providers (police, fire, state patrol, ambulance, sheriff, BCA, and others).

·         ECN works closely with local governments to create a system that meets the unique needs of each local government that chooses to participate. All local government involvement is voluntary. The construction and operation of a statewide network of microwave cell towers (the “backbone” of the radio system) is ECN’s responsibility. Local governments are responsible for planning, building and equipping the local systems that communicate through the backbone.

·         Primary customers include public safety officials and responders; local units of government; state agencies such as Departments of Transportation, Corrections, Natural Resources, National Guard, State Patrol; federal agencies; tribal units of government and citizens of Minnesota requesting emergency assistance.

·         The ECN programs are funded from revenues collected from a 911 fee paid by every telephone communications customer and deposited in the 911 Special Revenue Account. The radio system is provided through revenue bonds sold by the state, paid for through the 911 fee.

Strategies:

·         Deliver customer focused data and voice network solutions that enhance public safety interoperable communications for emergency responders.

·         Support the Statewide and Regional Governance structure set up to ensure regional committees work within a Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan framework.

·         Achieve 95% mobile coverage across all rural and metro counties in the state.

·         Create statewide standards and operating procedures in partnership with state and local users.

·         Provide grant dollars to local units of government to purchase necessary equipment needed to respond to requests for emergency assistance.

·         Develop training to support regular comprehensive region-wide training and exercises.

Results:

·         Providing consistent public safety communications technology statewide to all counties allows seamless communication across county and city boundaries and across public safety disciplines as demonstrated below:

o    Missing child in Wisconsin: Minnesota emergency personnel communicated with Wisconsin emergency personnel via ARMER radios patched into VHF users in Wisconsin. Prior to ARMER, Minnesota volunteers would not have had radio coverage in the area.

o    Presidential visit to Cannon Falls: rapid radio coordination, necessary between Secret Service, law from various counties, local public works and State Patrol demonstrates a multi discipline use of one shared system with other systems.

o    Northeast Minnesota floods of 2012: ARMER system utilized for all emergency communications in lieu of the public telephone network. ARMER radios used across all public safety disciplines as well as used by 911 network provider to communicate with personnel in the area working to bring up local network.

o    Fires in Northeast Minnesota of 2012: The Department of Natural Resources, Lake and St. Louis county law enforcement and fire report mobile coverage good even without all the towers completed in the area.

·         Supporting the Statewide and Regional governance structure and it’s committees allows for ongoing creation of technical and operational standards with input from local responders and other state agencies such as Minnesota Department of Transportation.

·         Alignment with federal homeland security strategic goals and initiatives provides state and local governments the ability to handle major emergency incidents in compliance with federal incidence command and provide the state and counties with additional grant dollars for equipment and training. On line ARMER training developed in partnership with Alexandria Technical College.

Performance Measures Notes:

·         72 of 87 counties have signed Board Resolutions with the intent to join the ARMER system. Counties are in various stages of migration due to availability of towers with the goal to be on air December 31, 2012.

·         PSAP Consolidation decisions are at the discretion of the local units of government.