· 2020. 9. 4. · Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment i . Table of Contents . Executive Summary

Town of Milford, New Hampshire

911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment

December 16, 2019

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment i

Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 1

Figure ES-1 Coverage Problem Areas ......................................................................................................... 2 Figure ES-2 Town of Milford Preliminary Coverage ..................................................................................... 5

Figure ES-3 Regional Preliminary Coverage ................................................................................................ 6

Table ES-1 Milford Interoperability Matrix ..................................................................................................... 7 Table ES-2 Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix ................................................................................ 7

Table ES-3 Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix ............................................................................ 9

Figure ES-4 P25 Mobile Conceptual Coverage .......................................................................................... 11 Figure ES-5 P25 Portable Outdoor Conceptual Coverage ......................................................................... 11

Figure ES-6 P25 Portable In Building Conceptual Coverage ..................................................................... 12

Figure ES-7 P25 Mobile Regional Conceptual Coverage ........................................................................... 12 Figure ES-8 P25 Portable Outdoor Regional Conceptual Coverage .......................................................... 13

Figure ES-9 P25 Portable Light Building Regional Conceptual Coverage ................................................. 13

Figure ES-10 Police Department Building Potential Rendering.................................................................. 14 Figure ES-11 Dispatch Center Layout Potential Rendering ....................................................................... 15

Figure ES-12 Dispatch Center Consoles Potential Rendering ................................................................... 15

Table ES-4: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford-Only Operations ......................................................................................................... 17 Table ES-5: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Operations ...................................................... 18

Table ES-6: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Operations ................................................................................................................................... 19

1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 22

1.1 Radio System Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 22 1.2 Dispatch Center Assessment ...................................................................................................................... 23

2.0 Current Operations Environment .......................................................................................... 25

2.1 Milford Ambulance Service ......................................................................................................................... 25

2.1.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 25 2.1.2 Existing Concerns ............................................................................................................................. 26

2.1.3 Future Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 27

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment ii

2.2 Milford Fire Department .............................................................................................................................. 27



2.3 Milford Police Department ........................................................................................................................... 29 2.3.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 29

2.3.2 Existing Concerns ............................................................................................................................. 29

2.3.3 Future Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 31 2.4 Milford Department of Public Works ........................................................................................................... 31

2.4.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 31

2.4.2 Existing Concerns ............................................................................................................................. 32 2.4.3 Future Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 32

2.5 Mont Vernon Fire Department .................................................................................................................... 32 2.6 Mont Vernon Police Department ................................................................................................................. 33

2.6.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 33


2.7 Mont Vernon Department of Public Works.................................................................................................. 33



2.8 Wilton Ambulance & Service ....................................................................................................................... 34 2.8.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 34


2.8.3 Future Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 35 2.9 Wilton Fire Department ............................................................................................................................... 35

2.9.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 35


2.10 Wilton Police Department............................................................................................................................ 36



Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment iii

2.11 Lyndeborough Police Department .............................................................................................................. 37



2.12 MACC Base ................................................................................................................................................ 39 2.12.1 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 39


2.12.3 Future Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 41 2.13 Overall Concerns and Needs ...................................................................................................................... 41

Figure 2-1 Coverage Problem Areas .......................................................................................................... 42

3.0 Current Technical Environment ............................................................................................ 43

3.1 Communication Sites .................................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 3-1 Radio System Sites ................................................................................................................... 43

3.1.1 Abbott Hill Site ................................................................................................................................... 43

3.1.2 Crown Castle – Potential Site ........................................................................................................... 44 3.1.3 Federal Hill Site ................................................................................................................................. 45

3.1.4 Lyndeborough ................................................................................................................................... 45

3.1.5 MACC Base Dispatch Center ............................................................................................................ 46 3.1.6 Milford Police Department ................................................................................................................. 46

3.1.7 Mont Vernon Fire Station Site ........................................................................................................... 46

3.1.8 Patch Hill – Potential Site .................................................................................................................. 47 3.1.9 Pead Hill Site .................................................................................................................................... 48

3.1.10 Milford Waste Water Treatment Plant – Potential Site ...................................................................... 48

3.1.11 Wilton Fire Department ..................................................................................................................... 49 3.2 System Configuration .................................................................................................................................. 49

3.2.1 MACC Base Systems ............................................................................................................................ 49

3.2.1.1 MACC Base Dispatch Center ......................................................................................................... 49 Figure 3-2: MACC Base Dispatch Position ................................................................................................. 50

Figure 3-3: MACC Base Dispatch Equipment............................................................................................. 50

Figure 3-4: MACC Base Dispatch Center Radio Equipment ...................................................................... 51 3.2.1.2 MACC Base Radio Systems ........................................................................................................... 52

3.2.2 Milford Fire Department System ............................................................................................................ 54 3.3 Frequency Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 55

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment iv

4.0 Functional System Attributes ................................................................................................ 56

4.1 Overview of System Requirements ............................................................................................................. 56

4.2 Target System Attributes............................................................................................................................. 56 Table 4-1 Milford Rank of Attributes ........................................................................................................... 57

4.2.1 Coverage ........................................................................................................................................... 58

4.2.2 Dispatch Operational Concept .......................................................................................................... 58 4.2.3 Flexibility in Talk Group Structure ..................................................................................................... 58

4.2.4 Survivability ....................................................................................................................................... 58

4.2.5 Redundant Core Equipment .............................................................................................................. 58 4.2.6 Capacity............................................................................................................................................. 58

4.2.7 Infrastructure Scalability .................................................................................................................... 59

4.2.8 Relieve Internal Congestion .............................................................................................................. 59 4.2.9 Interoperability ................................................................................................................................... 59

4.2.10 Mobile Data ....................................................................................................................................... 59

4.2.11 No Interference .................................................................................................................................. 59 4.2.12 Maintainability .................................................................................................................................... 59

4.2.13 Reliability ........................................................................................................................................... 59

4.2.14 System Operational Transparency .................................................................................................... 60 4.2.15 Emergency Access ............................................................................................................................ 60

4.2.16 Encryption (selected units only) ........................................................................................................ 60

4.2.17 Security (Physical and Networking) .................................................................................................. 60 4.2.18 Initial Cost .......................................................................................................................................... 60

4.2.19 Long Term Cost ................................................................................................................................. 60

4.2.20 Cost Effectiveness ............................................................................................................................. 60 4.2.21 Competitive Procurement .................................................................................................................. 61

4.2.22 Operational Boundary Flexibility ....................................................................................................... 61

4.2.23 Commonality of Infrastructure Equipment ......................................................................................... 61 4.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 61

4.2.25 Training.............................................................................................................................................. 61

4.2.26 Console Features .............................................................................................................................. 61 4.2.27 Additional Subscriber Features ......................................................................................................... 62

5.0 Communications System Considerations ............................................................................ 63

5.1 Frequency Bands ........................................................................................................................................ 63

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment v

5.1.1 VHF ................................................................................................................................................... 63

5.1.2 UHF ................................................................................................................................................... 63 5.1.3 700/800 MHz ..................................................................................................................................... 63

5.1.3.1 800 MHz ......................................................................................................................................... 64

5.1.3.2 700 MHz ......................................................................................................................................... 64 5.2 Message Transmission Types .................................................................................................................... 65

5.2.1 Analog ............................................................................................................................................... 65

5.2.2 Digital................................................................................................................................................. 65 5.3 Architectures ............................................................................................................................................... 65

5.3.1 Conventional ..................................................................................................................................... 65

5.3.2 Trunking............................................................................................................................................. 66 5.3.3 Simulcast ........................................................................................................................................... 66

5.3.4 Voted Receive System ...................................................................................................................... 66 5.4 Technologies ............................................................................................................................................... 66

5.4.1 DMR .................................................................................................................................................. 66

5.4.2 Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC) ....................................................................................................... 67 5.4.2.1 Commercial Cellular Providers ...................................................................................................... 67

5.4.2.2 FirstNet ........................................................................................................................................... 67

5.4.2.3 LMR Vendors ................................................................................................................................. 68 5.4.3 NEXEDGE ......................................................................................................................................... 68

5.4.4 Project 25 (P25) Standards ............................................................................................................... 68

5.4.5 TETRA ............................................................................................................................................... 70 5.5 Connectivity ................................................................................................................................................. 70

5.5.1 Microwave ......................................................................................................................................... 70

5.5.2 Fiber .................................................................................................................................................. 71 5.5.3 Leased Lines ..................................................................................................................................... 71

6.0 System Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 72

6.1 Radio System Alternatives .......................................................................................................................... 72

Figure 6-1 Town of Milford Preliminary Coverage ...................................................................................... 73

Figure 6-2 Regional Preliminary Coverage ................................................................................................. 74 Table 6-1 Milford Interoperability Matrix ...................................................................................................... 75

6.1.1 Town of Milford Standalone VHF P25 Conventional Radio System ................................................. 76 6.1.1.1 Technical ........................................................................................................................................ 76

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment vi

6.1.1.2 Operational ..................................................................................................................................... 77

6.1.1.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 77 6.1.1.4 Advantages .................................................................................................................................... 77

6.1.1.5 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................... 78

6.1.2 Town of Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Conventional Radio System ................................... 79 6.1.2.1 Technical ........................................................................................................................................ 79

6.1.2.2 Operational ..................................................................................................................................... 80

6.1.2.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 80 6.1.2.4 Advantages .................................................................................................................................... 80

6.1.2.5 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................... 81

6.1.3 Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional System ......................................................................... 81 6.1.3.1 Technical ........................................................................................................................................ 81

6.1.3.2 Operational ..................................................................................................................................... 82 6.1.3.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 84

6.1.3.4 Advantages .................................................................................................................................... 84

6.1.3.5 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................... 85 6.1.4 Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System ................................................ 85

6.1.4.1 Technical ........................................................................................................................................ 85

6.1.4.2 Operational ..................................................................................................................................... 86 6.1.4.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 86

6.1.4.4 Advantages .................................................................................................................................... 86

6.1.4.5 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................... 87 6.1.5 Radio System Alternatives Impact Analysis ...................................................................................... 87

Figure 6-3 Impact Analysis Flow Chart ....................................................................................................... 88

Table 6-2 Milford Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix..................................................................... 89 Table 6-3 Regional Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix ................................................................. 90

6.2 Dispatch Center Alternatives ................................................................................................. 92

6.2.1 MACC Base Dispatch Center Location and Operations ................................................................... 92

6.2.1.1 MACC Base Location ..................................................................................................................... 92

6.2.1.2 MACC Base Operations ................................................................................................................. 93 6.2.1.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 94

6.2.1.4 Advantages .................................................................................................................................... 94 6.2.1.5 Disadvantages ............................................................................................................................... 94

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment vii

6.2.2 Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-only Operations ....................................... 95

6.2.2.1 MPD Location ................................................................................................................................. 95 6.2.2.2 Town of Milford-only Operations .................................................................................................... 95

6.2.2.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 95


6.2.3 Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations ............................... 96

6.2.3.1 MPD Location ................................................................................................................................. 96 6.2.3.2 Town of Milford Regional Operations............................................................................................. 96

6.2.3.3 Budgetary Estimate ........................................................................................................................ 96


6.2.4 Dispatch Center Alternatives Impact Analysis .................................................................................. 97 Figure 6-4 Impact Analysis Flow Chart ....................................................................................................... 97

Table 6-4 Milford-Only Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix ........................................................ 98

Table 6-5 All Towns Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix ............................................................ 99

7.0 Recommended Conceptual Design ..................................................................................... 101

7.1 Radio System Conceptual Design ............................................................................................................ 101 7.1.1 Milford Standalone VHF P25 Radio System Conceptual System Design ...................................... 101

7.1.1.1 Radio System Architecture ........................................................................................................... 101

7.1.1.2 System Coverage Design ............................................................................................................. 102 Table 7-1 Milford Conceptual Design Radio Site Parameters .................................................................. 105

Figure 7-1 P25 Mobile Conceptual Coverage ........................................................................................... 106

Figure 7-2 P25 Portable Outdoor Conceptual Coverage .......................................................................... 107 Figure 7-3 P25 Portable In Building Conceptual Coverage ...................................................................... 108

7.1.1.3 System Traffic Loading ................................................................................................................ 109

Table 7-2 Required Radio Channels ......................................................................................................... 110 7.1.1.4 Frequency Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 110

Table 7-3 Milford Licensed Frequencies ................................................................................................... 110

Table 7-4 Potential Milford Frequency Pairs ............................................................................................. 111 7.1.1.5 Interoperability Interfaces ............................................................................................................. 111

7.1.1.6 Connectivity System..................................................................................................................... 111 7.1.1.7 Site Development ......................................................................................................................... 112

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment viii

7.1.1.8 Console System ............................................................................................................................ 112

7.1.1.9 Logging Recorder......................................................................................................................... 112 7.1.1.10 Operational .................................................................................................................................. 112

7.1.2 Regional Radio System Conceptual System Design ........................................................................... 113

7.1.2.1 System Architecture ..................................................................................................................... 113 Figure 7- 4 Milford Regional System Conceptual Design Sites ................................................................ 114

7.1.2.2 System Coverage Design ............................................................................................................. 114

Table 7-5 Milford Regional Conceptual Design Radio Site Parameters ................................................... 116 Figure 7-5 P25 Mobile Regional Conceptual Coverage ........................................................................... 117

Figure 7-6 P25 Portable Outdoor Regional Conceptual Coverage .......................................................... 118

Figure 7-7 P25 Portable Light Building Regional Conceptual Coverage .................................................. 119 7.1.2.3 System Traffic Loading ................................................................................................................ 119

7.1.2.4 Frequency Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 120 7.1.2.5 Interoperability Interfaces ............................................................................................................. 121

7.1.2.6 System Core and Simulcast Control Equipment .......................................................................... 121

7.1.2.7 Connectivity System..................................................................................................................... 121 Figure 7-8 Conceptual Microwave Network .............................................................................................. 122

7.1.2.8 Site Development ......................................................................................................................... 122

7.1.2.9 Console System ............................................................................................................................ 123 7.1.2.10 Logging Recorder .................................................................................................................... 123

7.1.2.11 Operational .................................................................................................................................. 123

7.2 Dispatch Center Conceptual Design ......................................................................................................... 124 7.2.1 Milford PD Location and Town of Milford-Only Operations ............................................................. 124

Figure 7-9 Police Department Building Potential Rendering .................................................................... 124

Figure 7-10 Dispatch Center Layout Potential Rendering ........................................................................ 124 Figure 7-11 Dispatch Center Consoles Potential Rendering .................................................................... 125

7.2.1.1 Console System ........................................................................................................................... 125

7.2.1.2 Logging Recorder......................................................................................................................... 126 7.2.1.3 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Software .................................................................................. 127

7.2.2 Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations ...................................................... 129

7.3 Conceptual Design Implementation .......................................................................................................... 129 7.3.1 Functional RFP and System Procurement ...................................................................................... 129

7.3.2 Frequency Licensing Review .......................................................................................................... 130

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment ix

7.3.3 Construction and Installation ........................................................................................................... 130

7.3.4 Acceptance ...................................................................................................................................... 131 7.3.5 Cutover ............................................................................................................................................ 132

7.3.6 Training............................................................................................................................................ 133

7.3.7 Schedule ......................................................................................................................................... 134 7.4 Opinion of Probable Costs ........................................................................................................................ 135

Table 7-6: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Milford-Only Operations ..................................................................................................................... 136

Table 7-7: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center Milford PD and Regional Operations ............................................................................. 136 Table 7-8: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Regional Operations .... ................................................................................................................................................ 137

Table 7-9: Town of Wilton Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service .. 138 Table 7-10: Town of Mont Vernon Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service ................................................................................................................................................ 139

Table 7-11: Town of Lyndeborough Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service ................................................................................................................................................ 140

7.4.1 Estimate Categories ........................................................................................................................ 141 7.4.2 Cost Elements ................................................................................................................................. 141

7.4.2.1 Radio Infrastructure...................................................................................................................... 141

7.4.2.2 Dispatch Center - Facility ............................................................................................................. 141 7.4.2.3 Dispatch Center - Consoles/Logging Recorder/CAD ................................................................... 142

7.4.2.4 Microwave Connectivity System .................................................................................................. 142

7.4.2.5 Physical Facilities ......................................................................................................................... 142 7.4.2.6 Subscriber Units ........................................................................................................................... 143

7.4.2.7 Paging System & Pagers ............................................................................................................. 143

7.4.2.8 Vendor Services ........................................................................................................................... 143 7.4.2.9 Discount ....................................................................................................................................... 143

7.4.2.10 Spares Subscribers & Fixed Network ..................................................................................... 143

7.4.2.11 Consulting Services ................................................................................................................ 144 7.4.2.12 Contingency ............................................................................................................................ 144

7.4.2.13 Dispatch Operations ................................................................................................................ 144

7.4.2.14 Maintenance ............................................................................................................................ 144

8.0 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 145

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment x

8.1 Short Term Strategies (6 – 12 months) ..................................................................................................... 145

8.1.1 Implement Town of Milford VHF Radio System .............................................................................. 145 8.1.2 Implement Dispatch Center at the Milford Police Department ........................................................ 146

8.1.3 Implement Town of Milford Dispatch Operations ............................................................................ 146

8.1.4 Go Forward Plan of Action .............................................................................................................. 147 8.2 Long Term Strategies (12 – 18 months) ................................................................................................... 148

Appendix A Glossary

Appendix B Interview Records

Appendix C Site Survey Records

Appendix D Coverage Maps

Appendix E Existing Frequency Table

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment xi

Acknowledgements CTA Consultants, LLC are grateful for the support and participation of the following: Russ Boland Town Administrator Lyndeborough Rainsford Deware Chief Lyndeborough Police Department Mark Bender Town Administrator Milford Government Eric Schelberg Director Milford Ambulance Service Rick Riendeau Director Milford Department of Public Works Kenneth Flaherty Chief Milford Fire Department Michael Viola Chief Milford Police Department Craig Frye Captain Milford Police Department Shawn Pelletier Captain Milford Police Department Jack Espoisto Selectman Mont Vernon Government Kevin Furlong Chief Mont Vernon Police Department Ben Crosby Director Mont Vernon Public Works Paul Branscombe Town Administrator Wilton Government Steven Desrosiers Chief Wilton Ambulance Services David Boissonnault Director Wilton Emergency Management Don Nourse Deputy Chief Wilton Fire Department Eric Olesen Chief Wilton Police Department Jason Johnson Director MACC Base

We offer our deepest appreciation to Captain Craig Frye (Milford Police Department) and Director Jason Johnson (Director MACC Base) for the time and effort they invested in this process. Their contributions have been integral to the successful completion of this effort in just over two months.

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment 1

Executive Summary

Introduction CTA Consultants LLC (CTA) was contracted by the Town of Milford to provide an assessment and recommendation for a Public Safety Grade Radio System and 911 Dispatch Operational environment to serve Police, Fire, Ambulance, Public Works, and Water Utilities. We understand the current radio system and dispatch operations serve the Town of Milford and the towns of Mont Vernon, Wilton, and Lyndeborough, so we also provide an assessment and recommendation for a Regional Public Safety Grade Radio System and 911 Dispatch Operational environment for consideration by all Towns. CTA’s assessment of the regional radio system addresses existing coverage and communication problems and provides engineering analyses, best fit alternatives, and a conceptual design for a new Milford-only and a Regional communications system. CTA’s assessment of the existing dispatch operational environment addresses the value of services provided from a technical and cost perspective, and provides operational analyses, best fit alternatives, and best go forward options for a new dispatch center between Milford Police Department (MPD) and Milford Area Communications Center (MACC Base). CTA’s assessment of your dispatching operations began with surveying the dispatch center and interviewing the dispatch director. We also obtained information in the radio system interviews, about the level and quality of service received from the existing dispatch center. We chose to further divide this part of the project into two aspects: locations of a dispatch center, and operations of a dispatch center. We used all the information obtained to consider viable dispatch locations and operations to develop best fit alternatives and rough order of magnitude cost estimates for your dispatch center. CTA understands several studies have been completed in search of a path forward to upgrade the existing public safety communications technology, while continuing to provide critical 911 services to the Town of Milford and surrounding communities. This indicates the agencies and communities involved are aware that something must change in order to continue serving the public, whether that is a system-infrastructure upgrade or an alternative means of providing dispatch services. The results of the documentation review and analyses provide a well-rounded picture of your current communications environment. We then considered viable system technologies to develop best fit alternatives and rough order of magnitude cost estimates for your radio system. Upon reviewing the best fit alternatives and their associated costs with you, we determined one or more alternatives which we used to develop a conceptual design and budgetary estimate. This information will be the foundation for a functional specification document to solicit the needed radio system for the Town of Milford and/or the Region. Assessment - Radio Systems CTA gathered information directly from the stakeholders in the towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough about current operations, coverage issues, radio system features and future needs. We asked about technical and operational issues the existing system faces, and we identified the community’s interoperability and mutual aid relationships.


CTA gained an understanding of the current technology/infrastructure and tactical communications to determine if there were any issues/limitations for the existing equipment. Radio system users shared concerns about the current system including:

areas of poor or no coverage on mobiles, portables, and pagers

inability to hear dispatch or be heard by dispatch lack of capacity

lack of interoperability

equipment old and hard to repair problematic dispatching

politics During our interviews, CTA asked radio system users to identify coverage problem areas on a large map. CTA digitally recreated the map showing the coverage problem areas in Figure ES-1.

Figure ES-1 Coverage Problem Areas MACC Base stands for Milford Area Communications Center Base. MACC Base operates a 5-site, 4-channel analog VHF radio system for dispatch and communication with agencies from the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. MACC Base also has a 4-site VHF low-band paging system for Wilton and Mont Vernon fire departments. Below is a list of the four VHF radio channels and the VHF low-band paging channel and the agencies that use each channel:

VHF Law Enforcement – Law Enforcement Agencies for Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough

VHF Fire – Wilton Fire Department

VHF Ambulance – Milford and Wilton Ambulances

VHF Low Band Public Works – Public Works for Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough VHF Low-Band Paging – Wilton and Mont Vernon Fire Departments MACC Base is currently in the process of implementing a microwave connectivity system using grant money. The microwave system will connect the MACC Base tower sites to a regional New Hampshire microwave network. This system is in the process of being installed and is expected to become operational in 2020. This system has mobile coverage throughout much of the region. However, portable and in-building coverage is challenged, connectivity is poor, interference is problematic, system configuration makes operability difficult, and all interoperable communications must be transmitted through dispatchers. The Milford Fire Department operates a single site, 1-channel analog VHF Kenwood radio system. Their only transmit site is at the Federal Hill tower site. This system has adequate mobile coverage. Talk-out and talk-in coverage is limited, security at the single site is problematic, redundancy is lacking, and emergency back-up power is limited.


Assessment - Dispatch Operations MACC Base has 5 full time positions (one vacant slot), and 6 part time positions. There are (4) 10 hour shifts that overlap, 2 people are there 16 hours per day, and 1 person from 3am - 11am. MACC Base provides dispatch service for the Towns of Mont Vernon, Wilton, Milford, and Lyndeborough Police Department, and in the past they have provided services for as many as 7 towns. The MACC Base Dispatch Center is the secondary public safety answering point for all 911 calls in the Towns of Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon. MACC Base also receives some 911 calls for the Town of Lyndeborough. MACC Base dispatches law enforcement for all four towns, Fire agencies from Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon, and only dispatches ambulances (EMS) for Milford and Wilton. MACC Base has a good working relationship with all the public safety agencies they dispatch. MACC Base has procedure books and scripts for Fire/EMS calls. Dispatchers must be well rounded in order to handle police, Fire/EMS, and Public Works calls. Training can vary depending on previous experience. Some dispatchers are part time, some have been there for more than 10 years, and most are full time have been there for more than 5 years. Politics may have a part in the turnover rate, and job insecurity has taken its toll on the team. The current contract ends December 31, 2020. The biggest issues MACC Base faces are old equipment and politics. Beltronics provides preventive maintenance once a year. They do not currently have monitoring and alarms, and site security improvements should be considered. Funding is also an issue, because if the Town of Milford pulls out of MACC Base, MACC Base will not exist anymore. There will not be enough money to continue dispatching. Assessment - Frequencies CTA performed a review of the four towns’ existing VHF FCC licenses and found they have a combined total of 23 discrete VHF frequencies. While not all frequencies can be used together at a site, it is CTA’s opinion that there are sufficient frequencies to support both a Milford only VHF system and a regional VHF system. Alternatives - Radio System There is an urgent need for a new public safety grade radio system in the Milford region. Below are the alternatives evaluated for a new P25 system that will provide reliable public safety communications in the Town of Milford and surrounding areas. CTA assessed the viability of the following 4 alternatives:

Milford Standalone VHF P25 Conventional Radio System - A VHF P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Town of Milford. The P25 standards facilitate interoperability by allowing any P25 certified radio subscriber to operate on any P25 system infrastructure regardless of the system vendor. Backhaul connectivity between the dispatch center and P25 tower sites will need to be fiber or microwave links to ensure the required data rates for a P25 system are provided. To improve portable coverage, a Digital Vehicular Repeater System (DVRS) will be needed for all public safety response vehicles. To upgrade to a new VHF P25 conventional system, modifications of existing VHF frequency licenses will be required. Operations on a new VHF P25 radio system will be similar to current operations


for Milford Public safety radio users. One major difference is that there will be repeater systems for all radio channels on the new systems.

Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Conventional Radio System - A 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Town of Milford. The P25 standards facilitate interoperability by allowing any P25 certified radio subscriber to operate on any P25 system infrastructure regardless of the system vendor. Backhaul connectivity between dispatch and P25 tower sites will need to be fiber or microwave links to ensure the required data rates for a P25 system are provided. To upgrade to a new 700/800 MHz P25 conventional system, Milford will need to license four 700/800 MHz frequency pairs (transmit and receive frequencies) to provide adequate capacity for a new radio system. Operations on a new 700/800 P25 radio system will be similar to current operations for Milford Public safety radio users.

Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System - A Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. This option provides a similar public safety grade communications system as the first alternative (Milford Standalone VHF P25 Radio System) with additional coverage to provide reliable mission critical voice communications to each of the three participating Towns. This alternative requires a robust connectivity network for all four towns. CTA recommends a microwave ring topology with added fiber redundancy at sites where fiber is already available. To improve portable coverage, a Digital Vehicular Repeater System (DVRS) will be needed for all public safety response vehicles. All public safety agencies within the four towns currently operate in the VHF frequency band. By pooling together their licensed frequencies, there should be enough VHF frequencies to provide sufficient capacity for all public safety agencies within the Milford area. Operations on a new Regional VHF P25 radio system will be similar to current operations for the towns’ public safety radio users. One major difference is that there will be repeater systems for all radio channels on the new systems. A phased implementation approach allows the total cost of ownership to be spread out over a longer time period. This alternative splits the regional radio system implementation into two phases: Upgrading the infrastructure to be capable of dual mode (analog and P25) operations. When all subscribers are capable of operating in P25 mode, the system will then convert to P25 operations.

Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System - A regional 700/800 MHz

Simulcast P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. This option provides a similar public safety grade communications system as the second alternative (Milford Standalone 700/800 P25 Radio System) with additional coverage to provide reliable mission critical voice communications to each of the four participating Towns. This alternative requires a robust connectivity network for all four towns. CTA recommends a microwave ring topology with added fiber redundancy at sites where fiber is already available. Interoperability problems from the standalone Milford 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 system alternative are amplified for the regional 700/800 MHz because each of the four towns provide mutual aid to neighboring jurisdictions who use VHF radio systems. Most of the radio system users for the four towns would require multi-band subscribers (VHF and 700/800 MHz) so that they can communicate with neighboring jurisdictions. Operations on a new Regional VHF P25 radio system will be similar to current operations for the towns’


public safety radio users. One major difference is that there will be repeater systems for all radio channels on the new systems.

CTA used the following overarching system considerations when developing your System Alternatives: coverage, capacity, and interoperability. The ability of a public safety communications system to meet the requirements of the users relies heavily upon meeting these system considerations. Coverage: Milford Standalone Radio System Based upon preliminary coverage estimations, a single site in the Town of Milford may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (larger white circle on Figure ES-1) for the Milford service area in the VHF band. Additionally, vehicular repeaters will be necessary to provide the needed portable outdoor and in-building coverage throughout the service area. Based on preliminary coverage estimations, a single site in the Town of Milford may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (smaller yellow circle on Figure ES-1) for the Milford service area in the 700/800 MHz band. For the Town of Milford, the same number of sites is needed for either a VHF or 700/800 MHz system because the service area only covers a small area of land.

Figure ES-2 Town of Milford Preliminary Coverage

Regional Radio System Based on preliminary coverage estimations, 3 sites may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (white circles on Figure ES-2) for the regional service area in the VHF band. It is noted that an additional site may be required for VHF, based upon detailed site locations and propagation. Additionally, vehicular repeaters will be necessary to provide the needed portable outdoor and in-building coverage throughout the service area.


Based on preliminary coverage estimation, 4 sites may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (smaller yellow circles on Figure ES-2) for the regional service area in the 700/800 MHz band. It is important to note that a VHF system will provide better outdoor coverage to mobiles, while a 700/800 MHz system will perform better for portables outdoors, and inside buildings.

Figure ES-3 Regional Preliminary Coverage

Capacity: Milford Standalone Radio System Based upon preliminary capacity estimations, a conventional P25 Phase 1 standalone system for Milford will require 4 channels regardless of the frequency band (VHF or 700/800 MHz). Note that each channel requires 2 frequencies (transmit and receive) for a total of 8 frequencies. This estimation is based on all public safety and public works users for the Town of Milford operating on a single radio system. Regional Radio System Based upon preliminary capacity estimations, a regional conventional P25 Phase 1 simulcast system will require 4 channels regardless of the frequency band (VHF or 700/800 MHz). Note that each channel requires 2 frequencies (transmit and receive) for a total of 8 frequencies. If the system is not simulcast, this requirement will be replicated at each site in the system design, for a maximum requirement of 32 frequencies. This estimation is based upon all users within the regional service area, operating on a single radio system. Interoperability: Interoperability for the local jurisdictions operating in the Milford area is critically important and must be considered as we look at potential system alternatives. CTA developed an interoperability chart as part of the interview process, which clearly shows the need for law enforcement, Fire/EMS and public works to be able to communicate directly with each other during times of emergency. It also reflects the need for users to be able to communicate with other agencies outside of the local jurisdictions, and the ability to use dedicated channels to communicate directly with each other without overloading dispatch personnel. Table ES-1 shows the interoperability needs of the 4 towns.


Table ES-1 Milford Interoperability Matrix We use an impact analysis process to help evaluate the system alternatives in combination with of all the information gathered during this needs assessment. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs by reflecting how well each alternative meets the needs and requirements of the users. Part of this process is evaluating the rough order of magnitude (ROM) costs for each alternative. Table ES-2 provides the results of the alternatives analysis.

Table ES-2 Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix

Agencies

Milf

ord

Polic

e

Milf

ord

Fire

Milf

ord

Am

bula

nce

Milf

ord

DPW

Milf

ord

Wat

er

Util

ities

Mon

t Ver

non

Polic

eM

ont V

erno

n Fi

reM

ont V

erno

n Pu

blic

Wor

ks

Wilt

on P

olic

e

Wilt

on F

ire

Wilt

on

Am

bula

nce

Lynd

ebor

ough

Po

lice

MA

CC

Bas

e

Milford Police N x N X X XMilford Fire N x x x x x x XMilford Ambulance N x x x x XMilford DPW N x N x x x x Milford Water Utilities N N N

Mont Vernon Police X x x x N X x x X XMont Vernon Fire N N x XMont Vernon Public Works x x N N

Wilton Police X x x X x X XWilton Fire x x X x XWilton Ambulance X x x x X x

Lyndeborough Police x X XMACC Base X X X x X X X X

Town of Milford Interoperability Matrix

Town of Milford VHF System

Town of Milford 700/800 System

Regional VHF System

Regional 700/800 System

Average Score 474 458 468 455

ROM Costs 2,250,000$ 2,125,000$ 4,700,000$ 4,550,000$

RANKING 1 3 2 4

Milford Only Weight Factor All Towns Weight Factor

RADIO SYSTEM ALTERNATIVES RANKING MATRIX


Both of the VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System alternatives ranked distinctly higher than the two 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System alternatives, leading us to statistically conclude that a VHF System configuration is the best fit for either a Milford Standalone or a Regional System. The VHF alternatives stand out, primarily in the areas of:

Mobile Coverage

Interoperability Operational Boundary Flexibility

Commonality of Equipment It is CTA’s opinion that a VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System is the BEST FIT for Milford, as it provides the needed coverage, capacity, and interoperability for all public safety users. Additionally, if the Towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough desire to upgrade their radio systems, we recommend a Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System as the BEST FIT. Alternatives - Dispatch Center There is also an urgent need for a 911 public safety answering point in the Milford region. Below are the alternatives evaluated for the dispatch center location and operations that will provide public safety dispatch services in the Town of Milford and surrounding areas. The following sections include the analysis of 3 potential dispatch center alternatives:

MACC Base Dispatch Center Location and Operations - The MACC Base Dispatch Center is located on the fourth floor of the Milford Town Hall. MACC Base leases this space from the Town of Milford. MACC Base is located at 1 Union Square, Milford, NH 03055. MACC Base provides dispatch service for four towns (Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough Police Department), and in the past they have provided services for as many as 7 towns. An Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) between all participating towns outlines how MACC Base will operate; additionally there is a MACC Base Board of Governors (BOG) with a representative from each town, appointed by that town’s Board of Selectmen. Significant issues regarding performance, finances, and fiduciary capabilities must be addressed to the satisfaction of all participating towns for this alternative to a viable solution. Additionally, the Director position needs to be a full-time administrator to oversee the many managerial activities required, such as: human resources, scheduling, financial accounting, training, technical oversight, etc.

Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-only Operations - A new Communications Center can be built at the current Milford Police Department, located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical, as it will need to be a public safety grade facility. In years past, Milford Police Department was responsible for dispatch, but this was transitioned to an independent configuration due to concerns from participating agencies that the operations needed to be more well-rounded to serve all public safety disciplines equally. These concerns will be addressed by the new Communication Center operations being under control of the Town of Milford. Additionally, two Committees (Operations and Finance) must be established to develop and maintain policies, procedures, and budgets. It will be critical that all agencies are represented on the Operations Committee.


Milford Police Department Location and Regional Operations - A new dispatch center can be built at the current Milford Police Department, located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical, as it will need to be a public safety grade facility. In years past, Milford Police Department was responsible for dispatch, but this was transitioned to an independent configuration due to concerns from participating agencies that the operations needed to be more well-rounded to serve all public safety disciplines equally. These concerns will be addressed by the new Communication Center operations being under control of the Town of Milford. Additionally, two Committees (Operations and Finance) must be established to develop and maintain policies, procedures, and budgets. It will be critical that all agencies, within each Town, are represented on the Operations Committee.

We use an impact analysis process to help evaluate the dispatch center alternatives in combination with of all the information gathered during this needs assessment. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs by reflecting how well each alternative meets the needs and requirements of the users. We viewed the evaluation from two perspectives: Milford Only ranking of attributes and All Towns ranking of attributes. We also considered the rough order of magnitude (ROM) costs for each alternative. Table ES-3 provides the results of the alternatives analysis.

Table ES-3 Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix The noticeable difference in the scoring is that regardless of using the weighted attributes by Milford Only or All Towns, the Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations score far exceeds the MACC Base Location and Operations. This leads us to conclude that the Milford PD Location is the best fit for either the Town of Milford-Only or Town of Milford Regional Dispatch Operations. The Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Dispatch Operations alternatives stand out, primarily in the areas of:

Initial Costs

Long-Term Costs Cost Effectiveness

It is CTA’s opinion that a Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-only Operations is the BEST FIT for the Town of Milford, as it will provide the needed public safety grade facility and dispatch communications for all public safety user agencies. Implementation of this alternative requires the Town of Milford to upgrade their radio system based upon Section 6.1.1.

MACC Base Location and Operations

Milford PD Location and Town

of Milford Only Operations

Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional

Operations


Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional

Operations

Average Score 99 143 142 93 135

ROM Costs 1,660,000$ 1,300,000$ 1,400,000$ 1,660,000$ 1,400,000$

RANKING 3 1 2 2 1

Milford Only Weight Factor All Towns Weight Factor

DISPATCH ALTERNATIVES RANKING MATRIX


Additionally, if the Towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough desire to upgrade their operational environment, it is CTA’s opinion that a Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations is a BEST FIT for the Region. Implementation of this alternative requires each participating Town to upgrade their individual radio system based upon Section 6.1.3. Radio System Conceptual Design CTA performed an operational and engineering analysis based upon the information gathered. The purpose of the conceptual design is to determine the feasibility of the concept, provide a basis for cost estimates and for the development of the RFP. It will be the radio system vendor’s responsibility to prepare a detailed system design that will meet the requirements of the RFP. Architecture: Milford Standalone Radio System We conclude that the architecture which best meets Milford’s needs is a single site, 4-channel, P25 Phase 1, conventional radio system. This configuration will operate in the VHF public safety band and take full advantage of existing licensed frequencies. The design includes updates for important auxiliary systems, such as the existing VHF paging system, consoles, fixed control stations, and the planned AT&T tower at the Milford Police Department. This tower will provide necessary radio coverage for the Town of Milford and provide reliable public safety grade service for another radio generation. This architecture may be procured turn-key or via separate procurements using open and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from a variety of system vendors. This design also includes digital vehicular repeater systems in each of the first responder vehicles to augment portable outdoor and in-building coverage. Regional Radio System We conclude that the architecture which best meets the needs of all 4 Towns’ (Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough) is a 4-site, 4-channel, VHF P25 Phase 1, simulcast, conventional radio system. Our conceptual design for the Milford Regional VHF radio system starts with the Milford standalone VHF P25 radio system described above. Each Town must build their new radio system as an extension of the new Milford P25 system. In this regional conceptual design, each Town will be responsible for building out their portion of the radio system, including purchasing all radio equipment for tower sites located in their jurisdiction, subscriber units for their agencies, and upgrading tower sites for use in the new regional radio system. Each town joining the Milford regional radio system will also be responsible for procuring and installing their portions of the regional microwave connectivity network. The design includes updates for important auxiliary systems, such as the existing VHF paging system, consoles, fixed control stations, and the new AT&T tower site to provide reliable public safety grade service for another radio generation. This architecture may be procured turn-key or via separate procurements using open and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from a variety of system vendors. This design also includes digital vehicular repeater systems in each of the first responder vehicles to augment portable outdoor and in-building coverage.


Coverage: Milford Standalone Radio System We performed an analysis of the coverage that can be achieved with a P25 system. Our goal is to evaluate the total coverage that can be delivered from the best tower site(s) which are owned by the Town of Milford, existing commercial sites, or proposed commercial sites. Our final site selection is the proposed AT&T tower at the Milford Police Department and Figures ES-4 thru ES-6 illustrate the performance for mobile outdoor coverage, portable outdoor coverage, and portable light building coverage.

Figure ES-4 P25 Mobile Conceptual Coverage

Figure ES-5 P25 Portable Outdoor Conceptual Coverage


Figure ES-6 P25 Portable In Building Conceptual Coverage

VHF in-building coverage is significantly lower than mobile and portable outdoor coverage due to the low transmit power of VHF portables and the high building loss for the VHF band. After analyzing the coverage provided by the AT&T tower at the Milford PD, we conclude this design will require DVRS units be installed in all first responder vehicles. In-building coverage issues were identified by Milford public safety personnel, and there are several approaches to improving indoor coverage. CTA recommends including contingency money for potential additional coverage solutions and waiting until after coverage acceptance testing to determine whether added coverage solutions are necessary. Regional Radio System We performed an analysis of the coverage that can be achieved with a P25 system. Our goal is to evaluate the total coverage that can be delivered from the best tower site(s) which are owned by the towns, existing commercial sites, or proposed commercial sites. Our final site selection is the proposed AT&T tower at the Milford Police Department, Crown Castle Tower, Mont Vernon FD Tower, and the Lyndeborough American Tower. Figures ES-7 thru ES-9 illustrate the performance for mobile outdoor coverage, portable outdoor coverage, and portable light building coverage.

Figure ES-7 P25 Mobile Regional Conceptual Coverage


Figure ES-8 P25 Portable Outdoor Regional Conceptual Coverage

Figure ES-9 P25 Portable Light Building Regional Conceptual Coverage

VHF in-building coverage is significantly lower than mobile and portable outdoor coverage due to the low transmit power of VHF portables and the high building loss for the VHF band. After analyzing the coverage provided at all of the proposed sites, we conclude this design will require DVRS units be installed in all first responder vehicles. In-building coverage issues were identified by public safety personnel in each town, and there are several approaches to improving indoor coverage. CTA recommends including contingency money for potential additional coverage solutions and waiting until after coverage acceptance testing to determine whether added coverage solutions are necessary.


Capacity: Milford Standalone Radio System Our traffic loading analysis concludes that Milford will need 4 total conventional channels (8 total VHF frequencies; 4 transmit and 4 receive frequencies) to provide the necessary capacity for the next 15-20 years. The channels will be allocated by discipline (law enforcement, Fire/EMS, and public works). Regional Radio System After analyzing licensed VHF frequencies from the four towns, we do not believe that there were 8 discrete frequencies that could be used at each of the four sites. Therefore, our conceptual design uses a simulcast configuration. Using simulcast technology for the Milford regional radio system provides the most cost effective, least interference prone, and spectrally efficient solution. Interoperability: Milford Standalone Radio System The new infrastructure will include interoperability gateway equipment so that the dispatch center can continue to communicate to the identified regional agencies. These interoperability gateways operate at the dispatch center either by using RF over a control station or via wireline termination in the dispatch center to connect to another town’s radio equipment. Regional Radio System With all the region’s public safety and public service agencies being on a single radio system interoperability is significantly simplified for public safety personnel using radios in the field. Law enforcement agencies will be able to talk directly (radio to radio) with Fire/EMS on scene, without causing a delay in mission-critical information by relaying information through dispatch. Dispatch Center Conceptual Design Town of Milford PD Location and Milford-Only Operations

Figure ES-10 Police Department Building Potential Rendering A new dispatch center can be built at the current Milford Police Department located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. Figure ES-10 shows a potential rendering of the front of the existing Police Department building with the dispatch center addition. Figure ES-11 shows a potential layout for the dispatch center addition.


Figure ES-11 Dispatch Center Layout Potential Rendering

NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical to ensure a public safety dispatch environment. This addition will need to accommodate a 3 active dispatch console layout with enough room to add an additional console in the future. Figure ES-12 shows a potential console layout. This will allow for 2 primary dispatcher/call taker positions and one backup dispatcher/call taker position.

Figure ES-12 Dispatch Center Consoles Potential Rendering

The new console system will be an IP-based P25 console system. A new IP-based logging recorder system will be installed at the dispatch center. At this time, it is presumed the Town of Milford will need to purchase CAD software for the dispatch center. It is unclear how much effort will be required for data migration, so costs have also been included in the budget for this effort. A successful Town of Milford Dispatch Operations will need a Governance Committee who will be responsible for establishing a governance structure, annual budget, and overseeing an Operations Sub-Committee and Finance Sub-Committee. The Operations Sub-Committee should have representation from each of the agencies acquiring


services from the dispatch center. It will also be important to have a well-trained dispatch center manager to provide oversight and guidance for the dispatch staff and coordinate with the agencies being served. Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations Both the dispatch facility and operations will be the same as described in Section 7.2.1. The only exception is a recommendation that the Operations Sub-Committee include one representative from each town participating in the Regional Center. Conceptual Design Schedule A reasonable schedule to complete a Milford-only system will be 12 to 18 months, highly dependent upon the site development. A reasonable schedule to complete a Regional system is 24 to 31 months. Building a new Milford VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System or a Regional VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Simulcast Radio System will require the development of a project roadmap and will include the following major tasks:

Dispatch Center Facility

FCC Licensing Specifications & Develop the RFP

Procurement

Detailed Design Review (DDR) Physical Facilities

Microwave System

Fiber Radio Infrastructure

Acceptance

Training

Cutover Conceptual Design Opinion of Probable Costs The opinion of probable cost represents the conceptual system design and includes the radio infrastructure, any upgrades to the physical facilities, updates to the existing VHF paging system, a microwave system, new dispatch center facility, dispatch consoles, subscriber equipment, vendor services, consulting, contingency, and dispatch operational costs.


Table ES-4: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford-Only Operations - this table provides the detailed costs for the Town of Milford to implement an independent radio system, build the dispatch center at the Milford PD, and assume dispatch operations for 1 year.

Table ES-4: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of

Milford-Only Operations

Cost List Negotiated CompetitiveElements Estimate Estimate Estimate

RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 299,500$ 299,500$ 299,500$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY 500,000$ 450,000$ 400,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD 318,500$ 318,500$ 318,500$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM -$ -$ -$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 416,800$ 375,100$ 375,100$ SUBSCRIBERS 717,800$ 610,100$ 538,400$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 57,100$ 48,500$ 42,800$ VENDOR SERVICES 282,700$ 268,600$ 254,400$ DISCOUNT -$ (237,000)$ (445,700)$ SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 14,100$ 12,000$ 10,600$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 34,100$ 30,700$ 29,000$ SPARES - DISPATCH 20,000$ 18,000$ 18,000$ CONSULTING 367,300$ 367,300$ 367,300$ CONTINGENCY 219,000$ 197,100$ 186,200$ DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 550,000$ 550,000$ 550,000$ SYSTEM TOTAL - not using AT&T Tower 3,796,900$ 3,308,400$ 2,944,100$ SYSTEM TOTAL - using AT&T Tower 3,471,900$ 2,983,400$ 2,619,100$

MAINTENANCE / YEAR 33,900$ 33,900$ 33,900$

Town of Milford, NH (Standalone Implementation)1 Site, VHF P25 Conventional, 4 Channels, 3 IP Consoles, Subscribers & DVRS

Dispatch Center at Milford PD and Town of Milford Only Operations


Table ES-5: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Operations - this table summarizes the costs for each town to be part of a regional radio system and utilize services from the Town of Milford for dispatch operations for 1 year. The costs to build the dispatch center at the Milford PD and the majority of the dispatch operations costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. This table also compares the costs for each town to utilize the Town of Milford Dispatch versus remaining with MACC Base for 1 year.

Table ES-5: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Operations

Town of Milford

Town of Wilton

Town of Mont Vernon

Town of Lyndeborough TOTALS

Radio System Infrastructure 1,411,400$ 938,800$ 870,300$ 738,500$ 3,959,000$ Radio System Infrastructure % 35.7% 23.7% 22.0% 18.7% 100.0%

Dispatch Infrastructure 654,800$ -$ -$ -$ 654,800.00$ INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL 2,066,200$ 938,800$ 870,300$ 738,500$ 4,613,800$

Recommended Dispatch Operations 471,250$ 97,500$ 65,000$ 16,250$ 650,000$ Dispatch Operations % 72.5% 15.0% 10.0% 2.5% 100.0%

Current Dispatch MACC Base 527,546$ 128,316$ 84,064$ 22,000$ 761,926$ Difference (56,296)$ (30,816)$ (19,064)$ (5,750)$ (111,926)$

Note: Town of Milford Radio System Infrastructure assumes the use of the AT&T Tower.

Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System /

Dispatch Center at Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Dispatch


Table ES-6: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Operations - this table provides the detailed costs to implement a regional radio system, build the dispatch center at the Milford PD, and utilize services from the Town of Milford for dispatch operations for 1 year. The costs to build the dispatch center at the Milford PD and the majority of the dispatch operations costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. This table also provide the breakdown of costs for each town.

Table ES-6: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional

Operations


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 1,437,800$ 1,294,000$ 1,150,200$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY 500,000$ 450,000$ 400,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD 318,500$ 286,700$ 254,800$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM 456,700$ 411,000$ 365,400$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 1,275,400$ 1,147,900$ 1,020,300$ SUBSCRIBERS 1,560,900$ 1,248,700$ 1,092,600$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 128,800$ 109,500$ 96,600$ VENDOR SERVICES 885,600$ 797,000$ 708,500$ DISCOUNT -$ (574,500)$ (763,300)$ SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 29,500$ 23,600$ 20,700$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 106,900$ 96,200$ 85,500$ CONSULTING 262,500$ 262,500$ 262,500$ CONTINGENCY 306,300$ 275,700$ 245,000$

INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL 7,268,900$ 5,828,300$ 4,938,800$ INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL - using AT&T tower in Milford 6,943,900$ 5,503,300$ 4,613,800$

DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 650,000$ 650,000$ 650,000$ PROJECT TOTAL 7,593,900$ 6,153,300$ 5,263,800$ MAINTENANCE / YEAR 103,700$ 103,700$ 103,700$

Milford - not using AT&T tower 4,282,900$ 3,374,000$ 2,862,400$ Milford - using AT&T tower 3,957,900$ 3,049,000$ 2,537,400$ Wilton 1,430,000$ 1,191,300$ 1,036,300$ Mont Vernon 1,254,200$ 1,066,500$ 935,300$ Lyndeborough 951,800$ 846,500$ 754,800$

Regional VHF Radio System Implementation4 Sites, Simulcast P25 Conventional, 4 Channels, 3 IP Consoles, Connectivity, Subscribers & DVRS

Breakdown by Town

Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Dispatch


Conclusions The time is now for the Town of Milford to upgrade your public safety communications. Current systems have reached the end of their useful life and their ability to be supported. Spare parts are becoming scarce. More importantly, new equipment needed for ongoing system expansions is becoming more difficult to purchase. The public safety personnel in the Town of Milford have made valiant efforts to provide necessary services to the general public using the limited communications resources made available to them. The Milford Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Ambulance Director all recognize the potential advantages of designing and implementing a Public Safety Radio System that will address the needs of Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and Public Works in the Town of Milford, and allow for the addition of public safety agencies in the surrounding towns that choose to join the regional system. Mutual aid between the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough routinely occur and without the ability to intercommunicate with all public safety personnel in these jurisdictions’ users will find themselves in potentially dangerous conditions. The current situation is inefficient at best and life-threatening at worst. CTA recommends the Town of Milford procure and install a single site, 4-channel, P25 Phase 1, conventional radio system. The new configuration will operate in the VHF public safety band and take full advantage of existing licensed frequencies. The planned AT&T tower at the Milford Police Department will provide adequate radio coverage for the Town of Milford and will save the Town at least $325,000. A well designed, implemented, and tested radio system will provide the public safety users in the Town of Milford:

Simplified communications – removing the dispatch communications relay barriers and differences in

equipment and capabilities from agency to agency.

Communicate as needed – within the guidelines of organizational structure, users can push to talk with those they need to. Equipment is no longer a barrier and with cooperative agreements, and political boundaries are less of a barrier. The tools are in place for true interoperable communications.

Consistently dependable systems – uniform design, deployment, operation, and maintenance of the systems mean that robust equipment has been designed for the task, placed where it’s needed, and users can depend on reliable service every day.

A primary concern presented by most users is the ability to interoperate with the surrounding jurisdictions, including the Town of Wilton, Town of Mont Vernon, and the Town of Lyndeborough. To provide seamless interoperability, we have provided a conceptual design for a regional system whereby each town will purchase and install their needed infrastructure and then the four towns will jointly procure and install a simulcast and microwave overlay that will provide ubiquitous coverage throughout the region.

A new dispatch center should be built at the current Milford Police Department located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical. This dispatch center can accommodate the Town of Milford as well as the towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough if they decide to participate in a regional system.


New dispatch center operations should be under the control of the Town of Milford. A successful Town of Milford Dispatch will need to have a Governance Committee who will be responsible for establishing a governance structure, annual budget, and overseeing an Operations Sub-Committee and Finance Sub-Committee. The Town of Milford must view a public safety communications system and dispatch center as a major capital asset, in the same category as a regional water or sewage processing and distribution system, a new building or plant facility, or a school facility. It is our opinion that the Town of Milford’s requirement for a public safety communications system is now a critical requirement for those who serve your community and for the citizens they protect. Continuing to delay will only see an increase in costs and a decrease in the ability to rely upon the current radio system and dispatch operations, which may result in injury and loss due to lack of reliable communications.


1.0 Introduction

CTA Consultants LLC (CTA) was contracted by the Town of Milford to provide an assessment and recommendation for a Public Safety Grade Radio System and 911 Dispatch Operational environment to serve Police, Fire, Ambulance, Public Works, and Water Utilities. We understand the current radio system and dispatch operations serve the Town of Milford and the Towns of Mont Vernon, Wilton, and Lyndeborough, so we also provide an assessment and recommendation for a Regional Public Safety Grade Radio System and 911 Dispatch Operational environment for consideration by all Towns. CTA’s assessment of the regional radio system addresses existing coverage and communication problems and provides engineering analyses, best fit alternatives, and a conceptual design for a new Milford-only and a Regional communications system. CTA’s assessment of the existing dispatch operational environment addresses the value of services provided from a technical and cost perspective, and provides operational analyses, best fit alternatives, and best go forward options for a new dispatch center between Milford Police Department (MPD) and Milford Area Communications Center (MACC Base). Subsequent to this assessment report, CTA will develop an RFP for Specifications for the new Milford-only or Regional radio system and provide support for evaluating vendor submissions for a new communications system. CTA understands several studies have been completed in search of a path forward to upgrade the existing public safety communications technology, while continuing to provide critical 911 services to the Town of Milford and surrounding communities. This indicates the agencies and communities involved are aware that something must change in order to continue serving the public, whether that is a system-infrastructure upgrade or an alternative means of providing dispatch services. While we know the system and dispatch center are both necessary facets of serving the public, we believe it is important to look at the radio system and dispatch center separately from a technical, operational, and financially feasible perspective. The two questions that need to be answered are: Which radio system alternatives will best fit the Town of Milford’s needs? What is the most advantageous option for a dispatch center?

1.1 Radio System Assessment In order for a radio system to be viable, it has to function as designed. We understand systems “grow-up” over time, and best efforts are employed for necessary repairs and updates. Our goal, on your behalf, is to provide recommendations that will:

Investigate Public Safety Grade System Alternatives

Improve Operability Improve Interoperability

Realize Operational Efficiencies

Realize Cost Savings


Our radio system assessment process began with data gathering, interviewing the Towns and agencies currently using the radio system, and/or using MACC Base dispatch services. We also requested and reviewed statistical documentation from MACC Base and the agencies in order to document your current operations environment. We factored in the system issues shared with us and the results of our site surveys, then completed the following analyses:

Frequency Analysis

Traffic Loading Analysis Coverage Analysis

Backhaul Connectivity Analysis

The results of the documentation review and analyses provide a well-rounded picture of your current communications environment. We then considered viable system technologies to develop best fit alternatives and rough order of magnitude cost estimates for your radio system.

Upon reviewing the best fit alternatives and their associated costs with you, we determined one or more alternatives which we used to develop a conceptual design and budgetary estimates. This information will be the foundation for a functional specification document to solicit the needed radio system for the Town of Milford and/or the Region.

1.2 Dispatch Center Assessment Our assessment of your dispatching operations begins with surveying the dispatch center and interviewing the dispatch director. We also obtained information in the radio system interviews, about the level and quality of service received from the existing dispatch center. We chose to further divide this part of the project into two aspects: locations of a dispatch center, and operations of a dispatch center.


We used all the information obtained to consider viable dispatch locations and operations to develop best fit alternatives and rough order of magnitude cost estimates for your dispatch center.

Upon reviewing the best fit alternatives and their associated costs with you, we determined one or more alternatives which we used to develop a conceptual design and budgetary estimates. This information will be the foundation for a functional specification document to solicit the Dispatch Center facility and necessary technologies for the Town of Milford and/or the Region.


2.0 Current Operations Environment

CTA requested in person interviews with each of the following Towns and Agencies using the Milford Area Communications Center radio system(s) and MACC Base dispatch services:

Milford: Ambulance Service, Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Public Works

Mont Vernon: Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works

Wilton: Ambulance Service, Emergency Management, Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works Lyndeborough: Police Department

MACC Base Communications Director CTA gathered information directly from these stakeholders about current operations, coverage issues, radio system features and future needs. We asked about technical and operational issues the existing system faces, and identified the community’s interoperability and mutual aid relationships. CTA gained an understanding of the current technology/infrastructure and tactical communications to determine if there were any issues/limitations for the existing equipment. We documented each interview conducted and sent the interview record to the person(s) interviewed for their review and comment/correction. These interviews are summarized below, complete interview records are included as Appendix B Interview Records.

2.1 Milford Ambulance Service 2.1.1 Overview Milford Ambulance Service (MAS) is responsible for all EMS care in Milford and is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) service. They respond to approximately 2000 calls a year and are dispatched by MACC Base and transport to 5 different hospitals. MAS staffs two ambulances, one ambulance is staffed 24/7, and the second ambulance is staffed from 07:00 – 23:00, 7 days per week. The department operates a paramedic response vehicle, a Director’s vehicle and a third ambulance in a back-up role. There are 2 mobile radios per unit, and 2 fleet vehicles with 2 mobiles each. They use one radio in the ambulance to report to the hospital, the other radio stays in the ambulance for them to communicate with MACC Base. MAS has 50 total staff, full time, part time, per diem, and volunteer. There are 8 full time ALS, 42 part-time, and volunteer staff. There are 6 duty radios and 6 duty pagers that on-call staff use, and they have issued some additional portable radios and pagers. Current Communications Environment: MACC Base dispatches MAS via radio tones to activate pagers with subsequent communications via radio primarily mobile, but with occasional portable radio use. Additionally, providers utilize mobile radios to transmit patient “patches” and announce pending arrival to hospitals. They communicate with MACC Base for primary dispatching on a single frequency that is shared with Wilton EMS. There is no backup channel for EMS and no


TalkAround Channels (TAC) with MACC Base. MACC Base obtained a frequency for backup EMS, however it is now used for Wilton Fire to move their operations from VHF low band to VHF high band. MAS provides mutual aid coverage to the Towns of Amherst, Brookline, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon and Wilton. Milford Ambulance talks to MACC Base and 5 receiving Hospitals daily: St. Joseph and SNHMC in Nashua; CMC and Elliot in Manchester; and Monadnock Community in Peterborough. They only talk to Wilton when they come on-scene in Milford, or when Milford goes to Wilton. They are able to communicate outside their agency with department radios that are currently configured to communicate with surrounding mutual aid communities, receiving hospitals, Air Medical Transport and communities utilizing the State interoperable radio frequencies. They also talk to the Medical helicopter approximately 5-6 times a year, only for very serious injuries that can’t be taken to a level 2 trauma center. They do not communicate directly with Fire, as Fire communications are relayed through MACC Base. They have a Milford OPS channel that is town-wide, but it is not used. Additionally, cellular phones are utilized as needed, or based on the type of communication required. 911 calls go to the state and EMD dispatchers who stay on the call until someone arrives. The State transfers calls to MACC Base, and when they enter information into the Computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) system which sends a text message to MAS, after which MACC Base will dispatch Milford Ambulance. They use call coding to determine an Ambulance call type to automatically send the text. If it is a call that does not automatically send a text to Ambulance, then the dispatcher will manually send the text. MACC Base provides a verbal call pre-alert via radio after receiving a E911 CAD notification of a pending medical call. 2.1.2 Existing Concerns MAS has multiple concerns and the first is not having a second dedicated channel for EMS communications with MACC Base. There is a single point of failure at the MACC Base tower (antenna on Town Hall) on the roof of MACC Base and the backup plan is unknown. There are concerns about poor coverage and lack of communications: at the West end of Town pager activation from Town Hall mounted antenna is an issue. The Wilton antenna provides clearer and louder signals. There is poor to non-available ambulance communication with MACC BASE when the ambulance is at Manchester hospital, and portable radio reception by MACC BASE is generally poor throughout town. There are some pager and radio coverage issues, depending upon which antennas are used. If they go to Amherst, they know pagers will not work. They are not sure if they can send the Ambulance tones through to Wilton. Pager activation is not good at 545 Elm Street, near the west end of town, inside Market Basket and other buildings, some commercial, some industrial. For the most part there are not issues with capacity, although it can get busy when Milford and Wilton both have multiple calls. They do experience a delay every night at 1800 due to a tone test for 2 minutes. This is going to be eliminated since it consumes bandwidth. MACC Base service is adequate, some dispatchers are better than others.


2.1.3 Future Requirements A dedicated EMS frequency is desired. Improved mobile and portable radio communication capability with mutual aid communities, including Nashua and Manchester dispatch and Manchester Airport would make their jobs more efficient. New or expanded features for consideration are a combined portable radio and cellular phone functionality. Data, picture and video capability, Push-to-Talk (PTT) over cellular App and more telemedicine. They transmit EKG’s to the hospitals using cellular, it would be useful to do this over the radio system, as they currently use a modem hot spot to send information to hospitals. Commonality of equipment across all Milford Agencies would be beneficial to increase operability. Mobile radios programmed with New Hampshire Interoperable frequencies and access to Nashua and Manchester radio system will increase interoperability. The current dispatch center can communicate directly with multiple agencies, providing for efficient and timely communications during large scale incidents, disasters and urgent provider requests. It is critical not to lose uninterrupted and seamless communication at the scene level.

2.2 Milford Fire Department 2.2.1 Overview Milford Fire Department responds to approximately 1,200 fire calls per year. They have 37 personnel with 45 total members on the roster, including 5 career staff 1 administrative employee operating Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. All personnel are located at the Fire Station. If all ambulances are out of Town, they will send a fire truck as a first response vehicle. However, they are not licensed for ambulance transport, and do not have transport ambulances. There is a single fire station that was recently renovated, with one single base station, and a mobile with VHF low and high band. Each fire truck has 2 mobiles, an old Kenwood dual band VHF High and Low, and a Motorola VHF. They use the Kenwood for communicating with dispatch and use the Motorola for on-scene communications. Their equipment is over 15 years old and the Motorola mobiles have reached their life expectancy. The aging equipment is failing and no longer serviceable. Milford Fire has 1 Fire Chief, 1 Assistant Chief and 2 Deputy Fire Chiefs, 6 Fire Captains, and 4 lieutenants who each have a portable radio they take home. There are 4 portable radios on each truck, and their fleet has: 3 pump trucks, 1 aerial, 1 rescue, 1 reserve, 2 staff cars, 1 forestry and a 1 utility vehicle. All vehicles have mobile radios, but not all have portables. They have 40-45 Minitor 4 and Minitor 5 pagers which are failing, the Unification pagers have programming issues, and Swiss Phone is the model of most units. They use dual tone paging


through MACC Base. They have 5 VHF frequencies and the only repeater for Milford Fire is at the Federal Hill site and using this site has improved coverage. Milford Fire talks to MACC Base daily. They also talk to Amherst Fire on the radio on a regular basis and to Bedford Fire on the radio for mutual aid. Typically, they use the Statewide Fire Ground interoperability channel for mutual aid. Occasionally they talk to neighboring Fire agencies, Mont Vernon Fire, Wilton Fire (UHF), Lyndeborough, Brookline & Hollis, Nashua, and to Keene Mutual Agency on KMA’s TAC channels. They do not have issues talking to neighboring Fire agencies since most Fire agencies in their area use VHF. MFD talks to the schools frequently on the radio, for fire drills and other training exercises. The schools have their own radio system and Milford Fire talks on the school frequencies. They can talk to law enforcement, their radios are programmed with Police channels, but the Police do not have Fire channels programmed. They can talk to Milford Ambulance, but that is rare. They do not talk to neighboring ambulances. 2.2.2 Existing Concerns Typically, there are not a lot of coverage issues on portable or mobile radios. Sometimes there is bleed-over from a Milford ambulance over the pagers within a mile radius of the Town Hall tower. The Federal Hill site is in a wooden building that gets vandalized frequently, and the site is not easy to access. The site does not get snow plowed in the winter. The equipment at the site is old and there is no Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC). The tower and building are owned by the State and Cell providers also use the tower. They have a 3rd party maintenance contract with Beltronics who maintains the infrastructure at the Federal Hill site and covers installations and programming. The Fire repeater equipment is owned and maintained by Milford Fire, which is not part of the MACC Base system. Wilton Fire asked to come onto their VHF frequency, however capacity concerns prevented this from going forward. There are no issues with people talking over each other, and most issues have to do with training. Their biggest issue is that when the repeater system goes down, they go to direct mode with MACC Base. Two specific MACC Base dispatchers are very problematic, they have challenges properly dispatching. Milford Fire has voiced concerns to dispatch.

2.2.3 Future Requirements Considerations for future requirements are intrinsically safe radios, speaker mic’s and bigger knobs on the radios are good for fire. Each fire truck has 2 mobiles, an old Kenwood (dual band VHF High and Low), and a Motorola (VHF). It would be great to have one radio in the truck. They have a 100-mil street box fire alarm system for the Town with 90-100 boxes. This comes directly to the fire station, and then goes to dispatch when an alarm occurs.


2.3 Milford Police Department 2.3.1 Overview Milford Police Department (MPD)has 38 employees, with 27 full time sworn officers, to include the Chief, 2 Captains, 4 Patrol Sergeants, 1 Detective Sergeant, 1 School Resource Officer, 1 Juvenile Officer, 2 Detectives, 15 Patrolman, 1 Prosecutor, 2 Traffic Aids, 4 full time administrative staff and 4 part time administrative staff. The Police Department’s front lobby is open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm seven days a week, and the patrol division serves the citizens 24/7. MPD uses the radio system for responding to dispatch 24/7. If a call comes to the Police Department, it is transferred to MACC Base, who dispatches the call for service, even if it’s for an officer to come to the Police Department. Milford Police communicate with MACC Base and other police departments daily, including Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. They share the same frequency with these other police departments, and they can communicate with agencies outside their jurisdiction by switching the radio channel. One suggested improvement for Milford Police Department’s radio system was to add digital vehicular repeaters in all their (17) vehicles. This was not considered a viable option because Milford would have gone to their own radio channel. Recent changes have improved the system; MACC Base added an antenna on the fire house in Wilton which helped with the mobile units on the west side of Town, but does nothing for portable coverage. The Town of Milford financially contributes 71% to the current radio system and equipment. 2.3.2 Existing Concerns Their major communication issues are poor coverage areas on mobiles, and portables in-building and outdoors, as well as aging equipment. Some of their equipment is over 15 years old, a few of the Motorola mobiles have reached their life expectancy and are no longer serviceable. Portable coverage is problematic for both talk-out and talk-in at most of the schools. Officers reported problems at Heron Pond School while an active shooter training drill was taking place, because no one could hear communications from inside the school. As MACC Base could not hear them inside the building, they asked several times that the command officer transfer the message from a mobile unit. The officers experienced similar difficulties during an active shooter drill at the high school. The radio system coverage is spotty, areas with poor coverage are Armory Road, Emerson Road, N. River Road and Elm Street on the west end of Town, downtown, Nashua Street by Vine Street, Wheeler Street and Route 101 in the area of Ponemah Hill Road. There are instances in Union Square with another officer on Nashua Street, as one officer can hear and the other cannot. Near Wilton there are times when officers can hear MACC Base, but MACC Base cannot hear the officers. Sometimes officers have to return to the car to talk on the mobile or are told to call in using their cell phones. For safety purposes, they are not always able to abandon the scene


to go back to the vehicle, and consequently need to use their cell phone. This is a significant life safety issue. In one instance on Homestead Circle, when an officer was fighting with a subject that was resistant to all tactics due to drugs, MACC Base was not able to hear the officer at all. There have also been instances when they had to repeat communications several times to the dispatcher due to poor communications. In-building coverage is problematic. Listed below are instances and locations reported over the last three years by Officers of poor or no communications coverage during potentially serious calls (domestic, suicide attempt, armed subject, medical emergencies), which could have had disastrous outcomes. Officers were unable to reach MACC Base on the portable radio, were asked to return to the cruiser and try again on the mobile radio or had to resort to using their cell phone in order to talk to MACC Base. Juvenile Officer:

o Heron Pond Elementary School – is in a valley and dispatch cannot hear them. They do not have portable coverage. An officer responding to MACC Base was not heard on the second floor or in the stairwell, was heard but not understood on first floor main corridor and had to use a cell phone. Inability to communicate in the school was demonstrated during an active shooter drill and is a major safety concern for children and staff at school as well as officers responding to a violent event at the school (blue on blue). A successful response to this type of event relies heavily on the responder’s ability to communicate properly from within the building, even when an officer cannot use their cell phone or return to their car to use the mobile radio.

o Jacques Elementary - Moderate Coverage o Milford Middle School - Can hear better on the second floor but are still unable to communicate. o High School – Can hear MACC Base but cannot communicate out. Officers were unable to communicate

portable to portable on Tac 3, at a close distance. 317 N. River Road – neither mobile nor portable reached MACC Base, had to use a cell phone. Granite Town Plaza – just over a mile from MACC Base, they could not hear officer. 16 North Street – 2 officers, radios on, MACC Base could not reach them. 128 Savage Road – MACC Base tried to reach officer for 6-7 minutes, no communications. 312 Mason Road to Brookview Court – armed subject, MACC Base kept asking officers to repeat because

they could not hear them. 37 Wilton Road – officer was asked to get back in car to communicate with MACC Base, medical call. 37 Wilton Road – status checks, could not hear officer, officer had to call via a cell phone. 95 Powers Street (for Merrimack PD) – MACC Base advised unreadable, had to use a cell phone. 147 Mile Slip Road – portable unreadable at MACC Base. 36 Savage Road – unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to return to vehicle out of sight of suspect. 11 Kendrick Lane - unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to return to vehicle, had to use a cell

phone. MACC Base confirmed keying up but no transmission was coming through. 132 Westchester – trying to reach MACC Base for EMS to enter, also officer assistance either not heard at all

or was stepped on by other units. Route 101 and Elm intersection – no answer after several attempts on portable, had to return to vehicle and

use mobile. Pine Valley Lofts – unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to use a cell phone. 117 Purgatory Road – requested officer assistance, MACC Base heard but could not get code to the other

response unit, just said there was yelling. Pine Valley Lofts – medical call, couldn’t reach MACC Base or EMS already on scene. 589 Elm Street – subject in custody, 2 officers unable to reach MACC Base on radio.


25 Brookview Court – attempted to reach MACC Base 4 times on portable with no response, had to return to vehicle to reach them.

7 Brookview Court – had to call MACC Base on cell phone, they could not understand transmission. 2 Johnson Street – MACC Base tried to reach 2 officers that were unable to hear transmission on portables. George Street, Jennison Road and North River Road – MACC Base unable to copy officer. Market Basket – unable to reach MACC Base on portable, another officer had to call them on cell phone. Shaw’s parking lot (also Lorden’s Plaza) – unable to reach MACC Base on portable. 2 x People’s United Bank (Lorden’s Plaza) – MACC Base could not hear officer, only hear static, officer had to

go back to vehicle. Elm Street (Merrill’s) – officer at traffic stop and MACC Base could not hear him, no other patrol units could

hear him. Melendy Road to Fish Hatchery – could not communicate car to car. Milford PD to Fish Hatchery and to Chappell Tractor – could not hear officer on portable. 390 Federal Hill to Christine Dr – no communications between cars. Highway 13 and Armory, and Old Troop B to Riversedge - no communications between cars. Westchester by Amherst Stamp – MACC Base could not hear officer. Mont Vernon St past Hartshorn Pond – MACC Base could not hear officer. TAC channel 2 does not seem to be working (July). 60 Mason Road – officer was not advised on recall. 13 South near Brookline Road – tried keying up for MACC Base, they could not communicate, or hear the

other officer. Fixed radio in Sgt office – officer tried to contact from cruiser, could not hear, MACC Base tried to relay, but

convoluted, officer used cell phone. 27 Box wood Circle – officer had trouble reaching MACC Base was told to use cell phone, 2nd officer for same

incident tried to confirm information, and could not reach MACC Base, he was located on North River Road near Fitches Farm.

2.3.3 Future Requirements The ability to communicate with Milford Fire, Department of Public Works, Ambulance and Water Utilities would make their job more efficient, along with access to the dispatch center after 5 pm Monday through Friday. It is critical not to lose the ability to have the police departments on the same channel. Considerations for future requirements should include monitoring the cameras in town, and relocation of the IMC server which is at MACC Base as it is problematic to get updates installed.

2.4 Milford Department of Public Works 2.4.1 Overview The Department of Public Works (DPW) is the largest agency in Milford, responsible for highways, cemeteries, parks, trash transfer station, street lighting, facilities maintenance and custodial services. Winter is their busiest season. There are 25 full time personnel, but during seasonal operations there are an additional 15-20 people working, with most employees working 5 days a week on 8 hour shifts.


DPW communications are mostly internal, and MACC Base used to call on the radio if something was going on. During the winter, Police would call dispatch and then dispatch would then call them. It would be nice if Police or EMS could talk directly to DPW, especially during the winter, in case there is an EMS call and DPW needs to plow the roads for them. DPW does not have any communications with anyone outside of their agency. They would communicate to MACC Base daily if they could. Occasionally, they need to talk with Amherst Public Works, Wilton Public Works, Mont Vernon Public Works, and the State Highway Department. 2.4.2 Existing Concerns DPW is not currently on the radio system and use cell phones for primary communications. In the past they had a low band system, but the radios became obsolete and were not upgraded. They are waiting for MACC Base to upgrade in order to gain interoperability. DPW garage has no cell coverage inside, and the DPW Office has limited cell coverage.

2.4.3 Future Requirements Interoperability with other agencies would be the biggest benefit of a new system for DPW. The most important part is to be able to talk on a radio system, since they are not using the radios today. Coverage inside Town Hall is important, and in-building coverage is needed at the DPW Office. They will need 23 mobile radios, 6-8 portables and two base stations for a future radio system.

2.5 Mont Vernon Fire Department Overview The Mont Vernon Fire Department is a paid-on-call Fire Department. Firefighters do not stay at the station. Whenever there is an emergency call, they are notified by radio, and they respond in accordance with established policies and procedures. While they are responding to, working at, and returning from an emergency they are paid an hourly wage, by the town, dependent on their level of responsibility. The Fire Station is not staffed on a regular basis. They have 1 chief, 1 deputy chief, 2 captains, 4 lieutenants, 19 firefighters, and 5 auxiliaries. The Mont Vernon Fire Department is part of a multi-Town mutual aid compact called Souhegan Mutual Aid System. As a member town, they support the mutual aid districts emergency services. Area Towns support each other during emergencies and pay dues. The Fire Department is dispatched by the Milford Area Communications Center (MACC Base), a local dispatching service of which it is a member. The Fire Department has 3 engines, 1 tanker, and 1 forestry vehicle.


2.6 Mont Vernon Police Department 2.6.1 Overview Mont Vernon is 16 square miles, with approximately 3000 people. They currently have 8 officers, 3 full time and 5 part time and will be increasing to 4 full time and 6 part time officers in 2020. They patrol from 6am to Midnight and are on-call at night. They usually have 1-2 officers on duty unless there is a special event where they might have 3. They respond to 2,400 calls per year. They have a mix of different mobile radios, and they have a variety of Motorola portables. They have 3 cruisers, and are planning to have 4 by next year, with Motorola and Kenwood mobiles. Cruisers have Motorola DVRS that activate when the cruiser shifts to park. DVRS were installed due to coverage issues in an area where an officer was assaulted and could not talk back to dispatch. They use the MACC Base primary PD channel that is shared with all Police on MACC Base. They communicate with New Boston and Amherst law enforcement frequently. They can talk to state police and Hillsborough Sherriff on their frequencies. They can talk to EMS but do so infrequently. They cannot talk to Fire, so MACC Base must relay information for them. They have two maintenance contracts: 2-Way Communications for their mobiles, and Beltronics for infrastructure and hardware maintenance. They are trying to obtain another High Band frequency through Beltronics for their mobiles. They are also talking with AT&T about adding antennas on the cell tower at 52 Cross Road to improve coverage. This is the highest point in Mont Vernon, and they are having problems licensing because it is so high. The contract may allow the addition for Public Safety at no cost. 2.6.2 Existing Concerns There are really no coverage issues on the mobiles, because they use DVRs. Most coverage issues are on portables, outdoor and inside the Village school (K-6) Brooke Road, and Tater Street.

2.6.3 Future Requirements A new or expanded feature to be considered for the radio system is a Push-to-Talk (PTT) App.

2.7 Mont Vernon Department of Public Works 2.7.1 Overview The Department of Public Works (DPW) has 5 full time employees and is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. They respond to approximately 1500 calls per year. The employees typically work 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday. They are responsible for road work, snow plowing, tree work, and building maintenance. They have 3 dump trucks, 2 pickup trucks, 1 regular pickup, loader, backhoe, and low grader. All these vehicles have a mobile radio, and they also have 5-6 portable radios for traffic control and dual band receivers. DPW talks to MACC Base (on low band 35.50) daily, especially in the winter, for trees down, however they cannot talk to MACC Base on the portables. DPW can hear the other Towns of Lyndeborough, Wilton, Milford, and the


Fire/EMS dispatch pages on their mobile radios but cannot respond. They talk to other public safety agencies through MACC Base relaying, but it is infrequent. Very rarely do they talk to public works outside of Mont Vernon. There are no issues with MACC Base, the dispatchers are good, and they want to continue with MACC Base due to mutual aid. 2.7.2 Existing Concerns The primary concerns are problems communicating between their trucks. Mobile to mobile in the Northeast corner of town, there are coverage gaps including: Brooke Road, Tater Street, Kendall Hill Road, Salisbury Road (New Boston End). MACC Base: Brooke Road, Tater Street, Kendall Hill. These sites are farthest away from the transmit sites.

2.7.3 Future Requirements DPW is considering adding a base station at their building. New or expanded features to be considered for the radio system are a channel where they could talk directly to fire and police on the radios, and the use of Push-to-Talk Apps.

2.8 Wilton Ambulance & Service 2.8.1 Overview The Town of Wilton Ambulance Service covers the Town of Wilton, Lyndeborough, Temple, and Greenfield. The Chief is the only full-time staff, and there are 40 per diem paid personnel that staff the ambulance Monday through Friday, 6 am to 6 pm. At other times, people are on-call and respond from home. They respond to 700-800 calls per year. They are primarily dispatched by MACC Base, but Temple, Greenfield, and Lyndeborough are dispatched by Keene Mutual Aid (KMA). MACC Base hears KMA and calls out EMS. They regularly talk with the Fire Departments outside of Milford area over KMA frequencies, and although they rarely talk to Milford EMS, they communicate through MACC Base when they do. They respond to a high number of mutual aid calls (63 so far this year). They operate on VHF High band everywhere and use mostly Kenwood, with some Motorola units, but they are a very old mix of portables/mobiles. They have two trucks with mobiles, one mobile is in the rapid response vehicle, and they have 15 portables and 15 Motorola Minotaur 6 pagers. Beltronics does all their programing, installations and maintenance for subscribers.


2.8.2 Existing Concerns Coverage is a big issue in Wilton, since there are no transmit sites or base stations in Lyndeborough. The biggest MACC Base problem with EMS is that during a large-scale incident, they are unable to communicate with the Fire Department, and the dispatchers get overwhelmed relaying radio traffic. There was a house fire last Thanksgiving and they were not able to hear anyone at the incident site. Other issues are the portables and pagers in Wilton, Lyndeborough, inside buildings, and the mobiles can even be spotty outside. Their emergency buttons do not work either. Mill buildings have in-building coverage issues, they are unable to talk outside to the truck on scene. It would be beneficial to have a single vendor for all system users.

2.8.3 Future Requirements A future radio system needs to address clear and concise communications. They have concerns about the safety of their public safety personnel. They also need interoperability with all Wilton Public safety agencies (EMS, Fire, DPW, Police).

2.9 Wilton Fire Department 2.9.1 Overview The Wilton Fire Department is a 100% volunteer agency serving the Town of Wilton and surrounding communities. They have 33 volunteers and respond to approximately 125 fire calls per year. They also assist EMS when needed for extrication/rescue and Priority 1 EMS calls. The Department is currently in the process of moving from low band to high band via a frequency licensed to MACC Base, who is adding them to their license for dispatching. All necessary conversion work at the site has been completed, and MACC Base is able to dispatch the Fire Department on that channel. The radios in vehicles are all high band. However, their pagers are still being dispatched on low band, as the Department still needs to purchase new pagers for high band. This change is a huge improvement; previously the low band UHF repeater system did not work, there were no communications on scene, and units could not communicate with others until they arrived. Now, they have increased interoperability with incoming fire departments, and are able to use high band radios on scene with no trouble communicating. They communicate with MACC Base daily and provide regular mutual aid to the 6 contiguous Towns. They are able to communicate directly with Wilton Ambulance Services and the Police Departments in Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Lyndeborough. They have the capability to talk with adjacent Fire Departments and State Agencies.


They have interoperability mobile radios in their trucks and base radios that were provided through a Homeland Security Grant. Those units are programmed with the interoperability channels Banks G-H. The state received a grant to update all the programming, which will take place Spring 2020. The Department is very happy with MACC and believe they are responsive and public safety centric, with well-rounded dispatchers who do a good job dispatching. They understand MACC Base is limited by the technology available to them and that MACC Base has done a great job planning for the future and taking care of public safety end users. The Department believes it is important to have a regional area dispatch center that handles all Fire, Police, and Ambulance calls. 2.9.2 Existing Concerns They are experiencing pager coverage issues on low band. MACC Base dispatches tones out to fire calls twice, first off Pead Hill and then re-tones off Federal Hill site for pagers because the sites do not cover all the Town or responders. The process is the same for toning out Mont Vernon Fire Department. Many users have relied on tones from the Federal Hill site, because they did not receive the first pages from Pead Hill. Purchasing new high band pagers is being addressed next spring. Other areas where the Department has problems communicating are along Route 31 toward Greenville, and on the west side of town, due to mountains in that area. During busy times, it is possible that they step on Mont Vernon, but expect it is very seldom as they have similar call volume. They have not been on high band communications with MACC Base for very long, but they expect coverage problems to be similar to Wilton Police. With limited use, the Department feels the high band system has been reliable, given the age of equipment. With more use, they may be able to identify areas that could be improved. The age of equipment is an issue they face regarding the radios and infrastructure. The biggest issue identified was their inability to build out the communications plan due to governance and funding. The Department recognizes several solutions have been presented and plans created, but no action has been taken by the board.

2.9.3 Future Requirements The Department currently has the capability to communicate with the agencies they need. Any future system should address operability improvements, so the system works as it was designed. New, high band pagers and updated mobiles and portables should be considered in the future.

2.10 Wilton Police Department 2.10.1 Overview The Town of Wilton is about 25 square miles with a population of approximately 4000 people. The Police Department operates 24/7 with 6 full-time (normally 8) and 3 part-time sworn officers. Officers work 12-hour shifts, with 2 police during the day and 1 officer at night. There is also a 35 hour a week administrative staff. Police cover the Town of Wilton, and provide Mutual aid as requested for Milford, Mason, Temple/Greenville, Greenfield, and Lyndeborough, usually 2 to 10 times each month. They respond to about 10,000 calls for service each year. They


have 4 cruisers, each with a mobile radio, 1 base station, and they have a bank of 12 portables plus 6 portables for full time officers. Wilton Police communicate with MACC Base. They complete business checks on their MDT’s, use e-ticket and e-complaint. If they are making a vehicle stop, they have to call in on the radio system. Otherwise they listen to what is going on around Wilton and try to keep radio traffic to a minimum, so they do not talk over other officers in Milford or other agencies. Police occasionally talk to EMS and Fire, but it is very rare. They can monitor Fire now, since they transitioned to VHF high band, but they must switch to their channel to talk to them. They are only able to talk with other Police Departments through relay by MACC Base because they are on the same frequency. MACC Base has to relay information to other Police Departments on a daily basis. Though infrequent, they can talk to Milford Fire/EMS, and to Temple/Greenville, and other Towns dispatched by Hillsborough, usually via relay through MACC Base. They are also able to talk with State Police. 2.10.2 Existing Concerns One major issue is that the panic button cannot always be heard by MACC Base. They have emergency buttons on the speaker mic, portable radio, and on the laptop. A Wilton police officer tried to use all three buttons, but they did not work, and the emergency never declared at MACC Base. The area they were in has poor coverage for talk-in and talk-out. The 31 South and North and downtown Wilton areas have bad coverage. There is also no cell coverage in these areas. Depending on where an officer is, they cannot be heard in the field. Changes in the radio have somewhat improved coverage, however a complete overhaul of the radio system is needed. Police purchase their own subscribers and pay a portion to MACC Base for dispatching and the radio system. They use CenCom for maintenance and programming on subscribers. Adamson’s industries previously completed their installations because those radios were funded by a grant. MACC Base dispatching services are great for Wilton Police. Their main issues are with the failing communication systems, which has been discussed for many years, but nothing is changing. Wilton Police are concerned that an officer may get hurt. Chief Olsen is the representative on the MACC Base Governors Board.

2.10.3 Future Requirements For the future they would like to have clear communications between public safety agencies. Wilton believes the Joint MACC Base alternative is the best option. Also having a single maintenance vendor would be more efficient and cheaper together.

2.11 Lyndeborough Police Department 2.11.1 Overview The Lyndeborough Police Department serves the Town with 1 full time and 8 part time sworn officers. The Police Chief is part time (32 hours), and there is 1 administrative employee who works about 4 hours per week. Shifts for


the officers are 7:00 am - 3:00pm and 3:00pm - 11:00pm; State Police are on call between 11:00pm and 7:00am. They have 2 vehicles and respond to approximately 6,000 calls per year and about 1,000 of those calls are dispatched through MACC Base. Their response area is 32 square miles, including about 79 miles of roads, with a population around 1,700. There is 1 school (a preschool and kindergarten) on main street. Citizens do not usually call 911, they call the Police Department or MACC Base directly. Lyndeborough officers make every attempt to use the laptop to log their activity but do depend on MACC Base for calling in Motor vehicle stops, receiving calls for service that are called into MACC Base or E-911, and when their laptop is down due to bad connectivity. They have two police cars with new Kenwood radios (2016, 2018), and there are 8 Kenwood portable radios for the officers to carry. There is 1 base station with a single antenna mounted on the outside of the police station. They are using Ossipee Mountain Electronics’ frequency for the two vehicle repeaters. They use the radio system primarily to communicate with MACC Base and surrounding communities, and occasionally with the NH State Police Troop B. They cannot hear communities around them and may unknowingly talk over other police departments. They primarily talk on Pead Hill and Mont Vernon Fire Station sites. They communicate with MACC Base, Milford PD, Wilton PD, and Mont Vernon PD daily. They also communicate with Hillsborough County frequently, providing mutual aid. They communicate with Francestown, Greenfield, and Temple via frequencies programmed in their radios. They also communicate with Lyndeborough Fire over VHF mutual aid on the KMA (Keene Mutual Aid Dispatch) system. They talk to New Boston a few times a week, as well as Wilton Ambulance Service who provides EMS for Lyndeborough. They are also able to communicate with: State Police Troop B Hollis Dispatch

Amherst PD

New Boston Car to Car Channel 2

Milford PD TAC 2

Fish and Game Lyndeborough finances radio equipment by incorporating a radio replacement cycle in their budget. They use Kenwood radios because they are on the state contract and have a good warranty. One recent change is fiber that TDS is installing in the Town.


2.11.2 Existing Concerns Users report good coverage from MACC Base everywhere in town, and there are no issues with the portable radios as long as the DVRs are turned on. The vehicular repeaters support the portables but must be manually turned on. Their biggest issue is not being able to hear other Police Departments, as Milford and Wilton may unknowingly conflict with each other, or cut each other off when trying to communicate.

2.11.3 Future Requirements The Police Department believes it would be helpful to hear and talk directly to other Police Departments, on both portables and cruiser radios.

2.12 MACC Base 2.12.1 Overview MACC Base stands for Milford Area Communications Center Base. They have 5 full time positions (one vacant slot), and 6 part time positions. There are (4) 10 hour shifts that overlap, 2 people are there 16 hours per day, and 1 person from 3am - 11am. MACC Base provides dispatch service for the Towns of Mont Vernon, Wilton, Milford, and Lyndeborough Police Department, and in the past they have provided services for as many as 7 towns. The MACC Base Dispatch Center is the secondary public safety answering point for all 911 calls in the Towns of Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon. MACC Base also receives some 911 calls for the Town of Lyndeborough. MACC Base dispatches law enforcement for all four towns, fire agencies from Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon, and only dispatches ambulances (EMS) for Milford and Wilton. MACC Base has a good working relationship with all the public safety agencies they dispatch. MACC Base is responsible for the radio infrastructure and handles all dispatcher issues. They have procedure books and scripts for Fire/EMS calls. Dispatchers must be well rounded in order to handle police, Fire/EMS, and Public Works calls. Training can vary depending on previous experience. Some dispatchers are part time, some have been there for more than 10 years, and most are full time have been there for more than 5 years. Politics may have a part in the turnover rate, and job insecurity has taken its toll on the team. The current contract ends December 31, 2020. MACC Base is responsible for the infrastructure. They use a wireless RF control station in VHF to reach the sites. They have the following sites:

Town Hall Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough Ambulance: Milford, Wilton

Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton (except Milford)

Public Works: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough


Federal Hill Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton Fire

(MACC Base holds the lease for the tower and the land from the state)

Mont Vernon Fire Station Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough Ambulance: Milford, Wilton

Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton (except Milford)

Public Works: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Peed Hill Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Ambulance: Milford, Wilton

Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton, Low band Wilton High Band Fire (house and land containing tower for sale)

o (MACC Base holds the lease for the tower and land with the present owners, expiring December of 2020)

Abbott Hill [High Mowing School]

Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Fire: Mont Vernon, Low band Wilton Fire Station [Main Street]

Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Milford Police Department is a 24 hour agency. There are 5 sites TX/RX (Town Hall, Mont Vernon Fire Station, Peed Hill, Abbot Hill and Wilton Fire Station). There are known coverage issues, and they experience delays and missed communications by stepping on each other.

Milford Ambulance only serves the Town of Milford. There are coverage issues in Manchester. Milford Fire has a single site repeater (Federal Hill), they own and maintain this site. They can also talk directly to Milford Fire near MACC Base. There are in-building coverage issues at large concrete apartment buildings and coverage issues downtown. They find it better to use direct communications versus the repeated channel. Milford Public Works use their cell phone, they are not on the radio system. Mont Vernon Police has 5 TX/RX sites and can transmit on all 5. They use DVRs repeaters in their vehicles. The Police cover unique geographic areas and have coverage issue in one valley in the Town of Mont Vernon (78 Brook Road, former Beaver Brook Farm and Transportation Museum]. They experience users stepping on each other.


Mont Vernon Fire uses Low band VHF for toning, and only covers the Town of Mont Vernon. They use statewide interoperable VHF High band channels for fireground communications and can be heard at MACC Base. They can operate on VHF Low or High band. Their pagers are low band. Their biggest challenge is old equipment. Mont Vernon Public Works has 2 sites. All of the Fire/EMS calls are rebroadcast on all DPW’s frequency. This is done as a feature of the console. Lyndeborough Police use 5 TX/RX sites, although there are no sites within the Town of Lyndeborough, which is approximately 32 square miles. They use DVRs repeaters in their vehicles, and generally use MDTs. Lyndeborough Police are contracted to dispatch their PD. Police cover unique geographic areas and have coverage issues with DVRS (in-band). Lyndeborough Public Works: (no contract with PW) has ancillary communication with PW, they communicated mostly via cell phone. Wilton PD: is a 24 hour agency. There are 5 TX/RX sites (Town Hall, Mont Vernon Fire Station, Pead Hill, Abbot Hill and Wilton Fire Station). They deal with extreme geographic issues and need better coverage; river valleys are their biggest challenge. The main street site covers a small area of downtown Wilton west to Milford, and to Highway 101.

Wilton Ambulance serves 4 Towns Wilton, Lyndeborough, Temple, and Greenfield and transport to the same hospitals as Milford with the addition of Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough. Wilton Fire is transitioning from VHF Low Band to High Band. They used a spare licensed frequency.

2.12.2 Existing Concerns The biggest issues MACC Base faces are old equipment and politics. Beltronics provides preventive maintenance once a year. They do not currently have monitoring and alarms, and site security improvements should be considered. Funding is also an issue, because if the Town of Milford pulls out of MACC Base, MACC Base will not exist anymore. There will not be enough money to continue dispatching.

2.12.3 Future Requirements Future requirements need to include monitoring at the sites and a Microwave system to connect all the sites, which is in process.

2.13 Overall Concerns and Needs Radio system users shared concerns about the current system including:

areas of poor or no coverage on mobiles portables and pagers inability to hear dispatch or be heard by dispatch

lack of capacity


lack of interoperability

equipment old and hard to repair problematic dispatching

politics During our interviews, CTA asked radio system users to identify coverage problem areas on a large map. CTA digitally recreated the map showing the coverage problem areas, shown in Figure 2-1. The shaded blue areas on the map represent coverage problem areas that were identified by law enforcement agencies from the Towns of Milford, Wilton, and Lyndeborough. The shaded red areas on the map represent coverage problem areas identified by Milford Fire Department. The Town of Mont Vernon did not identify any coverage problem areas on the map.

Figure 2-1 Coverage Problem Areas


3.0 Current Technical Environment

3.1 Communication Sites CTA performed site surveys of existing radio system sites and potential future sites. These site surveys are documented in formal site survey reports. The following section provides a summary of the communications sites. The detailed site survey reports can be found in Appendix C: Site Survey Records. Figure 3-1 shows all the radio system sites CTA surveyed.

Figure 3-1 Radio System Sites

3.1.1 Abbott Hill Site The Abbott Hill tower site is a leased site on High Mowing School property. Town of Milford radio equipment is located in the school’s maintenance building and antennas are mounted on a wooden pole behind the building. This site is a transmit/receive site for the MACC Base VHF law enforcement channel used by Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Lyndeborough law enforcement agencies, and the VHF low-band fire channel used by Mont Vernon and Wilton fire departments.


3.1.2 Crown Castle – Potential Site The Crown Castle tower site is owned by Crown Castle in the Town of Milford, where the Town of Milford radio equipment could be located in the future. There is currently no equipment for MACC Base or the Town of Milford at this site.


3.1.3 Federal Hill Site The Federal Hill tower site is a state-owned site in the Town of Milford, where the Town of Milford’s radio equipment is co-located. Milford’s equipment is located inside a wooden shelter, and their antennas are mounted on the roof of the fire lookout tower. This site is a VHF transmit/receive site for the Milford Fire Department.

3.1.4 Lyndeborough The Lyndeborough site is an American Tower owned site with tower space reserved for the Town of Lyndeborough. This is a potential site where radio equipment could be located in the future. There is no existing Lyndeborough or MACC Base equipment at this site.


3.1.5 MACC Base Dispatch Center The MACC Base Dispatch Center is located on the fourth floor of the Milford Town Hall. MACC Base leases this space from the Town of Milford. MACC Base is a VHF transmit/receive site for the law enforcement channel for all four Towns, ambulance channel for Milford and Wilton, and public works channel for all four Towns, and a VHF low-band transmit site for Wilton and Mont Vernon fire departments. The radio equipment is located inside the attic equipment room, with the antennas mounted on a guyed tower on the roof of the building.

3.1.6 Milford Police Department The Milford Police Department site is a Town of Milford owned site where AT&T is planning to build a new tower. The Town of Milford has started to negotiate a license agreement with AT&T that reserves tower space for Milford equipment on the new tower. There is no existing Milford radio equipment at this site.

3.1.7 Mont Vernon Fire Station Site The Mont Vernon Fire Station tower site is owned by the Town of Mont Vernon where MACC Base radio equipment is co-located. This is the Town of Mont Vernon’s only VHF transmit site. This site is a VHF low band transmit site for Mont Vernon and Wilton fire departments and a VHF transmit/receive site for the law enforcement channel for all four Towns, ambulance channel for Milford and Wilton, and the public works channel for all four Towns.


3.1.8 Patch Hill – Potential Site The Patch Hill tower site is owned by U.S. Cellular with reserved space for public safety in the Town of Milford. This is a potential site where Milford radio equipment could be located in the future. There is currently no MACC Base or Town of Milford equipment at this site.


3.1.9 Pead Hill Site The Pead Hill tower site is a leased site where the MACC Base radio equipment is collocated. This site is a VHF transmit/receive site for the law enforcement channel for all four town, ambulance channel for Milford and Wilton, and public works channel for all four Towns, and a VHF low-band transmit site for Wilton and Mont Vernon fire departments.

3.1.10 Milford Waste Water Treatment Plant – Potential Site The Milford Waste Water Treatment Plant site is a Town of Milford owned site, where the Town of Milford radio equipment could be located in the future. There is currently no MACC Base or Town of Milford radio equipment at this site.


3.1.11 Wilton Fire Department The Wilton Fire Department site is a Town of Wilton owned site where MACC Base radio equipment is located. MACC Base’s radio equipment is located inside the fire department building with antennas mounted on a wooden pole behind the fire department. This site is a VHF transmit/receive site for the law enforcement channel for all four Towns.

3.2 System Configuration 3.2.1 MACC Base Systems

3.2.1.1 MACC Base Dispatch Center

The MACC Base Dispatch Center has two dispatch console positions that can be call taker and dispatcher positions and one additional call taker only position. The two dispatch positions share a single set of backup control stations. There is not a backup console position in the dispatch center. There is an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) at each console position for backup power.

The dispatch position contains the following equipment:

Valor State 911 CAD Software – Statewide EMD and call info transmitted through CAD

Motorola MCC 5500 Dispatch Paging Encoder

IMC Cad (MACC Base’s CAD) – CAD information goes to Police Department over MDT’s through cellular air cards

XCOM logging recorder Toshiba Phone Systems (no VOIP)

State of NH NCIC System


Figure 3-2: MACC Base Dispatch Position

The dispatch equipment is housed in a closet in the main dispatch floor room. There is a single equipment rack for the MACC Base dispatch equipment.

Figure 3-3: MACC Base Dispatch Equipment


The MACC Base Dispatch Center radio equipment is in the attic of the Town Hall above the dispatch center. During the site survey there was visible water damage to the wood flooring in the equipment room. There did not appear to be any HVAC system for the attic equipment room. MACC Base has radio equipment in 5 equipment racks in the attic.

Figure 3-4: MACC Base Dispatch Center Radio Equipment

MACC Base uses UHF control station links and commercial leased copper lines to connect their dispatch center to the transmit tower sites. The dispatch center equipment is maintained through a maintenance contract with Beltronics Incorporated, a local radio system installer/maintenance shop. The dispatch center has emergency backup power systems installed for the dispatch center equipment and the radio equipment. The radio and dispatch equipment are connected to UPS units to temporarily power the equipment until the emergency backup generator turns on. The emergency backup generator can power the entire dispatch center if the connection to commercial power is lost.

Strengths Cross-Trained Dispatchers – The MACC Base dispatcher are cross-trained to dispatch for law

enforcement, Fire, and Ambulance allowing them to communicate effectively with all public safety agencies in the region.

Backup Power – The entire dispatch center is connected to a generator that only powers the MACC Base dispatch center if commercial power is lost. MACC Base equipment is also connected to UPS systems that can temporarily power MACC Base equipment until the generator turns on.

Weaknesses Redundancy – The MACC Base dispatch center lacks the redundancy required for a public safety

dispatch center. There are no backup console positions for use if either of the dispatch consoles experience equipment failure. Both dispatchers also share a backup control station that is located between the two dispatch positions.


Security – The MACC Base dispatch center is located on the fourth floor of the Milford Town Hall. The Town Hall building is open to the general public and the MACC Base dispatch center is only separated from the general public by a single locked door.

Radio System Equipment Location – The MACC Base equipment located in the attic is not located in an appropriate environment for public safety radio equipment. There were visible openings to the outside in attic and there was visible water damage to the wood flooring of the attic. There did not appear to be any HVAC system for temperature control of the radio equipment.

Connectivity Network – MACC Base connects their dispatch consoles to the transmit tower sites using UHF control station links and commercial leased copper lines. Control stations do not offer the same security, redundancy, and reliability as public safety grade microwave or fiber optic lines. Leased copper lines are aging, poorly maintained, and being phased out by commercial cellular providers. Soon leased copper lines used by MACC Base will not be operational.

3.2.1.2 MACC Base Radio Systems

MACC Base operates a 5-site, 4-channel analog VHF radio system for dispatch and communication with agencies from the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. MACC Base also operates a 4-site VHF low-band paging system for Wilton and Mont Vernon fire departments. Below is a list of the four VHF radio channels and the VHF low-band paging channel and the agencies that use each channel:

VHF Law Enforcement – Law Enforcement Agencies for Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough

VHF Fire – Wilton Fire Department

VHF Ambulance – Milford and Wilton Ambulances VHF Public Works – Public Works for Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough

VHF Low-Band Paging – Wilton and Mont Vernon Fire Departments

Each site in the radio system has an individual VHF Kenwood control station for each channel that transmits and receives from that site. Each control station is connected to a separate antenna mounted on the tower. Below we have listed the transmit/receive sites for each radio channel.

The VHF law enforcement channel transmits/receives from:

Milford Town Hall

Mont Vernon Fire Station Pead Hill

Abbott Hill

Wilton Fire Station The VHF Fire channel transmits/receives from:

Pead Hill


The VHF Ambulance channel transmits/receives from:

Milford Town Hall

Mont Vernon Fire Station Pead Hill

The VHF Public Works channel transmits/receives from:

Milford Town Hall

Mont Vernon Fire Station

The VHF Low-Band Fire Paging channel transmits from:

Milford Town Hall

Mont Vernon Fire Station

Pead Hill

Abbott Hill Federal Hill

Each channel transmits and receives on the same frequencies at each of the tower sites, however the frequencies are not simulcast. Since the frequencies are not simulcast, if two of the tower sites are transmitting at the same time, portable and mobile radios may receive a distorted voice transmission or may not hear the message at all due to harmful interference. Dispatchers select a specific tower site to transmit on based on the geographic location of the public safety personnel they are trying to talk to. Switching the radio system to a simulcast system would help reduce self-interference and allow dispatch to effectively communicate with public safety personnel in the field. Many public safety agencies that CTA interviewed reported issues with being able to communicate with other first responders in the field without having the dispatch center relay the messages. This is because there are no repeater systems in the current radio system configuration. This limits field users to only being able to communicate with dispatch. To talk to other radio users in the field, public safety personnel must change to a direct talk-around channel. This also causes radio users to talk over top of each other without knowing they are talking at the same time, because they cannot hear each other on the radio talking back to dispatch. This also results in field users not being able to talk to neighboring Towns on the radio even though they are using the same radio frequency to talk to dispatch.

MACC Base has installed UHF control station links at most of their transmit sites so they can activate the VHF control stations to dispatch and communicate with first responders. Pead Hill and Mont Vernon sites are connected through leased commercial copper lines. Leased commercial copper lines are aging, poorly maintained, and are being phased out by cellular and cable providers and are being replaced with fiber providing higher data rates. MACC Base is currently in the process of implementing a microwave connectivity system using grant money. The microwave system will connect the MACC Base tower sites to a regional New Hampshire microwave network. This system is in the process of being installed and is expected to become operational in 2020.


Strengths Mobile Coverage – The mobile coverage provided by the MACC Base radio systems allow mobile

radios in the field to talk to the dispatch center in much of the region. Weaknesses Portable Coverage – Due to high body loss and low transmit power of VHF portable radios and the

current system configuration, a significant portion of the region does not have reliable portable outdoor radio coverage. In-building coverage is significantly worse than portable outdoor coverage due to poor building penetration for frequencies in the VHF frequency band.

Connectivity Network – MACC Base connects to the transmit tower sites using UHF control station links and commercial leased copper lines. Control stations do not offer the same security, redundancy, and reliability as public safety grade microwave or fiber optic lines. Leased copper lines are aging, poorly maintained, and being phased out by commercial cellular providers. Soon leased copper lines used by Milford will not be operational.

Interference – Due to using the same frequencies at multiple sites in a non-simulcast configuration, users in the field reported interference on portable and mobile radios.

Operability – With the current radio system configuration using standalone control stations for each channel, instead of utilizing base station repeater systems, users in the field are unable to talk to each other directly on the VHF radio channels. They are also unable to hear other field radio users talking back to dispatch causing them to talk over top of each other. This creates unnecessary repeat traffic that decreases the capacity of the primary VHF dispatch channels.

Interoperability – Due to the standalone control station configuration of the MACC Base radio system, public safety personnel are not able to communicate directly with other Towns’ public safety personnel using their portables or mobiles. Instead they must communicate with surrounding jurisdictions by having dispatch relay the messages to the appropriate agencies.

3.2.2 Milford Fire Department System The Milford Fire Department operates a single site, one-channel analog VHF Kenwood radio system. Their only transmit site is at the Federal Hill tower site. Their equipment at the site is not located in an appropriate environment for public safety radio equipment. Their Kenwood base station repeater is located inside a small wooden shelter with a single lock on the door. The Milford Fire Department reported multiple security incidents at the site including vandalism and turning off the radio equipment. The site is located on a popular hiking trail, open to the public, next to a State Fire lookout tower. There is no perimeter fence around the tower or the wood shelter. Inside the shelter there are holes to the outside with visible evidence that animals have been living inside of the shelter imposing further environmental hazards to Milford’s radio equipment. Grounding at this site is minimal leaving equipment vulnerable to electrical damage from lightning strikes. The foundation piers for the fire lookout tower legs are also deteriorating. Emergency backup power at this site is lacking. There are a few small battery backups in the equipment rack but there is no UPS installed at the site. There is also no emergency backup generator, so if commercial power is out for a significant amount of time, (6+ hours) the radio equipment at this site will not be powered on. The Milford Fire Department radio system also lacks redundancy because of a single tower site. If this tower site goes down there is no backup for the fire department.


Strengths Mobile Coverage - mobile coverage provided by Milford Fire VHF repeater allows mobile fire radios in the

field to effectively talk to the dispatch center in the majority of the Town of Milford.

Weaknesses Single Transmit Site – Talk-out and talk-in coverage is limited as users move further away from the only

transmitter for the fire department. This causes significant coverage issues for portable radios used by fire personnel.

Security – The transmit tower site for the Milford Fire repeater poses many security risks. There is no perimeter fencing around the tower or shelter, and the shelter has been vandalized and equipment has been turned off in the past. The shelter also has opening where animals can get inside the shelter.

Lack of Redundancy – If the single transmit site goes down due to a natural disaster or commercial power failure there would be no transmitter for the Milford Fire Department.

Emergency Backup Power – There is no backup generator or UPS at this site to power equipment during extended commercial power outages.

3.3 Frequency Analysis CTA performed a review of the four towns’ existing VHF FCC licenses. The four towns have a combined total of 23 discrete VHF frequencies. However, this does not mean that they can all be used together at a single site for a new radio system. VHF channels require separation between the transmit and receive frequencies, and separation of the different transmit frequencies in order to prevent harmful self-interference. It is CTA’s opinion that there are enough existing VHF frequency licenses to support an upgraded VHF radio system. Modification of existing VHF licenses will be required for future use of these frequencies. Appendix E contains a list of all licensed VHF frequencies currently in use by the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, Lyndeborough, and MACC Base.


4.0 Functional System Attributes

Based on the needs and concerns expressed by radio system users, CTA has developed a list of system attributes for Milford. Each of the attributes addressed are essential in a public safety communications system; however, we find there are potential solutions to meet these attributes that could compromise the performance of a public safety system.

4.1 Overview of System Requirements A Radio System provides two-way communications between dispatchers and mobile and portable radios, and between the mobile and portable radios themselves. Two-way radio communications may include both voice and data traffic. The Milford radio service area is defined as the area within the geopolitical boundaries of the Town of Milford. Radio coverage is required both for mobile radios and portable radios in buildings throughout the service area. This report also addresses communications with radios responding outside the defined service area. Milford will require the selected vendor to guarantee radio coverage as part of the implementation contract. Actual verification of coverage should perform direct measurements, not computer predictions. It should be noted that, if the selected vendor feels coverage requirements cannot be met from a desired site, either an alternate site or multiple sites might be proposed. In any event, should the coverage not meet the specified requirements, the vendor should be required to correct it at no additional cost. This list of system attributes has been used as a starting point to develop the system design alternatives, which in turn were used as a basis for developing budgetary estimates obtained from an average of system list prices submitted by vendors. This is a feasibility study, addressing the proposed alternatives: the intent is not to have a fully designed system at this point, but only to make sure that each system design concept is generally feasible, operationally appropriate, and economically sensible for Milford.

4.2 Target System Attributes This section describes the target system attributes (overall functional requirements) for an updated (or replaced) Radio Communications System for Milford. These attributes were developed from meetings with Milford and rated by the agencies. The ratings are summarized in Table 4-1. The specific attributes are defined as follows:


Table 4-1 Milford Rank of Attributes

Repo

rt Se

ctio

n

ATTRIBUTE

Tow

n of

Milf

ord

AVER

AGE

All T

owns

AV

ERAG

E

4.2.1.a Coverage - Mobile 5.0 5.04.2.1.b Coverage - Portable Outdoors 5.0 5.04.2.1.c Coverage - Portable Inside Buildings 5.0 5.04.2.2 Dispatch Operational Concept 4.3 4.44.2.3 Flexibility in Talk Group Structure 3.3 4.04.2.4 Survivability 4.7 4.74.2.5 Redundant Core Equipment 4.7 4.44.2.6 Capacity 4.0 4.04.2.7 Infrastructure Scalability 4.0 4.04.2.8 Relieve Internal Congestion 3.3 3.44.2.9 Interoperability 4.3 4.74.2.10 Mobile Data 3.7 4.14.2.11 No Interference 4.0 4.14.2.12 Maintainability 4.0 4.14.2.13 Reliability 4.7 4.44.2.14 System Operational Transparency 4.0 3.74.2.15 Emergency Access 4.0 4.04.2.16 Encryption 3.0 3.34.2.17 Security (Physical and Software) 4.7 4.44.2.18 Initial Cost 4.0 3.74.2.19 Long-Term Cost 4.3 3.94.2.20 Cost Effectiveness 4.0 3.74.2.21 Competitive Procurement 3.7 3.94.2.22 Operational Boundary Flexibility 4.3 4.04.2.23 Commonality of Equipment 4.0 3.74.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring 4.0 4.04.2.25 Training 4.3 4.14.2.26 Console Features 3.0 3.44.2.27 Additional Subscriber Features 4.0 3.7

Ratings0 - Attribute is NOT IMPORTANT to the user.1 - Attribute is MINIMALLY IMPORTANT to the user.2 - Attribute is NICE TO HAVE, could enhance operations.3 - Attribute is USEFUL, will promote more efficient day-to-day operation.4 - QUITE IMPORTANT, lack could result in degradation of mission, injury, or loss of property.5 - CRITICAL, lack generally will result in injury, loss of property, or degradation of mission.

Milford Rank of Attributes


4.2.1 Coverage The system shall provide a signal availability of 95 percent to/from all (a) mobile radios, (b) outdoor and (c) in-building portables and with coverage evenly distributed over the service area for all operational functions. The goal is to provide coverage with no dead spots.

4.2.2 Dispatch Operational Concept The system shall support dispatch operations from the dispatch center. Normal operations shall be conducted from a centralized dispatch location, where access to all talk-groups and agencies shall be provided by use of computer-controlled consoles. The growth capability shall be provided by expansion of the computer database, and by the installation of additional dispatch consoles. The system will also support the capability of a backup dispatch center environment.

4.2.3 Flexibility in Talk Group Structure The system shall provide the ability to shift personnel to support different radio groups depending on workload. Communications must be tied to the individual's work, not to the individual. Emergency contingency plans should be aided, not constrained, by the communications system.

4.2.4 Survivability The system shall be designed to survive in severe weather or emergency conditions. If dispatch points are shifted from their primary to a backup location, radio control shall be available at the backup location to the same degree it was available at primary dispatch.

4.2.5 Redundant Core Equipment The system shall have the capability for redundant core equipment, to keep the system operational in the case of catastrophic failure of the primary core equipment.

4.2.6 Capacity The system shall have enough channels and/or talk groups to relieve the over-crowding problems that now exist (users having to wait for busy channels to clear). The system shall provide sufficient capacity to alleviate current routine, peak, and emergency overcrowding conditions.

Routine Capacity: Alleviate crowded conditions with various channels at various times. This is true for both voice and data, and may include shifting some voice to digital, and increasing digital throughput.

Peak and Emergency Capacity: Provide reserve for peak and emergency situations. The system shall allow priority calls for critical users when the system approaches full loading.

Growth capacity: for the next 15-20 years (Voice and data).

Goal: Radio system to handle routine traffic at 30 percent capacity, peak traffic at 60 to 95 percent capacity, and emergency traffic through prioritized radio usage.


4.2.7 Infrastructure Scalability The system shall be capable of future expansion of both the channels and the number of sites. System design shall incorporate expansion to the level of usage predicted for the next 15-20 years with only the addition of subscribers (mobile and portable radios). No replacement of fixed equipment shall be required.

4.2.8 Relieve Internal Congestion The system shall have enough channels or talk groups to allow groups or departments with different functions to have their own channel or talk group, without being interfering with by other non-related groups or functions.

4.2.9 Interoperability The system shall provide portable-to-portable, vehicle-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to/from-portable communications. Emergency: Allow responders from other agencies and the surrounding area to talk together during an emergency when they are working as a common team. Provide the ability to move anywhere in the coverage area and communicate using the same radio with the same access protocol, and without needing to know where the calling or called unit is located.

4.2.10 Mobile Data The system shall provide mobile data capability, to send and receive mission critical information on mobile data terminals, via the radio system.

4.2.11 No Interference The system shall eliminate and prevent inter-site (co-channel) and skip (other users and foreign) interference.

4.2.12 Maintainability The radio system shall be designed for a mean-time-to-repair of not more than four hours.

4.2.13 Reliability The radio system and equipment must be designed such that single-mode failures do not perceptibly impact the routine operations of the system. Current radios, which are generally aged and becoming unreliable, shall be replaced by reliable new equipment. The following requirements shall apply to failure conditions:

Channel failure: no operating impact due to failed voice or data channel. Primary power failure: UPS backup shall be supplied for all computer/control equipment, and generator

backup for the radio equipment.


Console failures: o Console terminal failure: use reserve console. o Console common equipment failure: dispatchers operate backup console. o Dispatch Center failure: Revert to designated backup.

Connectivity: designed to a 99.999% availability per-microwave hop; ring configuration is preferred and if not possible, monitored hot-standby is required.

4.2.14 System Operational Transparency The radio system shall transmit/receive from multiple sites, with switching operations transparent to the radio user. System operation shall be logical, with the focus on who the user wants to call rather than where they are located.

4.2.15 Emergency Access The system shall provide universal emergency access throughout the defined service area. Emergency calls shall have the highest priority and shall be given exclusive use of the channel during the duration of an emergency situation. Routine radio traffic shall be allowed to continue uninterrupted on other channels.

4.2.16 Encryption (selected units only) To prevent unauthorized release of confidential information, the system shall provide encrypted communications for security and other required personnel. Encryption shall be Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

4.2.17 Security (Physical and Networking) Beyond encryption, security physical items include locks, fences, outdoor and indoor lights, cameras, bullet-proof doors, fuel tanks, windows, etc. Software security issues will include firewall, defenses for antivirus, malware, intrusion, etc.

4.2.18 Initial Cost The initial cost is a prime concern in the evaluation of the proposed alternatives. Trade-offs between cost and capability will be examined and presented in this report.

4.2.19 Long Term Cost Long-term cost is also a prime concern in the evaluation of the proposed alternatives. Long term costs associated with leasing and ownership of the systems will be examined in this report.

4.2.20 Cost Effectiveness As much as possible, system procurement and implementation shall occur on a phased basis, intending to stagger costs over several years. The radio system shall be designed to meet operational needs while remaining


within your fiscal constraints. High, mid- and low-tier radio equipment with decreasing levels of feature sets matched to the distinct user groups shall be provided. Where practical, re-use of existing equipment is desired.

4.2.21 Competitive Procurement The system and equipment should be procured using a competitive, open, non-restrictive, functional specifications process. Contract award should be based on the most cost-effective proposal meeting your operational and functional requirements.

4.2.22 Operational Boundary Flexibility Changes in your Public Safety Agency's operational boundaries shall be transparent to radio users. The radio system shall allow any group or department to operate with full communications capability within the service area.

4.2.23 Commonality of Infrastructure Equipment A single vendor shall install and supply all required infrastructure equipment. Goal: minimize spare parts inventory and requirement for training on multiple-system equipment.

4.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring The system shall be equipped with an alarm and monitoring capability that will provide real-time notifications and a detailed history log.

4.2.25 Training System vendor shall provide formal training for supervisors, dispatchers, field users, and maintenance technicians.

4.2.26 Console Features All consoles shall be public-safety grade with keyboard, mouse, trackball, and/or touch-screen operation, to include the following features:

Capability for paging Ability to support computer-aided dispatch (CAD)

Audible/visual cues for acknowledgment of calls transmitted

Audible/visual cues to announce incoming emergency calls Head set with microphone

Foot pedal transmit button

Cross-patching to the telephone system

Fiber or microwave link to the base station repeaters There should be limited/controlled personnel access to console area to reduce distractions around dispatchers.


4.2.27 Additional Subscriber Features

Unit identification on each radio

Call alert, select call, or paging from dispatch Audible tones to acknowledge successful/failed calls during push-to-talk

Priority break-in for dispatchers to relay emergency information if users are on a talk-around channel

Remote enable/disable GPS Location

Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

OTAP OTAR

Text Messaging


5.0 Communications System Considerations

5.1 Frequency Bands 5.1.1 VHF VHF is still one of the highest-used frequency bands for public safety. The public safety Very High Frequency (VHF) band consists of non-contiguous channels between 150 to 174 MHz. Frequencies for VHF are licensed as a single frequency, not as a transmit/receive pair. Given the high usage and the lack of pairing, VHF is significantly more complex when it comes to licensing additional frequencies. Due to this complexity, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated channel narrow-banding, from 50 kHz channel width, to 25 kHz channel width, then to 12.5 kHz channel width. While this narrow-banding improved the spectral efficiency of VHF frequencies, it reduced the effective coverage after each round of narrow-banding. We note there are FCC Title 47, Part 22 VHF frequencies that can be purchased; however, the cost of these frequencies can potentially be between $10,000 and $100,000 per frequency. Additionally, the purchaser must ensure the frequency does not interfere with others prior to making it operational. VHF provides larger coverage areas for the same power levels as higher frequency bands due to the longer wavelength of VHF frequencies. VHF radio systems work exceptionally well in areas with greatly varying terrain, due to the signal’s ability to travel over hills and mountains more effectively. Since VHF RF signals travel long distances, the VHF frequency band tends to be more susceptible to co-channel interference, which makes it difficult to find frequencies available for use. VHF radio systems are generally designed for mobile-only coverage, due to the lack of tower top amplifiers, and higher body loss and the lower transmit power for VHF portable radios (10 Watt maximum). VHF systems that use portable subscribers must have satellite receivers and voter systems installed within the coverage areas, and Digital Vehicular Repeaters (DVR’s) may also be required to extend the range of VHF portable radios. VHF also has issues with in-building penetration due to several issues including inefficiencies with portable VHF antennas.

5.1.2 UHF The public safety Ultra High Frequency (UHF) high band consists of non-contiguous channels between 450 to 470 MHz. Frequencies which are licensed as transmit/receive pairs with 5 MHz of separation between the transmit and the receive frequencies. Many public safety agencies use the UHF band for their radio systems. UHF systems provide good coverage over varying terrain while still having better building penetration than VHF systems. It can be difficult to find available frequencies, but there are likely more available frequencies in the UHF band compared to the VHF band. UHF systems can be designed to be balanced for either mobile subscribers or portable subscribers. The UHF band can provide good coverage, but VHF provides better coverage at the same power levels.

5.1.3 700/800 MHz For the purposes of this report, the 700 MHz band and 800 MHz band are interchangeable. In general, they have similar coverage and in-building performance. Radio equipment vendors generally manufacture their equipment capable of functioning the same way for both 700 and 800 MHz frequency bands.


700/800 MHz frequencies provide public safety users a balanced coverage footprint for both mobile and portable radios. 700/800 MHz systems provide the best in-building coverage for all public safety frequency bands because it is easier for the shorter wavelength frequencies to penetrate buildings. 700/800 MHz systems have some increased issues penetrating dense forests and traveling over greatly varying terrain. The use of tower top amplifiers can greatly improve portable talk-in coverage. Typically, additional transmit sites are required for 700/800 MHz systems to provide coverage over a large area compared to VHF and UHF systems.

5.1.3.1 800 MHz

Public safety radio systems (such as those used by police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians) operate in several portions of the 800 MHz band, which consists of spectrum at 806-809 MHz paired with spectrum at 851-854 MHz. Frequencies are licensed as transmit/receive pairs with the 25 MHz separation. In July 2004, the Commission adopted a comprehensive plan to reconfigure the band to address a growing problem of harmful interference to 800 MHz public safety communication systems caused by high-density commercial wireless systems. This plan is designed to protect the lives of first responders and other emergency personnel and fulfills the Commission's obligation to promote safety of life and property using wire and radio communications. In 1987, the Commission set aside six megahertz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band for exclusive use by local, regional and state public safety agencies under guidelines developed by the National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC). The 800 MHz NPSPAC spectrum is administered on a regional basis by 55 regional public safety planning committees.

5.1.3.2 700 MHz

In response to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the FCC established a new 700-MHz public safety Land Mobile Radio (LMR) band. The FCC has adopted rules for the 700-MHz band (764-776/794-806 MHz) with three basic concerns in mind: A. Efficiency: The FCC seeks to promote spectrum efficiency in the band by requiring an aggressive

standard of one voice channel, or one data channel of 4800 bits per second (bps), per 6.25 kHz of bandwidth.

The FCC has not mandated a specific technology for meeting this requirement, but all systems licensed for this band must use some form of digital modulation. By 2015, all equipment manufactured and marketed for use in the 700-MHz band was required to meet the 6.25-kHz efficiency mandate, and no new applications for systems operating at 12.5-kHz efficiency would be accepted. By 2017, all systems in the band were required to operate at 6.25-kHz efficiency.

B. Interoperability: The FCC has set aside a significant portion of the band (2.6 MHz) for interoperability.

Although the FCC has refrained from mandating standards for the rest of the band, it has mandated Project 25 Phase 1 as the standard for use on the narrowband interoperability channels.


C. Flexibility: The FCC has recognized that by mandating the adoption of specific technology standards, it may actually inhibit the acceptance of more advanced and spectrum-efficient technology. Therefore, it has chosen to allow the market to drive the technology by providing flexibility in the licensing of frequencies in the 700-MHz band. The band is divided into 960 narrowband 6.25-kHz channels and 120 wideband 50-kHz channels.

A licensee may aggregate two or four narrowband channels to create a single 12.5- or 25-kHz channel, if the overall spectrum efficiency is one voice channel, or one data channel of 4800 bps, per 6.25 kHz.

The general use channels, and some of the narrowband low power channels, are subject to regional planning. There are 55 Regional Planning Committees (RPCs), who work to create a plan for General Use in their area and submit it to the FCC.

5.2 Message Transmission Types 5.2.1 Analog Analog radio uses a carrier wave to send a message from one radio to another. The message is only transmitted one time and is sent as a single message. Analog messages can be problematic because if the signal is interrupted or interfered with, the message is lost and there is no way to get it back. Analog messages are transmitted much faster than digital messages because there is no processing involved in transmitting and receiving the message.

5.2.2 Digital A digital radio breaks up a message into numbered fragments. The message fragments are also sent many times, to increase the chance that the receiver will get all the parts of the message. The digital receiver collects all the fragments of the message, and then puts them in order to complete it for the recipient. It takes some time for a digital radio to process the incoming signal, so there will be a delay between the time that the message fragments are received and when the message is heard.

5.3 Architectures 5.3.1 Conventional Conventional radio systems consist of multiple radio channels that are used for separate purposes. Each radio on a conventional system operates on a fixed RF channel, meaning that radio is limited to transmitting on one selected channel, and only when no one else is transmitting on that channel. If you have many more users than the number of channels on a conventional system, it can become problematic because only one user can send a message on each channel at a time.


5.3.2 Trunking Trunked radio systems are complex channel-controlled systems that use talk groups, which are pools of channels assigned to a group of radios. Trunking systems are more efficient than conventional systems because of the ability to automatically switch between channels. Trunking does not increase the number of simultaneous calls that can be made; however, it decreases your chance of not being able to transmit because of a busy channel by trying to switch the radio to an open channel.

5.3.3 Simulcast Simulcast is an abbreviation for simultaneous broadcast, and in the context of LMR, it means simultaneous transmission from two or more repeater sites on the same radio frequency and with the same modulation. Simulcast has been around since the 1960s, but its popularity has increased recently — in part because modern technology has made simulcast more reliable. Simulcast networks offer several advantages:

Overlapping coverage without handoff complexity.

Better trunking efficiency. Simpler operation, especially for conventional (non-trunked) repeater systems.

Simulcast networks also employ voting receivers, which offer macro-diversity improvement on the inbound path. Disadvantages of simulcast include high cost and signal distortion in simulcast-overlap regions. High cost results from more complex timing and control hardware, but also from the simple fact that each site must be populated with one repeater for each frequency used in the network. Signal distortion in simulcast overlap regions is also referred to as time delay interference (TDI). TDI occurs when two or more simulcast signals arrive at the user’s radio antenna with comparable amplitude, but with inverse signal phase, causes signal cancellation.

5.3.4 Voted Receive System A voting system allows multiple receivers in strategic locations to receive the incoming signal and chooses the receiver with the best audio quality to be repeated or sent to the console. The use of voted receiver systems can significantly improve the talk-in coverage from portable and mobile radios.

5.4 Technologies 5.4.1 DMR Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) is a digital trunking radio open standard specified for professional mobile radio users. The primary goal of this standard is to specify affordable digital systems with low complexity. DMR Tier III trunking allocates channels on demand, making it frequency efficient, and enables a large number of users to share a relatively small number of channels. DMR provides voice, data, and other supplementary services, and DMR radios systems are used worldwide. DMR systems are not considered “Public Safety Grade” systems in the U.S. despite the usage of these systems for public safety personnel in Europe. DMR does not meet the standards for reliability and redundancy of public safety personnel in the United States.


MOTOTRBO is a Motorola digital radio product designed for use by business and industrial users. The format is compatible with DMR and uses TDMA to accommodate two users operating simultaneously on the same channel. A MOTOTRBO system can also have a voice and data call operating simultaneously on the same channel. MOTOTRBO can operate on different talk groups like a trunking system and can achieve wide-area operation through IP connectivity. Even though some public safety agencies in the U.S. use MOTOTRBO systems for mission critical communications, these systems are not considered “public safety grade” by organizations such as the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Our experience is that jurisdictions that installed MOTOTRBO systems had to replace the system in less than 5 years due to degradation of service. This degradation is caused by the 24/7/365 usage of the equipment that is not designed to withstand this level of usage.

5.4.2 Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC) PoC generally refers to a service that operates on commercial 3G, 4G, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) cellular providers, but can include FirstNet, Private LTE, and Wi-Fi. These services utilize a device with a dedicated Push to Talk (PTT) button, or an application installed on a smart phone, and can be integrated into LMR systems with the use of radio gateways. PoC does not meet the requirements of public safety grade communications. However, LMR systems can be transitioned to PoC while maintaining the ability to contact users on the radio system. This will include non-first responder uses, such as public utility workers, roads or transportation departments, or similar users, who do not require the guaranteed connectivity of a public safety radio system.

5.4.2.1 Commercial Cellular Providers

Most of the major commercial cellular service providers, including AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, have some type of PoC service, operating on the mobile data infrastructure. They can provide nationwide coverage, but only where the service providers have coverage, with no coverage guarantees. These services can include user to user calls, group calls, dispatch software and user location services.

5.4.2.2 FirstNet

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) of the United States was created under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (MCTRJCA) as an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The purpose of FirstNet is to establish, operate, and maintain an interoperable public safety broadband network. To fulfill these objectives, Congress allotted $7 billion and 20 MHz of valuable radio spectrum to build the network. The authority board created a public-private partnership with AT&T in March 2017 to build out FirstNet. In December 2017, all 50 states opted into the network plan with AT&T. FirstNet and AT&T desire to improve public safety communications by using private sector resources, infrastructure, and cost-saving synergies to deploy and operate the nationwide broadband network. AT&T will deploy and operate a nationwide high-speed broadband network for public safety over 25 years. AT&T can use FirstNet’s spectrum when it is not being used by public safety for other purposes. The company states their intent to prioritize first responders over any other commercial users.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Class_Tax_Relief_and_Job_Creation_Act_of_2012

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Class_Tax_Relief_and_Job_Creation_Act_of_2012

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Telecommunications_and_Information_Administration


FirstNet acts as the mobile broadband service provider, it does not include PoC service or interface into LMR systems without using a radio or Inter-RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) gateway of some type, depending on the radio system type. It is important to recognize this system is dependent upon having sufficient towers to provide the needed coverage, which is problematic in rural, less populated areas of the US.

5.4.2.3 LMR Vendors

This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of LMR vendors or vendors who provide PoC solutions. Motorola and Harris both have proprietary PoC solutions. EF Johnson utilizes ESChat’s PoC solution on their P25 radio systems. JPS Interoperability Solutions also use ESChat’s PoC solution integration with its ACU technology and JPL’s PoC application. The solutions use either cellular mobile data service providers (3G, 4G, or LTE) or FirstNet LTE service to provide connectivity between the PoC application and the LMR system via a radio gateway. Motorola’s PoC solution for LMR is a combination of WAVE and Critical Connect applications. First responders can use their ASTRO 25 radios for PTT communication with each other as well as with personnel using smartphones and the WAVE broadband PTT application. Critical Connect is a Motorola cloud-based application that allows interoperability between radio systems and/or cellular service providers based on ISSI gateway. Harris’s solution for LMR uses an on-site server to connect and manage the BeOn mobile application. BeOn keeps you connected to your LMR system anywhere you have a cellular data signal, WiFi or other data connectivity, and provides a direct connection to the backbone of your LMR system, fully supporting the features of P25 radio network. ESChat’s PoC solution for LMR can integrate with many different radio system types, such as: Analog LMR, P25, DMR, Tetra, MOTOTRBO or any other format. Some system capabilities may be limited depending on the system type and the method of integration.

5.4.3 NEXEDGE NEXEDGE is a Kenwood radio system that was the first to offer trunking, and the first radio system to be able to communicate with both analog and digital radios. This makes NEXEDGE very useful for clients with older systems that want to migrate to a new system because they can keep the old system’s radios for use with the new system. NEXEDGE is an open standard and is supported by many vendors making NEXEDGE compatible with other vendor products.

5.4.4 Project 25 (P25) Standards This technology is standards-based and is available from multiple LMR vendors. The P25 standards (as defined by the Telecommunications Industry Association [TIA] TIA-102 series of standards) have been in development for years and have matured to the point that the goal of having interoperable digital radio equipment from multiple vendors has become a reality.


The P25 standards have been adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use on the interoperability channels in the 700-MHz Public Safety Communications Band. Federal and State grant programs for communications technology typically require equipment compatible with the P25 standards, and the federal government has adopted P25 for its own law enforcement needs. These developments have rapidly expanded acceptance of the P25 standard in the marketplace. The major radio system vendors focused their research and development efforts on P25, and as existing radio systems (such as Milford’s) will not be supported by the vendor past 2020, they are being replaced with new P25 systems. Systems and equipment are available from several manufacturers. Harris and Motorola are the predominant market players, but Airbus DS Communications, Tait and EF Johnson have system and subscriber offerings as well. Other vendors such as Icom and Kenwood offer P25 subscriber equipment. Zetron, Avtec, Catalyst Communications, and Pantel offer dispatch console solutions that integrate with the trunked radio system equipment. The key to P25 is the common air interface (CAI), an over-the-air protocol that all P25 radios can encode and decode to provide voice communications. Other interfaces have been standardized, such as the console subsystem interface (CSSI) and the inter-RF subsystem interface (ISSI); these interfaces are starting to be deployed. The LMR industry is improving in the area of mixing and matching system fixed infrastructure among various vendors. The ability to utilize P25 subscribers from different vendors is now realized. P25 standards have been developed in 2 phases. Phase 1 is based on a frequency-division multiple-access (FDMA) CAI providing 1 voice communication (talk) path per 12.5-kHz channel. Phase 2 includes a CAI for TDMA communication, where 2 talk paths share a single 12.5-kHz channel. Each talk path, in this case, is assigned a separate time slot. While Phase 1 has been available for over 10 years, Phase 2 TDMA standards have now also been finalized. Vendors are now routinely shipping Phase 2 systems, which allow an agency to double capacity with the same number of channels. Most new Phase 1 equipment (whether subscriber units or fixed infrastructure equipment) can be upgraded via software to Phase 2 operation. P25 standards are designed so a Phase 2 system is backward compatible with Phase 1 subscriber units. However, the benefits of a Phase 2 system are not realized until subscriber units capable of Phase 2 operation are purchased. In theory, P25 subscriber radios from 1 vendor should work on another P25 vendor’s infrastructure. The P25 Compliance Assessment Program (CAP) is a voluntary compliance test with certification conducted by an independent third-party testing lab. The program tests the subscriber’s P25 standard features work on known-compliant P25 systems. CAP certification lists may be found on the www.project 25.org website and the manufacturer’s sites. Requiring CAP certification will ensure equipment is compatible with other vendor systems. Of course, major P25 infrastructure vendors prefer you buy their radios. To encourage this behavior, most P25 infrastructure vendors add proprietary “value added” features, over and above the mandatory P25 standard features. Implementing proprietary features tends to lock the operator into purchasing subscriber units only from the system vendor. There are several proprietary features available, a common and popular feature is OTAP. This allows operators to reprogram subscribers without recalling radios to a service shop.


The CSSI (which is a subset of the ISSI) allows dispatch consoles from other third-party vendors to be used on the P25 radio system. Some radio system vendors do not offer a dispatch console, so the CSSI must be used to interface consoles to the radio system. Other radio system vendors offer their own “native” dispatch consoles which connect directly to the radio system’s core control and switching equipment. Just as with subscriber equipment, there may be proprietary features, and the implementation of features with the native consoles may be different than those same features implemented through the CSSI. An example of this is patching and simulcast. The TIA has not yet standardized a dynamic method of handling patching and simulselect across the CSSI. So currently using the CSSI, patching multiple talk groups together can result in multiple simultaneous calls on the radio system, with each talk group using its own talk path. On a native console, patching may be accomplished through a more dynamic means such that only one talk path is assigned for the patched call.

5.4.5 TETRA TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) is a set of standards developed by the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) that describes a common mobile radio communications infrastructure throughout Europe. This infrastructure is targeted primarily at the mobile radio needs of public safety groups (such as police and fire departments), utility companies, and other enterprises that provide voice and data communications services throughout Europe. In recent years, when European disasters have struck, emergency response teams from several European nations had a difficult time communicating with each other, due in part to the lack of standardization in their mobile radio equipment. The TETRA standards evolved to answer this communication challenge as well as others faced or anticipated by the European Commission (EC) in its efforts to unify European countries. TETRA was developed in Europe to provide interoperability for mutual aid. TETRA is not commonly used in the U.S. because it is a European standard. The U.S. chose to implement its own interoperability standard, P25, which is the leading public safety radio system technology.

5.5 Connectivity 5.5.1 Microwave Microwave connectivity is a technology that consists of using RF signals in the 1-100 GHz frequency range between two highly directional antennas to transport large amounts of data between radio sites and dispatch centers, Microwave radio is regarded as the most reliable form of connectivity because of the low Mean-Time-Between-Failures (MTBF) for the equipment and minimal hazards due to human intervention, Microwave RF signals are however susceptible to high signal loss during storms, and periods of heavy rain. Microwave signals can also be degraded due to growing trees, or new urban development directly in the microwave path.


5.5.2 Fiber Fiber connectivity provides a high-speed data transport through commercial or private fiber optic cables. Data is transported through fiber cables using light, which can provide very high data throughput with low latency. Fiber cables are run underground making them susceptible to being broken or cut due to digging near the cables. This can provide large downtime windows as it can be difficult to determine where the cable break is in 100’s of miles of buried cables. If you are using commercial fiber it can take even longer to get your fiber connection operational again, because you are not necessarily the commercial providers highest priority.

5.5.3 Leased Lines Commercial copper leased lines, also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Lines), have been used for many legacy radio systems as the primary method of connectivity. Typically, these leased lines provide low data rates, in the kilobits per second range. For newer VOIP (Voice Over IP) based radio systems with heavy data usage, commercial leased lines are typically not used because they cannot meet demands for data speeds.


6.0 System Alternatives

6.1 Radio System Alternatives There is an urgent need for a new public safety grade radio system in the Milford region. Below are the alternatives evaluated for a new P25 system that will provide reliable public safety communications in the Town of Milford and surrounding areas. The following sections include the analysis of 4 potential radio system alternatives:

Town of Milford Standalone VHF P25 Conventional Radio System

Town of Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Conventional Radio System

Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System

We describe each alternative, highlighting both the technical and operational aspects and a high-level budgetary estimate. We review the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives and conclude with an overall analysis. At the conclusion of this System Alternatives section, we provide an objective Impact Analysis. This process was developed to help evaluate the alternatives in combination with all the information gathered during this Needs Assessment process. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs. CTA used the following overarching system considerations when developing your System Alternatives: coverage, capacity, and interoperability. The ability of a public safety communications system to meet the requirements of the users relies heavily upon meeting these system considerations. Coverage Town of Milford Standalone Radio System Based upon preliminary coverage estimations, a single site in the Town of Milford may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (larger white circle on Figure 6-1) for the Milford service area in the VHF band. Additionally, vehicular repeaters will be necessary to provide the needed portable outdoor and in-building coverage throughout the service area. Based on preliminary coverage estimation, a single site in the Town of Milford may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (smaller yellow circle on Figure 6-1) for the Milford service area in the 700/800 MHz band. For the Town of Milford, the same number of sites is needed for either a VHF or 700/800 MHz system because the service area only covers a small area of land. It is important to note that a VHF system will provide better outdoor coverage to mobiles, while a 700/800 MHz system will perform better for portables outdoor and inside buildings.


Figure 6-1 Town of Milford Preliminary Coverage Regional Radio System Based on preliminary coverage estimations, 3 sites may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (white circles on Figure 6-2) for the regional service area in the VHF band. It is noted that an additional site may be required for VHF, based upon detailed site locations and propagation. Additionally, vehicular repeaters will be necessary to provide the needed portable outdoor and in-building coverage throughout the service area. Based on preliminary coverage estimation, 4 sites may provide public safety grade (95%) portable outdoor coverage (smaller yellow circles on Figure 6-2) for the regional service area in the 700/800 MHz band. It is important to note that a VHF system will provide better outdoor coverage to mobiles, while a 700/800 MHz system will perform better for portables outdoors, and inside buildings.


Figure 6-2 Regional Preliminary Coverage

Capacity Town of Milford Standalone Radio System Based upon preliminary capacity estimations, a conventional P25 Phase 1 standalone system for the Town of Milford will require 4 channels regardless of the frequency band (VHF or 700/800 MHz). Note that each channel requires 2 frequencies (transmit and receive) for a total of 8 frequencies. This estimation is based on all public safety and public works users for Milford operating on a single radio system. Regional Radio System Based upon preliminary capacity estimations, a regional conventional P25 Phase 1 simulcast system will require 4 channels regardless of the frequency band (VHF or 700/800 MHz). Note that each channel requires 2 frequencies (transmit and receive) for a total of 8 frequencies. If the system is not simulcast, this requirement will be replicated at each site in the system design, for a maximum requirement of 32 frequencies. This estimation is based upon all users within the regional service area operating on a single radio system. Interoperability Interoperability for the local jurisdictions operating in the Milford area is critically important and must be considered as we look at potential system alternatives. CTA developed an interoperability chart as part of the interview process, which clearly shows the need for law enforcement, Fire/EMS and public works to be able to communicate directly with each other during times of emergency. It also reflects the need for users to be able to


communicate with other agencies outside of the local jurisdictions, and the ability to use dedicated channels to communicate directly with each other without overloading dispatch personnel. Table 6-1 provides the current interoperability environment and future needs of the users within the Milford area.

Table 6-1 Milford Interoperability Matrix

Agencies

Milf

ord

Polic

e

Milf

ord

Fire

Milf

ord

Am

bula

nce

Milf

ord

DPW

Milf

ord

Wat

er

Util

ities

Mon

t Ver

non

Polic

eM

ont V

erno

n Fi

reM

ont V

erno

n Pu

blic

Wor

ks

Wilt

on P

olic

e

Wilt

on F

ire

Wilt

on

Am

bula

nce

Lynd

ebor

ough

Po

lice

MA

CC

Bas

e

1 Milford Police N x N X X X2 Milford Fire N x x x x x x X3 Milford Ambulance N x x x x X4 Milford DPW N x N x x x x 5 Milford Water Utilities N N N

6 Mont Vernon Police X x x x N X x x X X7 Mont Vernon Fire N N x X8 Mont Vernon Public Works x x N N

9 Wilton Police X x x X x X X10 Wilton Fire x x X x X11 Wilton Ambulance X x x x X x

12 Lyndeborough Police x X X13 MACC Base X X X x X X X X14 Amherst Police x x X15 Hospitals X16 Schools x X x

17 Greenfield x x x

18 Hillsborough x x X x x

19 Keen Mutual Aid X x x

20 New Boston X x X x

21 State Police x x X x x

22 Temple x x x

23 Helicopter x

24 MVFD on low band x

RatingsX - Talk to Frequentlyx - Talk to infrequentlyN - Need to Talk but unable

Believe agencies highlighted in blue are VHF & programmed in interoperability banks

Note: Agencies' primary response is listed vertically.


6.1.1 Town of Milford Standalone VHF P25 Conventional Radio System

6.1.1.1 Technical

A VHF P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Town of Milford. The P25 standards facilitate interoperability by allowing any P25 certified radio subscriber to operate on any P25 system infrastructure regardless of the system vendor. Backhaul connectivity between the dispatch center and P25 tower sites will need to be fiber or microwave links to ensure the required data rates for a P25 system are provided. Today, the MACC Base dispatch center uses UHF links to connect to each of the control stations at transmit tower sites. These UHF links will not provide the required data rate between the dispatch center and transmit tower sites. Microwave links will be more reliable, simpler to maintain, and less expensive to install than digging to install new fiber. If fiber is already in place, then using existing fiber would be easier and less expensive than constructing a new microwave link. To upgrade to a new VHF P25 conventional system, modifications of existing VHF frequency licenses will be required. Using the currently licensed VHF channels could be problematic because VHF frequencies are not licensed in frequency pairs like UHF and 700/800 MHz frequency bands. In order to avoid interference, frequencies will need adequate separation between transmit and receive frequencies. Based on a preliminary capacity study and frequency analysis, Milford may not need to license additional frequencies to provide the required capacity for their new system. If it is determined that additional VHF frequencies are needed, it can be very difficult to license new VHF frequencies due to the widespread use of the VHF band for public safety radio systems in the region. VHF radio systems provides robust coverage to mobile radios due to the ability of VHF frequencies to travel well over long distances and varying terrain. However, VHF frequencies provide less robust coverage for portables outdoors or inside buildings, especially for the talk-in direction, which field users utilize to contact dispatch. This is due to the low transmit power for VHF portables, which is typically less than 1 Watt ERP, and the high body loss from wearing the portable radio on the hip. To improve portable coverage, CTA has included Digital Vehicular Repeater Systems (DVRS) for all public safety response vehicles. The DVRS use an in-vehicle repeater to extend the range of portable radios by repeating the portable radio voice transmissions on the vehicle’s mobile radio. Currently, the Town of Milford uses a standalone VHF low-band paging system to alert Fire and EMS personnel. If a standalone VHF P25 conventional radio system is implemented, paging can either be incorporated into the radio system by replacing existing pagers with VHF P25 pagers, or by continuing to page Fire and EMS users on the existing VHF low-band paging system. If Milford decides to procure a VHF P25 standalone system, any existing VHF subscribers that are P25-capable could be reused. All other subscribers would need to be replaced with new VHF P25 subscribers. This alternative provides interoperability with most of the surrounding areas because they already have P25 VHF radio systems or are in the process of upgrading to a P25 VHF radio system. There are only a few 700/800 MHz systems used by surrounding agencies, and interoperability with these jurisdictions can be achieved using interoperability gateways and dispatch patches.


6.1.1.2 Operational

Operations on a new VHF P25 radio system will be similar to current operations for Milford Public safety radio users. One major difference is that there will be repeater systems for all radio channels on the new systems. Today, Milford only has control stations transmitting from their tower sites, meaning that users can only communicate with dispatch from the field. Currently, radio users in Milford can only talk to each other in the field on direct talk-around channels. The new VHF P25 system will allow users in the field to hear conversations between dispatch and other radio users in the field. All public safety radio users must be re-trained on how to properly communicate on the new P25 conventional radio system. On a conventional system it is important that users understand proper radio etiquette, so users do not talk over each other, creating repeat traffic and unnecessarily tying up channels on the system. Users will need training on how to use the new DVRS that will be installed in public safety response vehicles. Radio users’ portable radios will primarily stay on the DVRS channel in order to provide adequate coverage for portables both outdoors and inside buildings. Users will only have to switch to a different non-DVRS channel if they go a significant distance from their vehicle or if they are working a detail without their public safety response vehicle. If Milford implements their own P25 VHF conventional radio system, they will need to either hire dedicated system maintenance technicians, who are experienced in P25 system administration and IP-based system networking, or enter a maintenance agreement with the system vendor that is selected. However, entering a maintenance agreement with a system vendor is typically more expensive than hiring dedicated technicians.

6.1.1.3 Budgetary Estimate

A rough order of magnitude cost for a connected Milford P25 Phase 1 VHF conventional radio system is $2,250,000 (Infrastructure $1,625,000 and Subscribers $625,000). NOTE: $325,000 can be removed from the infrastructure costs if the Town of Milford enters into an agreement with AT&T to build the necessary tower at the Milford Police Station.

6.1.1.4 Advantages

Public Safety Standard – P25 radio systems are the public safety standard for mission critical communications. P25 systems provide the security and reliability to be considered “Public Safety Grade.”

Outdoor Coverage – VHF frequencies propagate significantly better than 700/800 MHz frequencies over areas of varying terrain. Due to their longer wavelength, VHF signals also travel farther than 700/800 MHz frequencies.

DVRS – Through the usage of Digital Vehicular Repeaters in all first responder vehicles, portable outdoor and in-building coverage can be greatly increased.

Capacity – Milford’s current VHF frequencies should provide adequate capacity for all the public safety users.


Potential Reuse of Existing Subscribers – Since Milford currently uses VHF radio systems, some of the newer subscriber units may be reused on a new VHF P25 radio system if the subscribers can operate in P25 mode.

Operability (within Milford) - This alternative provides a system for all users within Milford with the option to allow multiple sub-systems for independent control by each agency. This option provides seamless, direct communications between all public safety users within the Town of Milford.

Interoperability (outside Milford) – Most of the surrounding jurisdictions are already using P25 VHF radio systems or are currently in the process of upgrading to a P25 system in the VHF frequency band. This allows first responders in the field to easily communicate with neighboring jurisdictions for mutual aid responses. Some of the surrounding jurisdictions use 700/800 MHz systems. Interoperability can be achieved with these jurisdictions using interoperability gateways.

Paging - As a critical aspect of the Fire and EMS users, a paging system will be incorporated into the design.

Subscriber Replacement/Costs –Some of the existing VHF subscribers may be reused for a new P25 system.

Coordination of Updates/System Change – No coordination needed when updates or changes to the system are required.

Sustainability - This alternative can sustain public safety communications for the next 15-20 years.

6.1.1.5 Disadvantages

Indoor Coverage – VHF Frequencies do not penetrate buildings well. VHF Talk-in and Talk-out portable radio coverage inside buildings will be significantly decreased without the use of a Digital Vehicular Repeater.

Infrastructure Costs – A new state-of-the-art P25 conventional radio system will be a significant investment for each town in up-front costs as well as ongoing maintenance and software upgrade costs.

System Maintenance – With much of the radio equipment hardware being replaced by software and virtual machines in newer P25 systems, a significant increase in networking knowledge and ongoing maintenance will be required for a new P25 system.

Operational Changes – Adding a DVRS unit to first responder vehicles will increase portable radio coverage, but it will require operational changes to training programs.


6.1.2 Town of Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Conventional Radio System

6.1.2.1 Technical

A 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Town of Milford. The P25 standards facilitate interoperability by allowing any P25 certified radio subscriber to operate on any P25 system infrastructure regardless of the system vendor. Backhaul connectivity between dispatch and P25 tower sites will need to be fiber or microwave links to ensure the required data rates for a P25 system are provided. Today the MACC Base dispatch center uses UHF links to connect to each of the control stations at their transmit sites. These UHF links will not provide the required data rate between the dispatch center and transmit tower sites. Microwave links will be more reliable, simpler to maintain, and less expensive to install than digging to install new fiber. If fiber is already in place, then using existing fiber would be easier and less expensive than constructing a new microwave link. To upgrade to a new 700/800 MHz P25 conventional system, Milford will need to license four 700/800 MHz frequency pairs (transmit and receive frequencies) to provide adequate capacity for a new radio system. 700/800 MHz frequencies are allocated in the Milford area by the Region 19 (New England Regional Planning Committee). To license new frequencies, Milford will submit an application detailing their usage and total number of frequencies necessary for the new radio system. It is CTA’s opinion there are available frequencies in the 700/800 MHz band that can be licensed by the Town of Milford. 700/800 MHz frequencies do not propagate as well over long distances and terrain as VHF frequencies. However, they do provide better portable radio coverage. Due to the shorter wavelengths in the 700/800 MHz frequency bands, they also provide significantly better in-building coverage. This system will provide good coverage to portable radios both outdoors and inside buildings and will not require the use of digital vehicular repeater systems. Currently, the Town of Milford uses a standalone VHF low-band paging system for alerting Fire and EMS personnel. If a standalone 700/800 MHz P25 conventional radio system is implemented paging can either be incorporated into the radio system by replacing existing pagers with 700/800 MHz P25 pagers, or by continuing to page Fire and EMS users on the existing VHF low-band paging system. If Milford decides to procure a 700/800 MHz P25 standalone system, all existing VHF subscribers will need to be replaced with new 700/800 MHz P25 subscribers. This option does not provide a good interoperability solution for the Town of Milford because most of their neighboring jurisdictions and the State of New Hampshire Public Safety radio systems operate in the VHF frequency band. CTA recommends purchasing multi-band subscribers (VHF and 700/800 MHz) for agencies that regularly provide mutual aid to the surrounding agencies. Multi-band portables are significantly more expensive than single band radios.


6.1.2.2 Operational

Operations on a new 700/800 MHz P25 radio system will be similar to operations of the VHF P25 radio system alternative described in section 6.1.2. In addition, operations will be similar to the existing conventional radio system that Milford public safety personnel use today. If Milford implements their own P25 700/800 MHz conventional radio system, they will need to either hire dedicated system maintenance technicians, who are experienced in P25 system administration and IP based system networking, or enter a maintenance agreement with the system vendor that is selected. However, entering a maintenance agreement with a system vendor is typically more expensive than hiring dedicated technicians.


A rough order of magnitude cost for a connected Milford P25 Phase 1 700/800 MHz conventional radio system is $2,125,000 (Infrastructure $1,500,000 and Subscribers $625,000). NOTE: $325,000 can be removed from the infrastructure costs if the Town of Milford enters into an agreement with AT&T to build the necessary tower at the Milford Police Station.

6.1.2.4 Advantages


Indoor Coverage – 700/800 MHz frequencies penetrate buildings significantly better than VHF. 700/800 MHz Talk-in and Talk-out portable radio coverage inside buildings will be increased compared to a VHF system.

Capacity – There are available 700/800 MHz frequencies that could be licensed. These frequencies should provide adequate capacity for all the public safety users for the Town of Milford.

Operability (within Milford) - This alternative provides a system for all users within Milford with the option to allow multiple sub-systems for independent control by each agency. This option provides seamless direct communications between all public safety users within the Town of Milford.


Operational Changes – Minimal operational changes to training programs and system configuration will be required for a new 700/800 MHz P25 conventional system.

Coordination of Updates/System Change – No coordination needed when updates or changes to the system are required.




Outdoor Coverage – 700/800 MHz frequencies do not propagate well over areas of varying terrain. Due to their shorter wavelength, 700/800 MHz signals travel shorter distances than VHF frequencies.

Potential Reuse of Existing Subscribers –Existing Milford VHF subscribers cannot be used in a 700/800 MHz system.

Interoperability (outside localities) – Most of the surrounding jurisdictions are already using VHF P25 radio systems or are currently in the process of upgrading to a P25 system in the VHF frequency band. Interoperability can be achieved with these jurisdictions using interoperability gateways and multi-band portable and mobile radios. However, these solutions add significant cost to the radio system.

Infrastructure Costs – A new state-of-the-art P25 conventional radio system will be a significant investment for each town in up-front costs as well as ongoing maintenance and software upgrade costs.

Subscriber Replacement/Costs – All subscriber units must be replaced with 700/800 MHz P25 compliant subscriber units.

System Maintenance – With much of the radio equipment hardware being replaced by software and virtual machines in newer P25 systems, a significant increase in networking knowledge and ongoing maintenance will be required for a new P25 system.

6.1.3 Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional System

6.1.3.1 Technical

A Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. This option provides a similar public safety grade communications system as the first alternative (Milford Standalone P25 Radio System) with additional coverage to provide reliable mission critical voice communications to each of the three participating towns. This alternative requires a robust connectivity network for all four towns. CTA recommends a microwave ring topology with added fiber redundancy at sites where fiber is already available. This will allow reliable and redundant data backhaul between the radio tower sites and the dispatch center.

All public safety agencies within the four towns currently operate in the VHF frequency band. By pooling together their licensed frequencies, there should be enough VHF frequencies to provide sufficient capacity for all public safety agencies within the Milford area. A VHF system will also provide the most cost-efficient public safety grade coverage considering the terrain within the area. Using simulcast technology, the new P25 system will use the same four frequency pairs at each site so that fewer frequencies are needed to provide equal capacity to all four towns. The four towns will only be required to modify their existing VHF frequency licenses so the same four frequency pairs can be used at all sites. Using simulcast technology will also simplify radio system use for public safety dispatchers because the dispatchers will not have to select a transmit site based on the field users’ geographic location. In a simulcast system, the dispatcher selects which channel they want to transmit on, and then


all sites transmit on that channel. Field users’ portable and mobile radios automatically communicate with the transmit site, providing the strongest RF signal. Users are only required to switch radio channels when they want to talk to a different agency. VHF radio systems provide robust coverage for mobile radios due to VHF frequencies’ ability to travel well over long distances and varying terrain. However, VHF frequencies provide less robust coverage for portables outdoors or inside buildings, especially for the talk-in direction, which field users utilize to contact dispatch. This is due to the low transmit power for VHF portables, which is typically less than 1 Watt ERP, and the high body loss from wearing the portable radio on the hip. To improve portable coverage, CTA has included Digital Vehicular Repeater Systems (DVRS) for all public safety response vehicles. The DVRS uses an in-vehicle repeater to extend the range of portable radios by repeating the portable radio voice transmissions on the vehicle’s mobile radio. Currently, the four towns use standalone VHF low-band paging systems to alert Fire and EMS personnel. If a standalone VHF P25 conventional radio system is implemented, paging can either be incorporated into the radio system by replacing existing pagers with VHF P25 pagers or by continuing to page Fire and EMS users on the existing VHF low-band paging system. The new regional system can be configured in such a way that the P25 core equipment and other infrastructure can be shared, while the system is partitioned to allow each town to have control of their own administrative functions (creating and editing talkgroups, disabling radios, adding new radio users, etc.) and programming of subscriber equipment. The cost for shared infrastructure should be divided among the towns, but towns should buy their own desktop control stations, digital vehicular repeater systems, and portable and mobile subscriber units. This alternative provides seamless interoperability for all public safety agencies in the region because all four towns will be operating on the same radio system. Interoperability would be greatly simplified, allowing users from different localities and agencies to communicate anywhere within the Milford region. There are a few 700/800 MHz systems used by surrounding agencies. Interoperability with these jurisdictions can be achieved using interoperability gateways and dispatch patches.

6.1.3.2 Operational

If a regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional radio system is implemented, the radio system operational changes are similar to the VHF Milford standalone alternative described in section 6.1. A new governance board or committee will need to be created to provide governance for the regional radio system. This can be accomplished by having all involved towns agree to and sign either an Inter-Mutual Agreement (IMA) or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). These documents clearly define percentages of shared P25 core equipment and other shared infrastructure that each party will be fiscally responsible for. The agreement will also define the governing board or committee (made up of equal representation of all towns involved) which will establish standard operating procedures and policies that will govern the new radio system. With a new regional Simulcast P25 Conventional system comes a significant amount of infrastructure and radio subscribers to maintain over the next 15-20 years. There are two options for maintenance of the


new system: Hire dedicated technicians, trained for P25 system maintenance and IP networking, for each jurisdiction using the radio system or enter a maintenance agreement with a system vendor for the entire regional system. There are two operational options for how a regional system can be implemented. The system can either be implemented all at once by replacing all non-P25 subscribers at same time as part of the new radio system buildout or by spreading out the implementation and total cost of ownership over two phases. Complete System Upgrade In the complete system upgrade, all existing equipment that is not capable of operating on the new P25 radio system will be replaced at the same time during system installation. This option will have the most upfront costs for the region. Phased Implementation The phased implementation approach allows the total cost of ownership to be spread out over a longer time period. This alternative splits the regional radio system implementation into two phases: Upgrading the infrastructure to be capable of dual mode (analog and P25) operations. When all subscribers are capable of operating in P25 mode, the system will convert to P25 operations. This alternative will require significant operational planning and training to make a smooth transition between the analog and digital phases. When the system is installed, the towns will need to work together to set a date when the system will switch to digital mode. This date will need to be within a few years after the P25 system is installed. While the system is in analog mode, user agencies will need to plan to replace all subscribers that are not P25-compliant, because after the system is switched to P25 digital mode, all existing subscribers that are not P25-compliant will no longer be able to operate on the system. Users will need to be trained on the difference between analog and digital transmission so that they will know what changes to expect when the system is switched to digital mode.

Phase A – Dual Mode Conventional System Operating in Analog Mode

Phase A of the implementation would start by building out the P25 radio infrastructure to provide a reliable public safety grade radio system for the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. When the new system is turned on, it will be configured to operate in analog mode. The system could run in analog mode for a couple of years, thus allowing the towns to replace all of their non-P25 compliant portable and mobile radios, and spread out the cost of replacing subscribers over a few years instead of replacing all subscriber units at the time of system installation.

Phase B - P25 Phase 1 Conventional After all non-P25 subscriber units have been replaced by new VHF P25 subscriber units, the system would be switched to operate in P25 Phase 1 (digital) mode. Significant planning will be required for the analog-to-digital transition and users will have to be informed of the difference in the radio system for a digital system.



A rough order of magnitude cost for a connected regional P25 Phase 1 VHF conventional simulcast radio system is $4,700,000 (Infrastructure $3,500,000 and Subscribers $1,200,000). NOTE: $325,000 can be removed from the infrastructure costs if the Town of Milford enters into an agreement with AT&T to build the necessary tower at the Milford Police Station.

6.1.3.4 Advantages


Outdoor Coverage – VHF frequencies propagate significantly better than 700/800 MHz frequencies over areas of varying terrain. Due to their longer wavelength, VHF signals also travel farther than 700/800 MHz frequencies.

DVRS – Through the usage of Digital Vehicular Repeaters in all first responder vehicles, portable outdoor and in-building coverage can be greatly increased.

Capacity – The region’s current VHF frequencies should provide adequate capacity for all the public safety users within the region.

Simulcast – Using simulcast technology the same frequencies can be used at each transmit tower site, thus reducing the total number of frequencies needed for the new system. Radio system use will be simplified for dispatchers as they will not have to select a transmit site based on their field users’ geographic location.

Potential Reuse of Existing Subscribers – All towns currently use VHF radio systems, and some of the newer subscriber units may be reused on a new VHF P25 radio system if the subscribers can operate in P25 mode.

Operability (within Region) - This alternative allows multiple sub-systems for independent control by each town. This alternative provides seamless direct communications between all public safety users within the Region.

Interoperability (outside the Region) – Most of the surrounding jurisdictions are using P25 VHF radio systems or are currently in the process of upgrading to a P25 system in the VHF frequency band. This allows first responders in the field to easily communicate with neighboring jurisdictions for mutual aid responses. Some of the surrounding jurisdictions use 700/800 MHz systems. Interoperability can be achieved with these jurisdictions using interoperability gateways.


Shared Infrastructure Costs – There is a potential for cost savings if the jurisdictions decide to cooperate and build out the regional system at the same time.

Phased Approach – If the region decides to implement the system through a phased approach, the cost of the new system could be spread out over multiple years.

Subscriber Replacement/Costs –Some of the existing VHF subscribers may be reused for a new P25 system. Also, new units can be purchased over time.


Shared System Maintenance – There is a potential for cost savings if the towns decide to enter into a joint maintenance agreement for a new regional system.



Indoor Coverage – VHF Frequencies do not penetrate buildings well. VHF Talk-in and Talk-out portable radio coverage inside buildings will be significantly decreased compared to a 700/800 MHz system.

Operational Changes – Adding a DVRS unit to first responder vehicles will increase portable radio coverage, but it will require operational changes to training programs and daily radio use.

Coordination of Updates/System Change – Efficient coordination between the towns using the radio system will be needed when updates or changes to the system are required.

6.1.4 Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional Radio System

6.1.4.1 Technical

A regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system can provide public safety grade, reliable, mission critical voice and data communications for all first responders within the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough. This alternative is similar to the regional VHF Simulcast P25 radio system alternative described above (section 6.1.3). CTA believes it will take four transmit tower sites to provide coverage to all four towns. This system will provide good coverage for portable radios both outdoors and inside buildings, and will not require the use of digital vehicular repeater systems. This alternative requires a robust connectivity network for all four towns. CTA recommends a microwave ring topology with added fiber redundancy at sites where fiber is already available. This will allow reliable and redundant data backhaul between the radio tower sites and the dispatch center.

To upgrade to a new 700/800 MHz P25 conventional system, the towns will need to license four 700/800 MHz frequency pairs (transmit and receive frequencies) to provide adequate capacity for a new radio system. 700/800 MHz frequencies are allocated in the area by the Region 19 (New England Regional Planning Committee). To license new frequencies, the towns will submit an application detailing their usage and total number of frequencies necessary for the new radio system. It is CTA’s opinion there are available frequencies in the 700/800 MHz band that can be licensed by the towns. Using simulcast technology, the new P25 system will use the same four frequency pairs at each site so fewer frequencies are needed to provide equal capacity to all four towns. Simulcast use will also simplify radio system use for public safety dispatchers because in a simulcast system, the dispatchers do not have to select a transmit site based on the field users’ geographic location. The dispatcher selects which channel they want to transmit on, and then all sites transmit on that channel. Field users’ portable and


mobile radios automatically communicate with the transmit site providing the strongest RF signal. Users are only required to switch radio channels when they want to talk to a different agency. Currently, the four towns use standalone VHF low-band paging systems to alert Fire and EMS personnel. If a standalone 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional radio system is implemented, paging can either be incorporated into the radio system by replacing existing pagers with 700/800 MHz P25 pagers, or by continuing to page Fire and EMS users on the existing VHF low-band paging system. If the towns decide to procure a 700/800 MHz P25 regional system, all existing VHF subscribers will need to be replaced with new 700/800 MHz P25 subscribers. Interoperability problems from the standalone Milford 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 system alternative are amplified for the regional 700/800 MHz because each of the four towns provide mutual aid to neighboring jurisdictions who use VHF radio systems. Most of the radio system users for the four towns would require multi-band subscribers (VHF and 700/800 MHz) so that they can communicate with neighboring jurisdictions. Multi-band portables are significantly more expensive than single band radios.

6.1.4.2 Operational

Operational changes for this alternative are similar to the changes discussed in the regional VHF Simulcast P25 Conventional system alternative in section 6.1.3.2. We did not evaluate a phased implementation option for a regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Conventional system. Since the four towns do not have any existing 700/800 MHz portable or mobile radios, they would not be able to slowly phase out the VHF radios. All portables and mobile radios would have to be replaced when the new system is installed, so phased implementation is not a feasible option for a regional 700/800 MHz P25 radio system.


A rough order of magnitude cost for a connected regional P25 Phase 1 700/800 MHz conventional simulcast radio system is $4,550,000 (Infrastructure $3,600,000 and Subscribers $950,000). NOTE: $325,000 can be removed from the infrastructure costs if the Town of Milford enters into an agreement with AT&T to build the necessary tower at the Milford Police Station.

6.1.4.4 Advantages


Indoor Coverage – 700/800 MHz frequencies penetrate buildings significantly better than VHF. 700/800 MHz Talk-in and Talk-out portable radio coverage inside buildings will be increased compared to a VHF system.

Capacity – There are available 700/800 MHz frequencies that could be licensed. These frequencies should provide adequate capacity for all the public safety users in all four towns.


Simulcast – Using simulcast technology, the same frequencies can be used at each transmit tower site, thus reducing the total number of frequencies needed for the new system. Radio system use will be simplified for dispatchers as they will not have to select a transmit site based on their field users’ geographic location.

Operability (within Region) - This alternative allows multiple sub-systems for independent control by each town. This option provides seamless direct communications between all public safety users within the Region.


Shared Infrastructure Costs – By creating a regional system, the significant investment can be shared between all towns using the radio system so that a single town does not have to fund all the system infrastructure.

Shared System Maintenance – There is a potential for cost savings if the towns decide to enter into a joint maintenance agreement for a new regional system.

Operational Changes – Minimal operational changes to training programs and system configuration will be required for a new 700/800 MHz P25 conventional system.



Outdoor Coverage – 700/800 MHz frequencies do not propagate well over areas of varying terrain. Due to their shorter wavelength, 700/800 MHz signals travel shorter distances than VHF frequencies.

Potential Reuse of Subscriber Units – All subscriber units must be replaced with 700/800 MHz P25 compliant subscriber units. Pricing for P25 subscribers is higher than that of non-P25 subscribers.

Interoperability (outside localities) – Most of the surrounding jurisdictions are using VHF P25 radio systems or are currently in the process of upgrading to a P25 system in the VHF frequency band. Interoperability can be achieved with these jurisdictions using interoperability gateways and multi-band portable and mobile radios. However, these solutions add significant cost to the radio system.

Subscriber Replacement / Costs – All subscriber units must be replaced with 700/800 MHz P25 compliant subscriber units.

Coordination of Updates/System Change – Efficient coordination between the towns using the radio system will be needed when updates or changes to the system are required.

6.1.5 Radio System Alternatives Impact Analysis We use an Impact Analysis process to help evaluate the system alternatives in combination with of all the information gathered during this Needs Assessment. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs.


The Impact Analysis is an interactive process between Milford and CTA. These inputs include problems and needs identified during interviews, new system attributes are assembled based on your needs, and your attribute importance rankings. Below is a visual representation of the process flow:

Figure 6-3 Impact Analysis Flow Chart

System Attributes – Positive characteristics of a new system that may be emphasized during conceptual design. Attributes are identified by CTA following our interviews.

Attribute Rankings – Attributes importance ratings solicited from Milford. The ranking criteria used during this process is as follows: 0 Attribute is NOT IMPORTANT to the user. 1 Attribute is MINIMALLY IMPORTANT to the user. 2 Attribute is NICE TO HAVE, could enhance operations. 3 Attribute is USEFUL, will promote more efficient day to day operation. 4 QUITE IMPORTANT, lack could result in degradation of mission, injury, or loss of property. 5 CRITICAL, lack generally will result in injury, loss of property, or degradation of mission. CTA evaluates each of the alternatives considering your inputs to develop our opinion of technical fit. A panel of CTA engineers and operations personnel independently assessed how well each design alternative could fulfill the attributes identified for Milford. Each panelist considered each alternative, one attribute at a time, and scored the ability of that alternative to deliver that attribute. Scoring ranges from a value of 0 (nonexistent capability) to 5 (95 % of the function/attribute) based on how well the alternative satisfies the requirement. The criteria for evaluating and ranking each item were established as follows: 0 Required function (Attribute Does Not Exist) 1 Required function (Available but Totally Insufficient) 2 Generally inadequate (Unacceptable Alternative) 3 Marginally Adequate (Approximately 60% Functionality) 4 Reasonably adequate (A Good Alternative) 5 95% of Function / Attribute Available (Excellent Alternative)

Client Identifies Problems

•CTA Establishes System Requirements

Client Ranks Operational Impact

•CTA Assesses Fit

•CTA Identifies Alternative Solutions

•Merge Into Ranked List


The results are combined and summed to provide a score for how well the alternatives served the attributes as a whole. The results are used as an input to the Impact Analysis process. Attribute scores are then weighted using the average ranking submitted by Milford. In this way, characteristics which are important to you carry more weight, and lower importance attributes carry less weight. The result is a weighted ranking of the system alternatives for overall suitability. The following Alternatives Ranking Matrix contains the results of the impact analysis for the Milford Only alternative in this report section:

Table 6-2 Milford Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix

Attribute scores are then weighted using the average ranking submitted by agencies in all four towns – All Towns. In this way, characteristics which are important to you carry more weight, and lower-importance attributes carry less weight. The result is a weighted ranking of the system alternatives for overall suitability. The following Alternatives Ranking Matrix contains the results of the impact analysis for the Regional only alternative in this report section:

AVG Score AVG Score4.2.1.a Coverage - Mobile 5.0 5.0 25.0 4.3 21.34.2.1.b Coverage - Portable Outdoors 5.0 4.0 20.0 4.5 22.54.2.1.c Coverage - Portable Inside Buildings 5.0 2.8 13.8 4.5 22.54.2.3 Flexibility in Talk Group Structure 5.0 4.8 23.8 3.8 18.84.2.4 Survivability 5.0 4.3 21.3 4.3 21.34.2.5 Redundant Core Equipment 4.3 4.8 20.6 4.8 20.64.2.6 Capacity 3.3 4.3 14.2 5.0 16.74.2.7 Infrastructure Scalability 4.7 4.0 18.7 3.8 17.54.2.8 Relieve Internal Congestion 4.7 4.0 18.7 4.3 19.84.2.9 Interoperability 4.0 5.0 20.0 1.0 4.04.2.10 Mobile Data 4.0 4.3 17.0 4.3 17.04.2.11 No Interference 3.3 2.5 8.3 4.5 15.04.2.12 Maintainability 4.3 4.3 18.4 4.3 18.44.2.13 Reliability 3.7 4.3 15.6 4.5 16.54.2.14 System Operational Transparency 4.0 4.5 18.0 4.5 18.04.2.15 Emergency Access 4.0 5.0 20.0 4.8 19.04.2.16 Encryption 4.7 5.0 23.3 5.0 23.34.2.17 Security (Physical and Software) 4.0 4.3 17.0 4.3 17.04.2.18 Initial Cost 4.0 2.8 11.0 2.8 11.04.2.19 Long-Term Cost 3.0 3.3 9.8 2.0 6.04.2.20 Cost Effectiveness 4.7 2.8 12.8 3.8 17.54.2.21 Competitive Procurement 4.0 5.0 20.0 5.0 20.04.2.22 Operational Boundary Flexibility 4.3 5.0 21.7 2.8 11.94.2.23 Commonality of Equipment 4.0 4.3 17.0 3.3 13.04.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring 3.7 4.3 15.6 4.5 16.54.2.25 Training 4.3 4.0 17.3 4.5 19.54.2.27 Additional Subscriber Features 4.0 3.8 15.0 3.3 13.0

RADIO SYSTEM ALTERNATIVES RANKING MATRIXTown of Milford VHF

SystemTown of Milford 700/800 SystemReport

Section ATTRIBUTETown of

Milford Only Weight Factor


Table 6-3 Regional Radio System Alternatives Ranking Matrix At the left side of each Alternatives Ranking tables are the attributes established earlier in the project. The reference numbers refer to the attribute definitions provided in Section 4 of this report. Under each Alternative are two numerical columns with CTA’s average evaluation of fit for each attribute and each alternative. These values can range from a low of 0 to high of 5. In the center of the table is the Milford importance rank for the attribute. Under the Score are the weighted results, which is CTA’s average assessment multiplied times the Milford rank used as the weighting factor.

AVG Score AVG Score4.2.1.a Coverage - Mobile 5.0 5.0 25.0 4.0 20.04.2.1.b Coverage - Portable Outdoors 5.0 4.0 20.0 4.3 21.34.2.1.c Coverage - Portable Inside Buildings 5.0 2.8 13.8 4.5 22.54.2.3 Flexibility in Talk Group Structure 4.0 5.0 20.0 3.8 18.84.2.4 Survivability 4.7 4.5 21.2 4.3 21.34.2.5 Redundant Core Equipment 4.4 4.8 21.0 4.8 20.64.2.6 Capacity 4.0 4.3 17.0 5.0 16.74.2.7 Infrastructure Scalability 4.0 4.0 16.0 3.8 17.54.2.8 Relieve Internal Congestion 3.4 4.0 13.7 4.3 19.84.2.9 Interoperability 4.7 5.0 23.6 1.0 4.0

4.2.10 Mobile Data 4.1 4.3 17.6 4.3 17.04.2.11 No Interference 4.1 2.5 10.4 4.5 15.04.2.12 Maintainability 4.1 4.3 17.6 4.3 18.44.2.13 Reliability 4.4 4.3 18.8 4.5 16.54.2.14 System Operational Transparency 3.7 4.5 16.7 4.5 18.04.2.15 Emergency Access 4.0 5.0 20.0 4.8 19.04.2.16 Encryption 3.3 5.0 16.4 5.0 23.34.2.17 Security (Physical and Software) 4.4 4.3 18.8 4.3 17.04.2.18 Initial Cost 3.7 2.5 9.3 2.5 10.04.2.19 Long-Term Cost 3.9 4.0 15.4 2.5 7.54.2.20 Cost Effectiveness 3.7 2.8 10.1 3.8 17.54.2.21 Competitive Procurement 3.9 5.0 19.3 5.0 20.04.2.22 Operational Boundary Flexibility 4.0 5.0 20.0 2.8 11.94.2.23 Commonality of Equipment 3.7 5.0 18.6 3.3 13.04.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring 4.0 4.3 17.0 4.5 16.54.2.25 Training 4.1 4.0 16.6 4.5 19.54.2.27 Additional Subscriber Features 3.7 3.8 13.9 3.0 12.0

RADIO SYSTEM ALTERNATIVES RANKING MATRIX

Report Section ATTRIBUTE

All Towns Weight Factor

Regional VHF System

Regional 700/800 System


Each of the Weighted-Ranked Results columns are totaled at the bottom, arriving at an overall score for each alternative. The totals are summarized below. Town of Milford-Only Radio System Alternatives Score Town of Milford Standalone VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System 474 Town of Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System 458 Regional Radio System Alternatives Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System 468 Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System 455 There is a 16-point difference between the Town of Milford Standalone VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System and the Town of Milford Standalone 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System. There is a 13-point difference between the Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System and the Regional 700/800 MHz Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System, which is due primarily to the need for interoperability with the surrounding jurisdictions. Both of the VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System alternatives ranked distinctly higher than the two 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System alternatives, leading us to conclude that a VHF System configuration is the best fit for either a Town of Milford Standalone or a Regional System. The VHF alternatives stand out, primarily in the areas of: Mobile Coverage Interoperability

Operational Boundary Flexibility

Commonality of Equipment It is CTA’s opinion that a VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System is the BEST FIT for the Town of Milford, as it provides the needed coverage, capacity, and interoperability for all public safety users. Additionally, if the Towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough desire to upgrade their radio systems, we recommend a Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System as the BEST FIT.


6.2 Dispatch Center Alternatives

There is also an urgent need for a 911 public safety answering point in the Milford region. Below are the alternatives evaluated for dispatch center location and operations that will provide public safety dispatch services in the Town of Milford and surrounding areas. The following sections include the analysis of 3 potential dispatch center alternatives:

MACC Base Dispatch Center Location and Operations

Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-Only Operations

Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations

We describe each alternative, highlighting both the technical and operational aspects and a high-level budgetary estimate. We review the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives and conclude with an overall analysis. At the conclusion of this section, we provide an objective Impact Analysis. This process was developed to help evaluate the alternatives in combination with all the information gathered during this Needs Assessment process. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs.

6.2.1 MACC Base Dispatch Center Location and Operations

6.2.1.1 MACC Base Location

The MACC Base Dispatch Center is located on the fourth floor of the Milford Town Hall. MACC Base leases this space from the Town of Milford. MACC Base is located at 1 Union Square, Milford, NH 03055. The MACC Base Dispatch Center is the secondary public safety answering point for all 911 calls in the Towns of Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon. MACC Base also receives some 911 calls from the Town of Lyndeborough. All 911 phone calls for the state of New Hampshire are received at Concord and transferred to the appropriate jurisdictions dispatch center. MACC Base dispatches law enforcement and Fire agencies from all four towns and only dispatches ambulances (EMS) for the Towns of Milford and Wilton. The MACC Base Dispatch Center has two dispatch positions that can be call-taker and dispatcher positions and one call-taker-only position (usually not staffed). The two dispatch positions share a single set of backup control stations. There is not a backup console position. The dispatch center is located inside the Town Hall which is open to the public on business days. However, the dispatch center is located on the 4th floor behind locked doors. There are security cameras installed so dispatchers can monitor the entryways to the center. There are smoke alarms and fire suppression systems installed in the dispatch center.


For this site to be considered, there are multiple site upgrades that must be implemented:

Upgrade the communications room space to accommodate three dispatch consoles.

Replace the existing two consoles, as they have been discontinued by the manufacturer and will not be serviceable beyond 2021.

Add a third console, as a third console is critical for both training purposes and in the event one of the two operational consoles has an issue.

Replace the logging recorder to work with the new radio system(s).

Install three desktop control stations as backup to the three consoles. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment rooms to the halo.

Install grounding cables for all UPS units.

Install grounding cables for all guy wire anchors on the roof. Install electrical surge suppressors in the equipment rooms to prevent electrical surge damage

from the commercial power provider.

Install HVAC system for the equipment room to maintain the proper operating temperature for the radio equipment.

Seal all holes to exterior of the building in the attic equipment room to prevent water and other environmental damage to MACC Base equipment.

Install a grounding bus bar below the transmission cable port entry on the roof and ground all transmission cables immediately after they exit the building.

Secure all access points to the dispatch center equipment.

Install microwave or fiber links to all towers.

Discontinue the use of the tower on top of the Town Hall for RF coverage.

6.2.1.2 MACC Base Operations

MACC Base was created in 1985 and 6 towns originally participated. They have 5 full time positions (one vacant slot), and 6 part time positions. There are (4) 10-hour shifts that overlap, 2 people are there 16 hours per day, and 1 person from 3am - 11am. MACC Base provides dispatch service for the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough Police Department, and in the past they have provided services for as many as 7 towns. An Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) between all participating towns outlines how MACC Base will operate; additionally there is a MACC Base Board of Governors (BOG) with a representative from each town, appointed by that town’s Board of Selectmen. The current director of MACC Base will provide dispatch coverage, if needed, in the early morning hours, as he is scheduled as a dispatcher for 20 hours each week. To continue operations at MACC Base, a complete overhaul is necessary.


Significant issues regarding performance, finances, and fiduciary capabilities must be addressed to the satisfaction of all participating towns for this alternative to a viable solution. Additionally, the Director position needs to be a full-time administrator to oversee the many managerial activities required, such as: human resources, scheduling, financial accounting, training, technical oversight, etc.


A rough order of magnitude cost for a MACC Base Dispatch Center Location and Operations is $1,660,000 (Infrastructure $860,000 and Operations $800,000). Utilizing the existing proportions already in place the three current members of the IMA would pay: Milford $1,180,000; Mont Vernon $190,000; Wilton $290,000.

6.2.1.4 Advantages

Operational Transition - As the current system is operational under MACC Base this transition should be seamless.

Sustainability - Each participating agency will contribute money to a sustainability fund which shares the costs.


Radio System Connectivity - The Town Hall location will need to be connected to the new Milford P25 radio system, located at the Milford Police Department Tower.

Facility Security - The Milford Town Hall is a public multi-purpose facility; therefore, the dispatch center will always be limited in regard to physical security.

Personnel Backup - From 3:00am to 11:00am there is only one dispatcher on duty, and if this person had a medical emergency, there may not be anyone proximal to assist this dispatcher or take over their dispatching duties.

Infrastructure Costs - Infrastructure costs are high due to the renovation of the existing space and the addition of a microwave link needed between the Town Hall and Milford PD.

Operational Costs - Ongoing operational costs are high, due to an independent agency not being able to take advantage of pooled benefits and expenses.


6.2.2 Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-only Operations

6.2.2.1 MPD Location

A new Dispatch Center can be built at the current Milford Police Department, located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical. For this site to be considered the following must be implemented:

Build a public safety grade expansion onto the existing Police Department facility.

Facility will need to accommodate a 4-dispatch console configuration to allow for future growth.

Purchase 3 new consoles that will work with the new radio system.

Purchase a new logging recorder to work with the new radio system(s). Install three desktop control stations backups for the three consoles.

6.2.2.2 Town of Milford-only Operations

In years past, Milford Police Department was responsible for dispatch, but this was transitioned to an independent configuration due to concerns from participating agencies that the operations needed to be more well-rounded to serve all public safety disciplines equally. These concerns will be addressed by the new Communication Center operations being under control of the Town of Milford. Additionally, two Committees must be established to develop and maintain policies, procedures, and budgets. An Operations Committee will be formed, with representation from each agency in Milford served by the Dispatch Center, to develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for:

Dispatching Operations

Dispatch Training

Emergency Radio Procedures Computer Aided Dispatch

Records Management

A Finance Committee will be formed, with representation from each agency in Milford and the Town Administrator, to maintain the fiscal responsibilities of the Dispatch Center:

Legal Human Resources

Operating Budgets

Capital Budgets


A rough order of magnitude cost for a Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-Only Operations is $1,300,000 (Infrastructure $750,000 and Operations $550,000). All infrastructure and operations cost will be borne by the Town of Milford.


6.2.2.4 Advantages

Radio System Connectivity - No additional connectivity required; radio system equipment will be located at the Milford Police Department Tower.

Facility Security - The Milford Police Department is a secure single purpose facility; therefore, the dispatch center will be a secure facility.

Personnel Backup - The Milford Police Department will have personnel in the facility 24/7. If it is determined that one dispatcher is required for certain hours during the day, regular “eyes on” checks can be implemented to ensure continuity of dispatching duties.


Infrastructure Costs - Infrastructure costs are high due to the addition of a new dispatch center at the Milford Police Department.

Operational Costs - Ongoing operational costs are lower, as Milford can take advantage of the town’s pooled resources, benefits, and expenses. However, the Town of Milford will absorb all operational costs.

Operational Transition - The Town of Milford will need to hire and train dispatch staff.

Sustainability - The Town of Milford will need to establish a sustainability fund to prepare for future ongoing expenses and technology upgrades.

6.2.3 Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations

6.2.3.1 MPD Location

The new dispatch center is described in Section 7.2.1.

6.2.3.2 Town of Milford Regional Operations

The dispatch center Operations is described in Section 6.2.2.2. We recommend a representative from each participating town be appointed to serve on the Operations Committee.


A rough order of magnitude cost for a Milford Police Department Location and Regional Operations is $1,400,000 (Infrastructure $750,000 and Operations $650,000). All infrastructure cost will be borne by the Town of Milford $750,000, and based upon the existing four towns served, each town would pay operational costs based upon population: Milford (66%) $430,000; Mont Vernon (10.5%) $70,000; Wilton (16%) $100,000, Lyndeborough (7.5%) $50,000. Town of Milford total costs will be $1,180,000.

6.2.3.4 Advantages

Radio System Connectivity - No additional connectivity is required, the radio system equipment will be located at the Milford Police Department Tower.


Facility Security - The Milford Police Department is a secure, single purpose facility; therefore, the dispatch center will be a secure facility.

Personnel Backup - The Milford Police Department will have personnel in the facility 24/7. If it is determined that one dispatcher is required for certain hours during the day, regular “eyes on” checks can be implemented to ensure continuity of dispatching duties.

Operational Costs - Ongoing operational costs are lower, as Milford can take advantage of the Town’s pooled resources, benefits, and expenses.


Infrastructure Costs - Infrastructure costs are high due to the addition of a new dispatch center at the Milford Police Department.

Operational Transition - The Town of Milford will need to hire and train dispatch staff. The Town of Milford will need to establish an acceptable working relationship with all Towns to be served by the dispatch center.

Sustainability - The Town of Milford will need to establish a sustainability fund to prepare for future ongoing expenses and technology upgrades.

6.2.4 Dispatch Center Alternatives Impact Analysis We use an Impact Analysis process help evaluate the dispatch center alternatives in combination with of all the information gathered during this Needs Assessment. The results help narrow down the alternative(s) that best fit your needs. The Impact Analysis is an interactive process between Milford and CTA. These inputs include problems and needs identified during interviews, new system attributes are assembled based on your needs, and your attribute importance rankings. Below is a visual representation of the process flow:

Figure 6-4 Impact Analysis Flow Chart

System Attributes – Positive characteristics of a new system that may be emphasized during conceptual design. Attributes are identified by CTA following our interviews.

Attribute Rankings – Attributes importance ratings solicited from Milford.

Client Identifies Problems

•CTA Establishes System Requirements

Client Ranks Operational Impact

•CTA Assesses Fit

•CTA Identifies Alternative Solutions

•Merge Into Ranked List


The ranking criteria used during this process is as follows: 0 Attribute is NOT IMPORTANT to the user. 1 Attribute is MINIMALLY IMPORTANT to the user. 2 Attribute is NICE TO HAVE, could enhance operations. 3 Attribute is USEFUL, will promote more efficient day to day operation. 4 QUITE IMPORTANT, lack could result in degradation of mission, injury, or loss of property. 5 CRITICAL, lack generally will result in injury, loss of property, or degradation of mission. CTA evaluates each of the alternatives considering your inputs to develop our opinion of technical fit. A panel of CTA engineers and operations personnel independently assessed how well each design alternative could fulfill the attributes identified for Milford. Each panelist considered each alternative, one attribute at a time, and scored the ability of that alternative to deliver that attribute. Scoring ranges from a value of 0 (nonexistent capability) to 5 (95 % of the function/attribute) based on how well the alternative satisfies the requirement. The criteria for evaluating and ranking each item were established as follows: 0 Required function (Attribute Does Not Exist) 1 Required function (Available but Totally Insufficient) 2 Generally inadequate (Unacceptable Alternative) 3 Marginally Adequate (Approximately 60% Functionality) 4 Reasonably adequate (A Good Alternative) 5 95% of Function / Attribute Available (Excellent Alternative) The results are combined and summed to provide a score for how well the alternatives served the attributes as a whole. The results are used as an input to the Impact Analysis process. Attribute scores are then weighted using the average ranking submitted by Milford. In this way, characteristics which are important to you carry more weight, and lower importance attributes carry less weight. The result is a weighted ranking of the system alternatives for overall suitability. Table 6-4 contains the results of the impact analysis for the Milford Only alternative in this report section and Table 6-5 shows the results of All Agencies alternative.

Table 6-4 Milford-Only Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix

AVG Score AVG Score AVG Score4.2.2 Dispatch Operational Concept 5.0 3.3 16.3 4.0 20.0 4.0 20.04.2.18 Initial Cost 4.0 2.5 10.0 4.8 19.0 3.5 14.04.2.19 Long-Term Cost 3.0 1.8 5.3 4.3 12.8 4.3 12.84.2.20 Cost Effectiveness 4.7 2.0 9.3 3.3 15.2 4.3 19.84.2.21 Competitive Procurement 4.0 3.5 14.0 4.8 19.0 4.8 19.04.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring 3.7 3.5 12.8 4.8 17.4 4.5 16.54.2.25 Training 4.3 3.5 15.2 4.5 19.5 4.5 19.54.2.26 Console Features 4.0 4.0 16.0 5.0 20.0 5.0 20.0




Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Only

Operations

Milford PD Location and Town of Milford

Regional Operations

Town of Milford Only

Weight Factor


Table 6-5 All Towns Dispatch Center Alternatives Ranking Matrix

At the left side of each Alternatives Ranking tables are the attributes established earlier in the project. The reference numbers refer to the attribute definitions provided in Section 4 of this report. Under each Alternative are two numerical columns with CTA’s average evaluation of fit for each attribute and each alternative. These values can range from a low of 0 to high of 5. In the center of the table is the Milford importance rank for the attribute. Under the Score are the weighted results, which is CTA’s average assessment multiplied times the Milford rank used as the weighting factor. Each of the Weighted-Ranked Results columns are totaled at the bottom, arriving at an overall score for each alternative. The totals are summarized below. Alternative – Town of Milford-Only Weighting Score Milford PD Location and Town of Milford-Only Operations 143 Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations 142 MACC Base Location and Operations 99 Alternative - All Towns Weighting Score Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations 135 MACC Base Location and Operations 93 When using only the weighting from Milford Only, there is a 1-point difference between the Milford PD Location with Town of Milford-Only Operations and Milford PD Location with Town of Milford Regional Operations. The MACC Base Location and Operations trails by over 40 points. When using the weighting from All Towns there is also a 40-point difference between the Milford PD Location with Town of Milford Regional Operations and MACC Base Location and Operations. We did not include the Milford PD Location with Town of Milford-Only Operations as an alternative for All Towns.

AVG Score AVG Score4.2.2 Dispatch Operational Concept 4.4 3.3 14.4 4.0 17.74.2.18 Initial Cost 3.7 2.5 9.3 3.5 13.04.2.19 Long-Term Cost 3.9 1.8 6.8 4.3 16.44.2.20 Cost Effectiveness 3.7 2.0 7.3 4.3 15.64.2.21 Competitive Procurement 3.9 3.5 13.5 4.8 18.34.2.24 Alarms & Monitoring 4.0 3.5 14.0 4.5 18.04.2.25 Training 4.1 3.5 14.5 4.5 18.64.2.26 Console Features 3.4 4.0 13.7 5.0 17.1

All Towns Weight Factor


Milford PD Location and Town of Milford

Regional Operations




The noticeable difference in the scoring is that regardless of using the weighted attributes by Milford Only or All Towns, the Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations score far exceeded the MACC Base Location and Operations. This leads us to conclude that the Milford PD Location is the best fit for either the Town of Milford-Only or Town of Milford Regional Dispatch Operations. The Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Dispatch Operations alternatives stand out, primarily in the areas of:

Initial Costs

Long-Term Costs Cost Effectiveness

It is CTA’s opinion that a Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford-only Operations is the BEST FIT for the Town of Milford, as it will provide the needed public safety grade facility and dispatch communications for all public safety user agencies. Implementation of this alternative requires the Town of Milford to upgrade their radio system based upon Section 6.1.1. Additionally, if the Towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough desire to upgrade their operational environment, it is CTA’s opinion that a Milford Police Department Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations is a BEST FIT for the Region. Implementation of this alternative requires each participating Town to upgrade their individual radio system based upon Section 6.1.3.


7.0 Recommended Conceptual Design

In this section we describe the three conceptual designs prepared for the Town of Milford. There are two conceptual designs for a new VHF P25 radio system, (Town of Milford Standalone and Regional systems) and a conceptual design for a new Dispatch Center (Milford Police Department Location with either the Town of Milford-Only or Regional Operations).

7.1 Radio System Conceptual Design 7.1.1 Milford Standalone VHF P25 Radio System Conceptual System Design

7.1.1.1 Radio System Architecture

CTA performed an operational and engineering analysis based upon the information gathered. We conclude that the architecture which best meets the Town of Milford’s needs is a single site, 4-channel, P25 Phase 1, conventional radio system. The new configuration will operate in the VHF public safety band and take full advantage of existing licensed frequencies. The design includes updates for important auxiliary systems, such as the existing VHF paging system, consoles, fixed control stations, and the new AT&T tower site at the Milford Police Department will provide adequate radio coverage for the Town of Milford and reliable public safety grade service for another radio generation. This architecture may be procured turn-key or via separate procurements using open and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from a variety of system vendors. This design also includes digital vehicular repeater systems in each of the first responder vehicles to augment portable outdoor and in-building coverage. This conceptual design addresses the following overarching technical concerns: Aging, support-limited radio system and dispatch consoles Town-wide coverage/interference problems

Lack of base-station repeaters causing interference from users talking over each other

Portable outdoor coverage issues In-building coverage issues

This report section summarizes the analysis that supports this design. This is a conceptual design, not a detailed design. The purpose of the conceptual design is to determine the feasibility of the concept, provide a basis for cost estimates and for the development of the RFP. It will be the radio system vendor’s responsibility to prepare a detailed system design that will meet the requirements of the RFP. There can be differences between the conceptual radio system design and the final system design provided by a vendor(s). The main goal for the vendor(s) is to meet the functional requirements of an RFP. The RFP will be crafted to allow vendor(s) the opportunity to be creative with the system design and leverage their technological edge to best meet the project objectives.


7.1.1.2 System Coverage Design

CTA evaluated the stakeholder’s needs for radio coverage. Information received from stakeholders about today’s coverage can be summarized as follows:

Mobile coverage is generally satisfactory in the central areas of the Town of Milford.

Outdoor portable coverage is generally poor in most of the Town of Milford.

Law enforcement, EMS and Fire have significant problems with indoor portable coverage in general, and specifically concerning the large shopping centers and stores, schools and hospitals.

In some locations, in-building coverage is weak within many types of buildings: residential houses, small commercial buildings, and schools.

A. Coverage Design Constraints Potential power limitations and avoiding new tower sites were the two significant constraints considered in the coverage design. Potential Power Limitations The VHF frequencies necessary for the new system are currently licensed by the Town of Milford, however, they are not licensed at the Milford PD location. This will require a modification of existing frequency licenses to provide the necessary frequencies for the new radio system. Modifying licenses will require re-coordination with an FCC-certified frequency coordinator and could result in lowering of the existing effective radiated power (ERP) that is licensed. To ensure that our conceptual design is viable, we used conservative ERP’s, in case the FCC requires the ERP to be lowered to prevent interference with neighboring jurisdictions using the same frequencies. In our coverage predictions, we assumed 75 Watts of effective radiated power, resulting in acceptable performance; and what we believe is a realistic licensable transmit power level. Avoiding New Tower Sites In our conceptual design we try to avoid building out new tower sites. Our site surveys confirm that either existing or leased sites are available for use. We understand Milford does not wish to add additional cost for new tower sites to their project budget if it can be avoided. B. Radio System Coverage Characteristics Radio coverage depends on several user radio characteristics:

Frequency Band

Subscriber type - mobile or portable

Use of Digital Vehicular Repeater Systems (DVRS)

Talk- in portable operation - antenna location - head-level or hip-level Indoor portable operation - density of buildings

Tower site configuration - transmit and receive antenna model, size, and gain


Frequency Band Different frequency bands provide advantages and disadvantages depending upon the geography and radio use in a given area. Lower frequency bands such as VHF and UHF provide better coverage for areas with greatly varying terrain, due to their ability to travel further over hills and mountains. Lower frequency band signals also propagate further due to having a longer wavelength, requiring less overall transmit sites to provide adequate coverage. Higher frequencies bands such as 700 and 800 MHz provide significantly better in-building coverage as the shorter wavelengths give them increased building penetration. However, as 700/800 MHz signals do not travel well over varying terrain and are limited to travelling shorter distances, more tower sites are required to provide adequate coverage.

Subscriber Type – Mobile or Portable In most public safety radio systems, there are two common types of radio subscribers; mobile and portable radios. Mobile radios are large heavy radios, typically mounted in emergency response vehicles, with external antennas mounted to the roof of the vehicles. Portable radios are lighter, hand-held radios, which are typically worn on the hip of public safety personnel and can easily be carried indoors. Mobile radios typically provide better coverage than portable radios because they have a higher transmit power. Public safety users can take portable radios into areas that their vehicle cannot reach, like inside buildings or when moving away from roads in a search and rescue incident. It is common practice for public safety personnel to have both a mobile and portable radio for everyday use. Use of Digital Vehicular Repeater Systems (DVRS) The DVRS (Digital Vehicular Repeater System) is a radio base station integrated with a mobile radio mounted in a first responder vehicle. It improves portable radio coverage for public safety personnel by using the higher transmit power of the mobile radio in the vehicle to extend the range of the portable back to the radio system. DVRS units can also improve in-building coverage to portables inside light and medium buildings. DVRS units are typically used in VHF radio systems due to the poor performance of VHF portables in the talk-in direction. Talk-in Portable Operation – Antenna Location There are two common configurations for talk-in portable radio operation: talk-in at hip-level or talk-in at head-level. Milford public safety radio users currently use talk-in at the hip by wearing their portable radios on their hip, while talking and listening to radio traffic through a shoulder-mounted speaker-mic. This configuration causes additional body loss for the talk-in coverage (portable radio talking to the tower site). Talk-in coverage can be greatly improved by either eliminating the speaker mic and talking into the system directly with the radio at head-level, or by upgrading to speaker microphones with an antenna built in.

Indoor Portable Operation Milford radio users require in-building portable radio coverage. We observed that the predominant building construction in Milford is considered “light building,” with some medium density buildings and few heavy density buildings. Below are definitions for the different categories of building density. Lower frequency bands such as VHF have significantly higher building loss compared to the 700/800 MHz frequency band.


Light buildings - includes residential, and commercial structures of less than three stories, constructed of brick veneer, wood, or block, and other buildings with similar radio signal penetration characteristics. The signal attenuation typically associated with these buildings for a VHF system is 12 dB. That is, to be able to communicate inside these buildings, the predicted signal strength must be 12 dB higher than what is required to communicate outside.

Medium buildings - includes medium-size apartment buildings, large houses (3+ stories tall) and medium size commercial buildings and strip malls. These buildings are characterized by a VHF signal attenuation of 20 dB.

Heavy buildings - includes large commercial buildings including shopping malls, and department stores, hospitals, airports, jails/prisons, large high schools, and other large structures consisting of multiple layers of thick concrete, brick, or other building materials. These buildings are characterized by a VHF signal attenuation of 30 dB.

Some heavy buildings, such as large department stores and schools, do exist in the service area. You could address these in-building requirements with additional towers. However, a more cost-effective solution is to install Bi-Directional Antennas (BDAs) in the heavy buildings. All new heavy buildings constructed in the Town should be required by Town ordinances to install BDA’s for public safety personnel.

The coverage requirements in the forthcoming RFP will be designed to solicit competitive offers for the highest percentage of Milford coverage. Proposers will be strongly encouraged to take advantage of the existing Milford sites because of their proven performance, their valuable assets, and the fact that new site development is not part of the project financial plan. Beyond that, the vendor should be given the freedom to make the tower selections they feel are appropriate to create the best offer. Qualified proposers will understand the siting constraints of the project. We anticipate that through gains in P25 technology improvements and optimized tower siting, coverage improvements will be realized in the project implementation. C. Coverage Analysis We have performed an analysis of the potential coverage a P25 system could provide. Our goal is to evaluate the total coverage that can be delivered from using existing tower sites which are owned by the Town of Milford, existing state-owned sites, and existing commercial sites. We individually studied the existing and planned Milford towers and nearby potential towers listed below:

Milford PD (AT&T Planned Tower)

Crown Castle

Milford Town Hall The fire lookout tower at the Federal Hill is notably absent from the list due to security concerns, the existing loading conditions at the tower, and its deteriorating foundation. It would be a significant investment to improve this site to a public safety grade tower site.


Table 7-1 lists the defining radio parameters of the radio sites included in our recommended conceptual design. The sites selected and antenna gains and heights are conceptual. CTA selected these sites based on their probable availability and the coverage they will provide. Actual sites, antenna gains, models, azimuths, and heights are the decision of the radio system contractor and must be coordinated with site owners.

Table 7-1 Milford Conceptual Design Radio Site Parameters

D. Coverage Maps The following is a summary of coverage prediction conditions and assumptions:

RF power and antenna patterns result in typical ERP’s, licensable for the VHF frequency band.

The infrastructure and user radios are transmitting in P25 Phase 1 conventional mode.

The voice quality target is Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) 3.4; a common public safety target. Portable radios are operated from the user’s hip via a shoulder speaker/mic.

Three coverage levels were evaluated: mobile, portable outdoors, portable light building. We draw several conclusions from our coverage studies:

1. The Town of Milford does have some areas of greatly varying terrain. As a result, VHF frequencies

can reach most areas of the Milford significantly better than 700/800 MHz frequencies.

2. DVRS units will be required to provide reliable public safety grade portable outdoor and in-building communications, specifically in the talk-in direction.

Site Name Milford PD Latitude 42-50-3.81 N Longitude 71-39-9.33 W Elevation (m AMSL) 266 Tower Height (ft AGL) Not Constructed Transmit Antenna Height (ft AGL) 185 Transmit Antenna Make/Model Andrew DB224-A Transmit Antenna Gain (dBd) 6 Transmit Antenna Azimuth Omni Receive Antenna Height (ft AGL) 195 Receive Antenna Make/Model Andrew DB224-A Receive Antenna Gain (dBd) 6 Receive Antenna Azimuth Omni Frequency (MHz) 155 ERP (Watts) 75


3. Our conceptual design uses a single VHF transmit tower site to fill reported coverage gaps. Depending on the RFP coverage requirements, vendors may meet the objective with a different tower site configuration.

4. With the improvements in the receivers for P25 portable and mobile radios, our conceptual coverage analysis shows that we can provide 95% public safety DAQ 3.4 mobile coverage with a single transmit site at the Milford Police Department.

After analyzing the coverage advantages and disadvantages of the various tower sites considered above, we conclude the base configuration that best meets Milford’s stakeholder needs is a single site VHF P25 conventional system design with DVRS units installed in all first responder vehicles. Figures 7-1 and 7-2 illustrate the performance of this configuration for mobile and portable outdoor coverage needed by Milford agencies. Please note that with the use of DVRS units in the first responder vehicles the portable outdoor coverage will be very similar to the mobile coverage shown below. All conceptual design coverage maps can be found in Appendix D: Coverage Maps.

Figure 7-1 P25 Mobile Conceptual Coverage


Figure 7-2 P25 Portable Outdoor Conceptual Coverage


E. In-building Radio Coverage Improvement Options Figure 7-3 illustrates the performance for portable in-building coverage for our conceptual design. VHF in-building coverage is significantly less than mobile and portable outdoor coverage due to the low transmit power of VHF portables and the high building loss for the VHF band. The portable light-building coverage analysis further reinforces the need for the DVRS units in first responder vehicles to improve in-building VHF coverage.

Figure 7-3 P25 Portable In Building Conceptual Coverage

In-building coverage issues were identified by Milford public safety personnel, and there are several approaches to improving indoor coverage. One solution is to add site(s), with presumably stronger coverage, to areas with affected buildings. A potential problem with this tower siting approach is that it is impossible to know if the buildings of interest are covered until the money is spent and the coverage acceptance test results are in. We dismiss this option due to costs of new towers. Heavy building coverage should be handled using BDA’s as transmit sites since VHF may not provide portable coverage in heavy buildings. CTA recommends including contingency money for potential additional coverage solutions and waiting until after coverage acceptance testing to determine whether added coverage solutions are necessary. Once a building coverage deficiency is identified, a BDA can be installed in the specific building(s) to provide the needed coverage. Milford then has the advantage of making an informed decision of what buildings need additional in-building coverage.


7.1.1.3 System Traffic Loading

The upgraded radio system must be designed to handle the call traffic, including voice and data, which is expected now and over a 15-year lifespan. CTA has performed a system traffic loading analysis to ensure that the conceptual design provided is feasible.

In our analysis, data traffic contributes very little from a system loading perspective. The types of data services that may be considered for the upgraded P25 system are: Portable radio GPS location data Small amounts of data Radio status messaging (on-scene, etc.) Small amounts of data OTAR Small amounts of data. Not during emergencies / busy times OTAP Large amounts of data. Not during emergencies / busy times

Milford currently operates one conventional fire system, and uses the MACC Base conventional police channel, and does not have usage data that allows us to identify a potential busy hour. In lieu of this information, we have used our 30+ years of experience analyzing traffic loading for public safety radio systems to determine the appropriate number of channels needed for a new Milford VHF P25 Phase 1 conventional radio system. In the current conventional radio system, users often talk over each other because there are no repeater systems. With the current configuration there are only control stations at the transmit tower sites, which means that radio traffic between field users and dispatch is not repeated or heard by other field users. Considering these qualities, we consider the MACC Base radio systems to be heavily loaded, with users frequently talking over each other. The new radio system must be capable of handling the expected future peak traffic load. A properly designed system should provide users with communications during routine and peak conditions without major operational differences. Traffic analysis and the design for a public safety conventional radio system are based on a proven methodology. The following terms and parameters are used:

Busy hour: The busiest one-hour period during which the system experiences the peak traffic

load over a typical month.

Erlang: Radio traffic is measured in Erlangs. One Erlang is equivalent to one conversation or call occurring continuously (one call lasting 3600 seconds per hour). Therefore, the system load measured in Erlangs is the average number of conversations occurring at any moment during the designated time period.

Average call duration: The average length of time PTT is held. We model average call duration (assuming transmission trunking) in a range from 4 – 10 seconds depending on the radio agency. Law and Fire tend to make shorter calls and public service tends to make longer calls.

Radio user growth over the next 15-20 years: We have escalated the current radio inventory by 1% per year, or 16% in 15 years. This is consistent with recent historical population growth trends for Milford. Staffing of public safety and service organizations usually grows proportionately with population growth.


The upgraded P25 radio system will utilize P25 Phase 1 radio call operation. Our calculations and resulting channel requirements are based on P25 Phase 1 operation. Our modeling is based on accumulated statistics collected from operational public safety systems. Table 7-2 shows the number of P25 Phase 1 conventional radio channels needed to support the traffic load, from 2021 (the year of system startup) through 2036 (15-year lifespan). This data is based on an analysis of the Milford agency radio inventory provided by Milford agencies.

Year Phase 1 Conventional Channels Required

2021 4 2036 4

Table 7-2 Required Radio Channels

Our traffic loading analysis concludes that Milford will need 4 total conventional channels (eight total VHF frequencies; four transmit and four receive frequencies) to provide the necessary capacity for the next 15-20 years. The channels will be allocated by discipline (law enforcement, fire, EMS, and public works).

7.1.1.4 Frequency Analysis

Based on the traffic loading analysis performed, we expect a need for four VHF channel pairs. A VHF channel pair consists of one transmit frequency and one receive frequency. A total of eight VHF frequencies will be needed to meet the channel pair requirement. The VHF band for public safety is not a structured band, like the UHF band, 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands. A structured band has a consistent offset between the transmit frequency and the receive frequency in the band design, and when licensed, the license includes the fixed base station frequency and the associated mobile frequency. In the table below is a list of the frequencies licensed to Milford Ambulance, Fire, and Police.

License Holder FCC Call Sign Frequency Type ERP Milford Ambulance WPWW414 151.0550 FB 50 Milford Ambulance WPWW414 151.0550 MO 50 Milford Fire WQAW924 153.8525 MO 25 Milford Fire KDA383 154.1900 FB 30 Milford Fire WQBD242 154.3700 FB2 50 Milford Police WDB352 154.6500 FX1 100 Milford Police KCD463 154.8750 FB 132 Milford Police KNHB592 155.1000 FB 100 Milford Fire WQBD242 156.0675 MO 25 Milford Fire WQBD242 158.9925 MO 5 Milford Ambulance WPWW414 159.0600 MO 50 Milford Fire WQAW924 159.1275 FB 50 Milford Fire WQBD242 159.1725 MO 5

Table 7-3 Milford Licensed Frequencies


The station class types listed are FB, FB2, FX1, and MO. FB and FB2 are used for fixed base station repeaters. FX1 is used for fixed control stations, such as a consolette or desktop control station as a third console is critical for both training purposes and in the event one of the two operational consoles has an issue transmitting from a tower. MO is used for transmitting frequencies in mobile and portable subscribers. A VHF channel pair needs to consist of one FB or FB2 and one MO frequency. It is our opinion that four channel pairs can be developed from the existing licenses. Below is an example of the channel pairs that could be used.

Base Frequency Mobile Frequency 154.3700 159.0600 154.8750 156.0675 155.1000 153.8525 159.1275 151.0550

Table 7-4 Potential Milford Frequency Pairs

Currently, the fixed base frequencies above are not licensed at the same location or at the same ERP, however relicensing to a different location within Milford should not be an issue. Frequencies can be used at lower ERPs than they are licensed for, but if higher ERPs are needed, Milford frequencies would need to be re-coordinated and relicensed.

7.1.1.5 Interoperability Interfaces

The current MACC Base radio system provides dispatchers with access to communications with multiple jurisdictions within the region. These agencies are named throughout Section 2. The new infrastructure will include interoperability gateway equipment so that the dispatch center can continue to communicate to the identified regional agencies. These interoperability gateways operate at the dispatch center either by using RF over a control station or via wireline termination in the dispatch center to connect to another jurisdiction’s radio equipment. Generally, the existing interoperability connections will not need to change during the system upgrade and will be integrated into the new interoperability gateway equipment. In the forthcoming RFP, the upgraded system’s interoperability equipment located at the dispatch center will be provisioned with 32 external interfaces, enough to accommodate the current interoperability channels and allow for future growth.

7.1.1.6 Connectivity System

For the Milford Standalone radio system, if the dispatch center is located at the Milford PD there is not a requirement for microwave. For the Milford Standalone radio system, if the dispatch center is not located at the Milford PD there should be a public safety grade microwave link between the Milford PD tower site and the dispatch


center. Utilizing a microwave network is a common way to ensure highly reliable radio system connectivity. To function reliably, the radio system will require a highly reliable telecommunications backbone to connect the radio system tower sites to the dispatch center. Reliability is a function of equipment and path redundancy, as well as path reliability. This reliability is most often provided by a dedicated digital microwave system. This microwave link would need to be configured with redundant monitored hot-standby microwave equipment to provide redundancy in case of microwave equipment failure. This configuration will provide reliable, high data rate, backhaul connectivity to the new Milford radio system. A minimum of 50 Mbps of data bandwidth will be required between the tower site equipment and the dispatch center, and the actual amount will be later determined by vendors to support their designs.

7.1.1.7 Site Development

The Milford Police Department tower site, which we have used in our design, is under consideration to be constructed in the next year by AT&T. AT&T’s proposed design includes a 170’ foot steel tower, a new equipment shelter, commercial power to the site, and tower/shelter foundations and grounding systems. The site will also include site security with a perimeter fence, locked gates and doors to prevent unauthorized site access. Milford will only be required to install the wireline interface for connectivity to the new tower site, and provide emergency backup power (generator, fuel tanks, and UPS/ DC power plants) for their new radio equipment. Milford will need to decide if they wish to perform this site development work themselves, or if they wish to request the system vendors perform the work as part of the radio system implementation in their RFP.

7.1.1.8 Console System

Included in the Dispatch Center Conceptual Design section 7.2.

7.1.1.9 Logging Recorder


7.1.1.10 Operational

The new VHF P25 conventional radio system will fundamentally operate like the radio systems currently in use, as this single ubiquitous system will be partitioned such that Milford Police, Milford Fire, Milford Ambulance, Milford local government, and Milford Public Works can each manage their own radio assets and communications. The only major operational differences are the improved operability between different agencies in Milford, and the ability to communicate directly between field radio users.

A. Improved Operability With all Milford public safety and public service agencies being on a single radio system, operability is significantly simplified for public safety personnel using radios in the field. Law enforcement agencies will be able to talk directly (radio to radio) with Fire/EMS on scene, without causing a delay in mission-critical information by relaying information through dispatch.


B. System Configuration – Repeater Systems Currently, first responders in Milford are using VHF conventional control stations with antennas mounted on towers at various sites in and around the Town of Milford. This causes issues with users in the field not being able to hear other users talking to dispatch on the same channel, since no radio traffic is repeated. This results in field users talking over each other on the same radio channel, causing interference, and requiring repetition of voice messages to ensure all public safety personnel are heard by dispatch. The new VHF P25 conventional radio system will be configured using base station repeaters, which will allow field users to hear all radio traffic from dispatchers and other field users for the channel selected on their radio. However, this new configuration does not prevent two radio users from talking at the same time on a single radio channel. It is very important that radio users are trained on proper usage and radio etiquette to prevent talking over each other. The new base station repeater configuration will provide reliable voice communications where all radio users in Milford are heard when they transmit from their radio.

7.1.2 Regional Radio System Conceptual System Design

7.1.2.1 System Architecture

CTA performed an operational and engineering analysis for a Milford Regional radio system based on the information gathered. While our initial estimation stated that it would take 3 sites to cover the Milford Region in VHF, our detailed propagation calculations have lead us to conclude that the architecture which best meets the needs of all 4 Towns’ (Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough) is a 4-site, 4-channel, VHF P25 Phase 1, simulcast, conventional radio system. Our conceptual design for the Milford regional VHF radio system starts with the Milford standalone VHF P25 radio system described in section 7.1 above. Then each of the surrounding towns can decide to opt-in to the regional system. If the other towns decide to opt-in, they would build their new radio system as an extension of the new Milford P25 system. In this regional conceptual design, each town that opts-in will be responsible for building out their portion of the radio system, including purchasing all radio equipment for tower sites located in their jurisdiction, subscriber units for their agencies, and upgrading tower sites for use in the new regional radio system. Each town joining the Milford regional radio system will also be responsible for procuring and installing their portions of the regional microwave connectivity network.

For a Milford regional radio system, we believe each of the four towns could have reliable public safety communications using a single transmit/receive tower site in each town. Locations for each of the four tower sites in our design are shown in Figure 7-4 below.


Figure 7- 4 Milford Regional System Conceptual Design Sites

This conceptual design addresses the following overarching technical concerns:

Aging, support-limited radio system and dispatch consoles Regional coverage/interference problems

Existing connectivity network with low data rates

Lack of base station repeaters causing interference from users talking over each other Interoperability issues between the four towns operating on existing MACC Base radio systems

Portable outdoor coverage issues

In-building coverage issues

7.1.2.2 System Coverage Design

CTA evaluated the stakeholder’s needs for regional radio coverage. Information received from stakeholders about today’s regional radio coverage can be summarized as follows:

Mobile coverage is generally satisfactory in the central areas of the Towns of Milford, Wilton and Mont Vernon.

Outdoor portable coverage is generally poor in most of the region. Law enforcement, EMS and Fire have significant problems with indoor portable coverage in

general, and specifically concerning large shopping centers, stores, schools and hospitals.

In-building coverage is weak within many types of buildings: residential houses, small commercial buildings, and schools.


A. Coverage Design Constraints Refer to the information provided in section 7.1.1.2 (A). B. Coverage Characteristics Refer to the information provided in section 7.1.1.2 (B).

C. Coverage Analysis We performed an analysis of the potential coverage a VHF P25 Phase 1 system could provide. Our goal is to evaluate the total coverage that can be delivered from using existing tower sites which are owned by the towns, existing commercial sites, and proposed commercial sites. We individually studied the existing and planned Milford towers and nearby potential towers listed below: Milford PD (AT&T Planned Tower)

Milford Town Hall Crown Castle

Abbott Hill

Pead Hill Wilton FD

Mont Vernon FD

Lyndeborough (American Tower) Table 7-5 lists the defining radio parameters of the radio sites included in our recommended Milford Regional conceptual design. The sites selected and antenna gains and heights are conceptual. CTA selected these sites based on their probable availability and the coverage they will provide. Actual sites, antenna gains, models, azimuths, and heights are the decision of the radio system contractor and must be coordinated with site owners.


Site Name Milford PD Lyndeborough Mont Vernon FD Crown Castle Latitude 42-50-3.81 N 42-53-2.88 N 42-53-35.56 N 42-49-46.59 N Longitude 71-39-9.33 W 71-46-43.27 W 71-40-27.92 W 71-43-13.57 W Elevation (m AMSL) 266 804 807 780 Tower Height (ft AGL) Not Constructed 120 60 200 Transmit Antenna Height (ft AGL) 185 100 45 150 Transmit Antenna Make/Model Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Transmit Antenna Gain (dBd) 6 6 6 6 Transmit Antenna Azimuth Omni Omni Omni Omni

Receive Antenna Height (ft AGL) 195 120 60 165 Receive Antenna Make/Model Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Andrew DB224-A Receive Antenna Gain (dBd) 6 6 6 6 Receive Antenna Azimuth Omni Omni Omni Omni Frequency (MHz) 155 155 155 155 ERP (Watts) 75 75 75 75

Table 7-5 Milford Regional Conceptual Design Radio Site Parameters

D. Coverage Maps The following is a summary of coverage prediction conditions and assumptions:

RF power and antenna patterns result in typical ERP’s, licensable for the VHF frequency band.

The infrastructure and user radios are transmitting in P25 Phase 1 conventional mode. The voice quality target is Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) 3.4; a common public safety target.

Portable radios are operated from the user’s hip via a shoulder speaker/mic.

The coverage maps illustrated show the range-limited direction, talk-in for mobiles and portable radios (base to mobile).

Three coverage levels were evaluated: mobile, portable outdoors, portable light building. We draw several conclusions from our coverage studies:

1. The region does have some areas of greatly varying terrain. As a result, VHF frequencies can reach

most areas of the Milford significantly better than 700/800 MHz frequencies.

2. DVRS units will be required to provide reliable public safety grade portable outdoor and in-building communications, specifically in the talk-in direction.

3. Our conceptual design uses four VHF transmit tower sites to fill reported coverage gaps. Depending on the RFP coverage requirements, vendors may meet the objective with a different tower site configuration.


4. With the improvements in the receivers for P25 portable and mobile radios, our conceptual coverage analysis shows that we can provide 95% public safety DAQ 3.4 mobile coverage throughout the region with a four-site Milford regional radio system configuration.

After analyzing the coverage advantages and disadvantages of the various tower sites considered above, we conclude the base configuration that best meets regional stakeholder needs is a four-site VHF P25 conventional system design with DVRS units installed in all first responder vehicles. Figures 7-5 and 7-6 illustrate the regional performance of this configuration for mobile and portable outdoor coverage needed by the Towns’ agencies. Please note that with the use of DVRS units in the first responder vehicles, the portable outdoor coverage will be very similar to the mobile coverage shown below. All conceptual design coverage maps can be found in Appendix D: Coverage Maps.

Figure 7-5 P25 Mobile Regional Conceptual Coverage


Figure 7-6 P25 Portable Outdoor Regional Conceptual Coverage


E. In-building Radio Coverage Improvement Options Figure 7-7 illustrates the performance for portable in-building coverage for our regional conceptual design. VHF in-building coverage is significantly worse than mobile and portable outdoor coverage due to the low transmit power of VHF portables and the high building loss for the VHF band. The portable light-building coverage analysis further reinforces the need for the DVRS units in first responder vehicles to improve in-building VHF coverage.

Figure 7-7 P25 Portable Light Building Regional Conceptual Coverage

7.1.2.3 System Traffic Loading

The upgraded regional radio system must be designed to handle the call traffic, including voice and data, for all four of the towns’ radio users over a 15-year lifespan. CTA performed a system traffic loading analysis using our 30+ years of experience of designing public safety radio systems to ensure the regional conceptual design provided is feasible. The upgraded regional P25 radio system will utilize P25 Phase 1 conventional radio call operation. Our calculations and the resulting channel requirements are based on P25 Phase 1 operation. Our modeling is based on accumulated statistics collected from operational public safety systems. Our regional traffic loading analysis is based on agency radio inventory from all four towns, provided by Milford’s agencies during stakeholder interviews.


Our traffic loading analysis concludes that the regional radio system will still only need four (4) total conventional channels (eight total VHF frequencies; four transmit and four receive frequencies) to provide the necessary capacity for the next 15-20 years. The number of channels required for the regional system is the same as the Milford standalone system because the other three towns do not add significant quantities of subscriber units. The additional users added by the three towns will not exceed the needed capacity for each channel, as the channels will be allocated by discipline (law enforcement, fire, EMS, and public works).

7.1.2.4 Frequency Analysis

Based on the traffic loading analysis performed, we expect a need for 4 VHF simulcast channel pairs. A VHF channel pair consists of one transmit frequency and one receive frequency. A total of 8 VHF frequencies will be needed to meet the channel pair requirement. The VHF band for public safety is not a structured band, like the UHF band, 700 MHz, and 800 MHz bands. A structured band has a consistent offset between the transmit frequency and the receive frequency in the band design, and when licensed, the license includes the fixed base station frequency and the associated mobile frequency. Using simulcast technology, we will transmit from each tower site in the regional system using the same four VHF frequency pairs. This significantly reduces the total number of frequencies required for the regional radio system. After analyzing licensed VHF frequencies from the four towns, we did not believe that there were 8 discrete frequencies that could be used at each of the four sites. Therefore, our conceptual design uses a simulcast configuration. Even though the four towns have a total of 67 total VHF frequencies currently licensed, not all these frequencies will work well together at the tower sites using all four frequencies in the same combiners, multi-couplers, and antenna systems. Using existing licensed frequencies could result in harmful self-interference and loss of radio coverage within the region. It is our belief that using simulcast technology for the Milford regional radio system provides the most cost effective, least interference prone, and spectrally efficient solution.

It is our opinion that four channel pairs from our Milford standalone conceptual design, shown in the table below, can be re-licensed for all the tower sites in our regional conceptual design.

Base Frequency Mobile Frequency

154.3700 159.0600 154.8750 156.0675 155.1000 153.8525 159.1275 151.0550


7.1.2.5 Interoperability Interfaces

The regional radio system includes the same interoperability interfaces as the Milford standalone conceptual design. The new regional radio system will improve interoperability between the four towns, as well as with other surrounding jurisdictions’ public safety agencies.

7.1.2.6 System Core and Simulcast Control Equipment

The upgraded regional radio system will require P25 core and simulcast control equipment due to the complex call routing between tower sites necessary for simulcast operation. In our conceptual design, we included redundancy in the P25 system core and simulcast control equipment. Two of the tower sites will house a geo-diverse redundant set of equipment that operates in a monitored hot-standby configuration. Our conceptual design arbitrarily houses one set of redundant P25 core and simulcast control equipment at the Milford Police Department tower site, but it could be installed at any of the other transmit tower sites. P25 core equipment sites should be chosen so that they are easily accessible even in severe weather emergencies. The cost for this P25 core and simulcast control equipment should be split equally between the towns using the regional radio system.

7.1.2.7 Connectivity System

Utilizing a regional microwave network is a common way to ensure highly reliable radio system connectivity. To function reliably, the regional radio system will require a highly reliable telecommunications backbone to connect the radio system tower sites to the dispatch center. Reliability is a function of equipment and path redundancy, as well as path reliability. This reliability is most often provided by a dedicated digital microwave system. For the Milford regional radio system, there should be a public safety grade microwave link configured in a ring topology. A microwave ring topology provides redundancy and reroutes data traffic in the opposite direction around the ring in case of microwave equipment failure, or link outages. This configuration will provide reliable, high data rate, backhaul connectivity to the new regional radio system. A minimum of 50 Mbps of data bandwidth will be required between the tower site equipment and the dispatch center, and the actual amount will be later determined by vendors to support their designs. Figure 7-8 illustrates the configuration for the conceptual microwave network for the four-site regional system. Paths are short enough that the primary 6 GHz and 11 GHz licenses will provide the required data rates and reliability. The region does have some terrain challenges; however, we believe with the right antenna heights, the microwave topology shown below is feasible. The RFP will specify the functional, performance, and reliability parameters, and include scope of work for the microwave subcontractor to secure the necessary licenses.


Figure 7-8 Conceptual Microwave Network

We evaluated preliminary microwave path feasibility for all the locations and paths of interest. Terrain obstacles appear in some paths; however, our investigation of actual tower heights suggests that a reasonable mounting position and the actual height of antennas on the towers will overcome these terrain obstacles. Our conceptual design paths could change as proposers complete their preliminary site selections and path designs. Final confirmed path feasibility is determined during the contractor’s detailed design.

In addition to a privately-owned regional microwave backhaul system, additional connectivity redundancy could be added via fiber, to ensure reliable public safety grade service. The region has some existing fiber connectivity and plans to add fiber to some of the tower locations used in our conceptual design.

7.1.2.8 Site Development

The sites used in our conceptual design are generally in good condition and appear to be well maintained. However, the towns need to be prepared for proposals which include some site refurbishment and expansion costs which may arise because overlapping radio systems can temporarily require additional resources. Vendor proposals (and subsequent detailed designs) may include costs for such things as a commercial power circuit expansion, temporary rental shelter space, rental of extra backup generators, or a major servicing of the existing generators.


There are also some relatively minor site costs which are likely to arise, including grounding system expansion and tower structural studies. The governing tower structural requirements have become slightly more stringent since the towers in the region were built. The largest unforeseen site cost can be tower strengthening or replacement, as required by the structural study. At this point in the project, it is prudent for the towns to plan for contingency funding. CTA’s cost estimate includes the likely site refurbishment costs and a project contingency. Each Town should be responsible for performing the required site development at tower sites within their jurisdiction.





7.1.2.11 Operational

The new VHF P25 regional radio system will fundamentally operate like the radio systems currently in use, as this single ubiquitous system will be partitioned such that each towns’ Police, Fire, Ambulance, and Public Works personnel can each manage their own radio assets and communications. The only major operational differences are the improved operability between different agencies in each town, the interoperability between the towns’ users, simulcast system operation, and the ability to communicate directly between field radio users. A. Improved Operability and Interoperability With all the region’s public safety and public service agencies being on a single radio system, operability and interoperability is significantly simplified for public safety personnel using radios in the field. Law enforcement agencies will be able to talk directly (radio to radio) with Fire and Ambulance Services on scene, without causing a delay in mission-critical information by relaying information through dispatch. B. Simulcast Operation Public safety agencies in the region are currently set up with conventional channels based on geographic locations, with their main dispatch channels using the same frequency at each site. Without simulcast operation, these sites interfere with each other and cause a loss of usable coverage in areas where coverage from two or more sites overlap. In our conceptual design, all frequencies used at the tower sites will be simulcast, meaning each tower is transmitting on the same frequencies. This will simplify the dispatcher’s daily radio usage, because they will no longer have to select which site to transmit to, based on the field users’ geographic location, because the field user radios will automatically select the transmit site with the strongest RF signal. C. System Configuration – Repeater Systems Currently, first responders in the region are using VHF conventional control stations with antennas mounted on towers at various sites in and around the four Towns. This causes issues with users in the field not being able to hear other users talking to dispatch on the same channel, as no radio traffic is repeated. This results in field users talking over each other on the same radio channel, causing


interference, and requiring repetition of voice messages to ensure all public safety personnel are heard by dispatch. The new VHF P25 conventional radio system will be configured using base station repeaters, allowing field users to hear all radio traffic from dispatchers and other field users for the channel selected on their radio. However, this new configuration does not prevent two radio users from talking at the same time on a single radio channel. It is very important that radio users are trained on proper usage and radio etiquette to prevent talking over each other. The new base station repeater configuration will provide reliable voice communications where all radio users in the Region are heard when they transmit from their radio.

7.2 Dispatch Center Conceptual Design 7.2.1 Milford PD Location and Town of Milford-Only Operations

A new dispatch center can be built at the current Milford Police Department located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. Figure 7-9 shows a potential rendering of the front of the existing Police Department building with the dispatch center addition. Figure 7-10 shows a potential layout for the dispatch center addition.

Figure 7-9 Police Department Building Potential Rendering

Figure 7-10 Dispatch Center Layout Potential Rendering


NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical to ensure a public safety dispatch environment. This addition will need to accommodate a 3 active dispatch console layout with enough room to add an additional console in the future. Figure 7-11 shows a potential console layout.

Figure 7-11 Dispatch Center Consoles Potential Rendering


The new console system will be an IP-based P25 console system. In the RFP, we will ask the console vendors to explain how they will interface to Milford and MACC Base existing radio systems. We envision this will be via RF using control stations on the existing radio systems. We have also included a back-up control station for each console position in the dispatch center. For the console procurement, we will specify 3 dispatch console positions. This will allow for 2 primary dispatcher/call taker positions and one backup dispatcher/call taker position.

Each dispatch console position should consist of:

PC, monitor (not touch screen), keyboard, mouse

2 speakers

1 headset jack for a six-wire headset with transmit capability (the training position will have dual headset jacks)

Audio box or audio enclosure for microphone and speaker connections

Single pedal footswitch

Custom dispatch keyboard

On the new radio system, each dispatch console will have a radio ID to identify its transmissions. The backup control station at each position should be set up with a unique radio ID that is similar to the dispatch console’s ID at that position.


The new console system must also support the following functionality:

Auxiliary inputs/outputs (AUX I/O)

Tone encoding for paging on VHF Multi-Band Gateway – interoperability for all neighboring jurisdictions

Patching

Simul-select Group calls

Emergency calls

Individual calls

Caller ID Recent call history

Encryption

Alert tones Interface to the telephone Instant Recall Recorder (IRR)

The “busy light” bar

There are several items we will ask the Proposers to explain, including how radio IDs will be updated (manually, by importing a spreadsheet, or some other automated process), and how they would interface to your existing CAD system.

It is important to recognize that all consoles operating within the current dispatch center (MACC Base) will not be supported by the vendor past 2020. Therefore, they must be replaced within the next 2-3 years regardless of whether the decision is made to implement a combined multi-town, multi-agency radio system or to implement individual systems, and whether Milford decides to implement their own dispatch center or continues their partnership with MACC Base. We have included the costs to upgrade consoles in all scenarios.


A new IP-based logging recorder system will be installed at the dispatch center. The new logging recorder should also be redundant and must be capable of recording the following:

All Telephone lines (Emergency 911 trunks and Administrative lines) All Existing analog conventional channels All VHF P25 conventional channels Additional conventional channels for interoperability.


7.2.1.3 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Software

At this time, it is presumed the Town of Milford will need to purchase CAD software for the Dispatch Center. It is unclear how much effort will be required for data migration, so costs have also been included in the budget for this effort. 7.2.1.4 Dispatch Operations A successful Town of Milford Dispatch Operations will need a Governance Committee who will be responsible for establishing a governance structure, annual budget, and overseeing an Operations Sub-Committee and Finance Sub-Committee.

A. The Governance Committee should be comprised of the following people: Board of Selectmen

Milford Town Administrator Milford Police Chief

Milford Fire Chief

Milford Ambulance Service Director Milford Public Works Director

B. The Operations Sub-Committee should be comprised of the following people: Dispatch Center Manager

Milford Police Chief Designee

Milford Fire Chief Designee Milford Ambulance Service Director Designee

Milford Public Works Director Designee

The Operations Sub-Committee will develop and maintain the Standard Operating Procedures for: Dispatching

Radio Operations

Emergency Radio Procedures Computer Aided Dispatch

Record Management System

C. The Finance Committee should be comprised of the following people: Milford Town Administrator

Milford Town Finance Director Milford Police Chief

Milford Fire Chief

Milford Ambulance Service Director Milford Public Works Director


The Finance Sub-committee will maintain the following fiscal responsibilities of the Milford Dispatch Center: Legal

Human Resources

Operating Budgets Salary Expenses- management and operations Salary Benefits – Healthcare and Pension Operational Expenses – supplies Maintenance Expenses – equipment in dispatch

Capital Budgets

The budget will be based on projects vetted by the discipline-specific boards (boards could develop working groups for common goal projects)

The working groups can recommend retaining consultants to: Develop needs assessments Develop Request for Proposals Manage projects

The working group will then propose projects with pricing to the Financial Advisory Committee

D. Milford Dispatch Center Manager should be a position responsible for public safety administration and directing all aspects of the Dispatch Center. Knowledge of the operations of the radio, CAD, and phone systems are crucial for this position. The following are duties and responsibilities of the Director: Manages every aspect of the dispatch system, including dispatch equipment procurement and

maintenance, 911 database accuracy, and coordination of 911 addressing.

Prepares Scopes of Work and Requests for Proposal for the purchase of dispatch system equipment, maintenance and repair of equipment, and for other services required to provide reliable 911 communications; prepares contract review documentation and supervises the day-to-day execution of these contracts.

Promotes awareness among the citizens of the Milford Area as to the use of the 911 emergency telephone system. Coordinates with all law enforcement, fire and medical agencies in all matters pertaining to the 911 emergency telephone system and provides periodic informational updates to all local jurisdictions and local agencies.

Coordinates with participating telephone companies for all matters pertaining to operations and funding of dispatch systems (wire line, wireless, Voice over Internet Protocol, and all future technology interfaces).

Monitors new developments within the communications industry and recommends updates to the system as relevant enhancements are developed.

Administers an accurate 911 mapping display system as part of the call-taking console equipment used to locate all 911 callers, including wire line, wireless, and VoIP.

Attends board/committee meetings to provide statistics, updates, and situational reports.

Act as the primary contact for social and news platforms and provides appropriate and timely release of information as needed.


Responsible for the creation, distribution and training of PSAP protocol procedures and the dispatch disaster contingency plan.

Maintains a permanent 24 x 7 x 365 on-call status as well as a continuous voice logging and recording system and provides copies to 911 service users upon request.

Acts as system analyst, periodically testing and reviewing the dispatch system, and recommends system upgrades and technical changes.

Conducts Quality Assurance reviews on inbound calls and radio traffic to ensure all procedures are followed for optimum civilian and responder safety.

E. Milford Dispatch Center Staffing is required to be active 24/7/365. Based on the current

experience with MACC Base, it is presumed three shifts can be used with 2 dispatchers active during the busiest two shift and 1 dispatcher active during the slowest shift. While it is ideal to always have 2 dispatchers active, it is recognized that this is not always cost effective. Given the Milford Dispatch Center will be co-located with the Milford Police Department, it is recommended a protocol be put in place to coordinate the officer on duty with the single dispatcher on duty to ensure there is no emergency that could prevent the dispatcher from performing their duties.

7.2.2 Milford PD Location and Town of Milford Regional Operations Both the dispatch facility and operations will be the same as described in Section 7.2.1. The only exception is a recommendation that the Operations Sub-Committee include one representative from each town participating in the Regional Center.

7.3 Conceptual Design Implementation In either the Milford standalone or the regional system procurement and implementation, the same major tasks exist and must be completed to ensure a highly reliable public safety grade radio system is implemented. In this section we discuss the implementation process from procurement through final system acceptance.

7.3.1 Functional RFP and System Procurement Whether the Milford standalone or regional radio system is being procured, CTA will assist in the preparation of a Functional RFP that will communicate the functional and performance requirements of the new radio system and dispatch center. The vendors will respond to the RFP with a proposed system design. After the contract has been awarded, the selected vendor (the contractor) will perform the detailed design tasks. This involves finalizing details about the dispatching environment, details about existing tower site utilizations, confirming access to shared properties for tower sites, detailed radio and microwave frequency planning, and so forth. Beyond that, physical preparations including tower structural investigations, construction drawings, equipment lists, etc., will be completed. The contractor will present this design package for review and approval before construction begins and equipment is ordered. In preparation of the detailed design, changes to the system design may be needed, depending upon the discussions with site owners, space on existing towers, or other issues. This will also include working with the Town architect to finalize the dispatch facility design. CTA will assist in reviewing design documentation and offer recommended changes. Once the contractor has satisfactorily addressed proposal comments and recommendations, a notice to proceed with the construction and equipment manufacturing phase will be provided to the chosen system vendor.


CTA will also assist in the specification and review of the dispatch center contractor(s) 30, 60, and 100 percent design drawings. We will work with the town’s architect to review each submittal and approve final design layouts and drawings.

7.3.2 Frequency Licensing Review CTA can review FCC license applications that have been prepared by the system vendor prior to FCC submission. If new microwave links are included in the new radio system, licensing for the microwave system is usually performed by the microwave system vendor. Typically, the microwave system vendor has the required expertise and is responsible for the microwave system design. By requiring the system vendors to perform the frequency licensing task, the system designs provided in the responses to the RFP will have frequency requirements that can be met through feasible modifications of existing frequency licenses. Requirements for frequency licensing will be detailed in the RFP.

7.3.3 Construction and Installation Construction and installation of radio infrastructure includes three major elements, the LMR fixed equipment, the backhaul connectivity network, and the dispatch facility. The four towns have a presence at an adequate number of well-located towers to accomplish the upgrade objectives. The towers are for the most part well-constructed and in good condition. Depending on the outcome of tower structural analysis, which will confirm tower conditions, the tower site installations should largely be limited to replacing equipment. The need for the site facilities to house two concurrently running radio systems may result in some permanent site upgrades, such as bigger generators, and require rental shelters as temporary turn-around space. Leases on non-Town owned sites may have to be renegotiated based on added equipment. New sites, where no radio site exists today, are to be avoided. First, they are costly and are not included in the project budget, and second, they can involve a lengthy acquisition/permitting process. The microwave/fiber connectivity network will be the largest construction element. New termination equipment will be required in the shelters and additional space and load capacity will be required on the towers. The contractor will provide details of the proposed co-location with each site owner, including the proposed quantity and location of antennas on the tower and the location of the equipment shelter and generator. The contractor will provide tower analyses and the site owner will be involved in approving or rejecting proposed antenna locations. Additional tower space will be needed, at least temporarily, for additional LMR and microwave antennas. There is a possibility that some towers may need strengthening or simply prove inadequate. There should be an early indication of any such situations during the proposal process. CTA will work with the Milford’s architect to review the contractor’s progress and assist with integrating all necessary technology into the dispatch center. The dispatch facility will need to progress at the same time as the radio system installation to allow for console installation and data migration for a seamless cutover. The RF radios will be installed, along with any conventional radios. The logging recorder would also be installed and tested at the dispatch center. It should run parallel with the existing logging recorder until system cutover.


7.3.4 Acceptance Acceptance involves two tasks: inspections and testing. Inspections verify proper installation of systems and equipment, while testing verifies proper operation. CTA can assist with all inspections and the oversight of testing.

A. Inspections We recommend two inspections. The first inspection would be performed at the conclusion of any upgrades to physical facilities. This inspection would verify that site grounding has been performed to the appropriate standards, buildings and equipment are properly protected, and HVAC, fire protection and electric power systems are installed and functioning properly. The second inspection should be performed after communications equipment is installed. This inspection will verify that site equipment has been installed properly, that all equipment is properly grounded to the internal grounding system, and that all cabling is neatly dressed and labeled. Items that are found to need correction will be added to a punch list. The contractor will be required to correct punch list items before facilities or equipment are accepted.

B. Testing Staging Tests Before equipment for the major subsystems—radio system and microwave system—is shipped to be installed at the tower sites, the systems should be assembled and tested. This system staging is typically performed at the vendor’s factory or other staging facility where a full range of test equipment and expertise is available. All equipment is connected as it will be in the field, with microwave or fiber optic interconnections simulated. Cables are cut to proper lengths and labeled to assist future assembly in the field. Tests are performed to verify proper interconnection among the various equipment, and to verify proper operation of all features and functions of the radio system, the network management system and system failure modes. Any failures should be analyzed and resolved before equipment is shipped. We recommend that each public safety agency that will be using the new system have at least one representative present at staging tests. Completion of staging tests is usually a major contractual payment milestone. Staging is typically performed for both the microwave and LMR system at the same time and place. Field Tests Once equipment is shipped to the field, the vendor will install racks, making sure they are securely mounted. Technicians will complete interconnections and begin testing equipment for proper operation. The vendor will complete this work to satisfaction before acceptance testing begins. Field acceptance testing includes repetition of the tests that were performed at staging, plus additional tests that could not adequately be performed in the factory. For example, microwave testing will include measurement of received signal level, which could not be done while the microwave radios were interconnected using a cable and attenuator. Radio system testing will be performed with the radio system interconnected via the microwave or fiber optic system, allowing for any incompatibilities or missed parameter settings to be discovered. Acceptance testing should demonstrate to the satisfaction of radio system users that all the vendor’s installation, optimization and testing were done properly. Ideally, there should be no failures during acceptance tests because the vendor should have corrected problems before acceptance testing begins.


Coverage Tests An important part of the final acceptance testing process is the coverage test. The coverage test confirms that the radio system provides the level of coverage that was guaranteed in the contract. The vendor will provide a map of the radio system service area with an overlaying grid. The grid allows testing to be evenly distributed across the service area. Prior to testing, the vendor must indicate how many tiles in the grid should be tested to produce a statistically valid test result. Once testing is complete, the percentage of tested tiles achieving a passing score should meet or exceed the coverage guaranteed in the radio system contract. There are three methods typically used to test radio system coverage: received signal strength indication (RSSI) testing, bit error rate (BER) testing (which only applies to digital systems), and delivered audio quality (DAQ), which is frequently conducted along with one of the other two. For analog systems, RSSI testing is the most common method of testing, but it can provide inaccurate results in cases of noise, interference and simulcast distortion. For a digital system, BER testing is superior to RSSI testing because noise, interference and poor simulcast alignment show up in the form of a higher BER. However, BER testing also has its limitations:

BER testing assumes that a certain BER represents a certain audio quality level, but it is only a rough

correlation. Audio quality of a voice-encoded signal is dependent on both the measurable number of errors that occur and where in the message those errors occur.

BER testing only tests the talk-out path. The system engineer will calculate the system gain in both talk-in and talk-out directions. If the calculation shows that the talk-in path is within 2 dB of the talk-out path, it is assumed that talk-in coverage will be comparable to talk-out coverage. But some problems, such as intermittent interference or antenna pattern shadowing, can cause great differences between talk-in and talk-out coverage.

For these reasons, public safety agencies are now requiring DAQ testing. DAQ testing, by its very definition, measures audio quality as heard by the user, and tests both the talk-in and talk-out paths. In a typical DAQ test, a group of listeners are assigned at each end of the communication path—one group riding in a vehicle, the other group at a stationary location, such as a dispatch console. The groups exchange pre-defined message sequences, and each group judges the received messages as a pass or failure.

7.3.5 Cutover Before cutover to the new VHF P25 conventional infrastructure, there must be a high level of confidence that all preparations and approved tests are complete. CTA recommends a 30-day “burn-in” period with a small but knowledgeable group of public safety users operating on the new system. During this period, final system integration is complete, and dispatchers and users gain actual operating experience. Because the new system will need to use some of the existing VHF channels, there will need to be significant cutover planning to ensure the new system does not interfere with normal operations on the existing radio systems prior to cutover. Both old and new systems will be fully operational for a short period prior to cutover. Dispatchers will have the ability to communicate over both old and new radio systems.


Dispatchers should be able to patch the old conventional channels to the new P25 channels until each agency is completely cutover to P25. When all users have transitioned to the new system, decommissioning and de-installing old equipment can begin and any temporary dual facilities (such as temporary equipment shelters and emergency backup power systems) can be removed.

7.3.6 Training A full round of radio user and administrator training from the equipment manufacturer(s) should be purchased. A. Radio User Training This training should be provided in the form of “train-the-trainer” training. Representatives from each agency should be trained to be trainers for other radio users in the agency. Training for the trainers and for the users should be provided in close conjunction with cutover to the new system. If it is given too soon, users may forget what they have been taught before cutover. If given too late after cutover, users will be left using a system they haven’t been trained on. Along with the generic operator’s manual supplied with new mobile and portable radios, each user should be supplied with a quick-reference guide to the radio, which is customized for your radio system. Electronic copies of these manuals and the quick-reference guide should be provided for future use.

Once the radio system is in use, radio use should be a part of training for all new hires, especially those in public safety. Trainees should understand the basic operation of the radio system and of the mobile and portable radios. They should be taught the use of talk groups and conventional channels. Public safety personnel should be taught the operation of the emergency button as well. They should be familiarized with their department’s radio system standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Refresher training may be needed as well, when users are transferred to different positions, SOPs are updated, or fleet maps or radio programming templates are changed. The radio system manager can assist the departmental trainers to provide up-to-date refresher training. This training should become a regular element of the region’s comprehensive training programs. B. Console User Training Dispatchers are experienced with radio system operation, but they will need hands-on training for the new P25 dispatch console system. Console user training should be completed before cutover of the consoles. Consoles should be installed in the dispatch center and programmed prior to the beginning of training. Only one set of console operator training is needed, when the console system is first operational. The transition from legacy radio systems to P25 will require additional training from the vendor, as the dispatchers are currently dispatching on a conventional analog system. C. Network Management System Training Network management system training is required to explain the operation of the network management system and to demonstrate how to perform various functions such as drilling down on system alarms to identify specific equipment failures and downloading historical reports. This training should be completed prior to infrastructure cutover.


D. Administrator Training Administrator training is required for radio system administrators and others involved in managing and programming the radio system, consoles, subscribers and system support equipment. Administrator training includes network management system training, database management, system configuration and management, and subscriber equipment programming. This training should be completed before cutover to the new radio system.

E. Maintenance Training The level of technician training required depends upon the level of self-maintenance preferred. If local dedicated technicians are hired to maintain the system, full training will be needed. Assuming maintenance continues with today’s practice of contracting maintenance to a vendor’s service shop, comprehensive maintenance training will not be required; however, it is advised that personnel have a basic understanding of the technical operations.

7.3.7 Schedule A reasonable schedule to complete a Milford-only system will be 12 to 18 months, highly dependent upon the site development. A reasonable schedule to complete a Regional system is 24 to 31 months. Building a new Milford VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Radio System or a Regional VHF P25 Phase 1 Conventional Simulcast Radio System will require the development a project roadmap, and these are the major tasks that must occur (many tasks will occur in parallel):

Dispatch Center Facility - the design and construction of the facility should take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

FCC Licensing – this process will take approximately 6 to 9 months to receive the new license(s).

Specifications & Develop the RFP – It will take about 5 to 6 months to release the RFP.

Procurement – From releasing the RFP to receiving the proposals will take around 2 to 3 months; evaluation proposals and negotiations will usually take another 6 months to execute the contract.

Detailed Design Review (DDR) – typically, the DDR will occur 6 weeks after notice-to-proceed (NTP) and begin surveys and inspections for the radio sites and microwave paths (2 months).

Physical Facilities - will often impact a project’s critical path. Structural and foundation analysis can impact towers, as an old tower may not be safe and must be replaced with a new tower. If the planned radio site is found unusable, a new location must be found. Remediation or constructing a new shelter or a new building will usually take several months. If all four suggested radio sites have reasonably maintained towers, it should take about 9 months – from the surveys to inspection-ready construction completion.

Microwave System – applications for licenses (6 and/or 11 GHz frequencies) will take 6 to 9 months. Ordering material and performing the microwave staging tests will take 5 or 6 months. Installing in the field and performing the testing will take from 2 to 4 months.

Radio Infrastructure - completion of the detailed design will take around 3 months. Order and manufacture of the fixed network equipment (FNE) will take about 4 months, and configuration and integration in the factory staging will take an additional 2 months. Representatives for radio user agencies (and CTA) should attend the staging test, so the staging testing can be approved prior to shipping the system to the field.

Acceptance - testing will begin upon final integration and should last around 6 months. Testing is critical to positive user acceptance, as it will validate that the users’ requirements have been met.


Training - will last about 6 months. It is important train dispatchers, operations and maintenance personnel, and all radio users immediately prior to system cutover.

Cutover - Completion of all required tests, documentation and approval will take about 3 months.

7.4 Opinion of Probable Costs In this section we provide several variations of system costs. Each opinion of probable cost represents the conceptual system design that we describe in Sections 7-1 and 7-2. The system includes the radio infrastructure, any upgrades to the physical facilities, updates to the existing VHF paging system, a microwave system, new dispatch center facility, dispatch consoles, subscriber equipment, vendor services, consulting, contingency, and dispatch operational costs. The following are the opinion of probable costs variations:

Table 7-6: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford-Only Operations - this table provides the detailed costs for the Town of Milford to implement an independent radio system, build the dispatch center at the Milford PD, and assume dispatch operations for 1 year.

Table 7-7: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center Milford PD and Regional Operations - this table summarizes the costs for each town to be part of a regional radio system and utilize services from the Town of Milford for dispatch operations for 1 year. The costs to build the dispatch center at the Milford PD and the majority of the dispatch operations costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. This table also compares the costs for each town to utilize the Town of Milford Dispatch versus remaining with MACC Base for 1 year.

Table 7-8: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Regional Operations - this table provides the detailed the costs to implement a regional radio system, build the dispatch center at the Milford PD, and utilize services from the Town of Milford for dispatch operations for 1 year. The costs to build the dispatch center at the Milford PD and the majority of the dispatch operations costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. This table also provide the breakdown of costs for each town.

Table 7-9: Town of Wilton Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service - this table provides the detailed costs for the Town of Wilton to implement an independent radio system and acquire dispatch service from an alternate provider for 1 year.

Table 7-10: Town of Mont Vernon Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service - this table provides the detailed costs for the Town of Mont Vernon to implement an independent radio system and acquire dispatch service from an alternate provider for 1 year.

Table 7-11: Town of Lyndeborough Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service - this table provides the detailed costs for the Town of Lyndeborough to implement an independent radio system and acquire dispatch service from an alternate provider for 1 year.


Table 7-6: Town of Milford Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Milford-Only Operations

Table 7-7: Summary Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System / Dispatch Center

Milford PD and Regional Operations


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 299,500$ 299,500$ 299,500$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY 500,000$ 450,000$ 400,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD 318,500$ 318,500$ 318,500$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM -$ -$ -$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 416,800$ 375,100$ 375,100$ SUBSCRIBERS 717,800$ 610,100$ 538,400$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 57,100$ 48,500$ 42,800$ VENDOR SERVICES 282,700$ 268,600$ 254,400$ DISCOUNT -$ (237,000)$ (445,700)$ SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 14,100$ 12,000$ 10,600$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 34,100$ 30,700$ 29,000$ SPARES - DISPATCH 20,000$ 18,000$ 18,000$ CONSULTING 367,300$ 367,300$ 367,300$ CONTINGENCY 219,000$ 197,100$ 186,200$ DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 550,000$ 550,000$ 550,000$ SYSTEM TOTAL - not using AT&T Tower 3,796,900$ 3,308,400$ 2,944,100$ SYSTEM TOTAL - using AT&T Tower 3,471,900$ 2,983,400$ 2,619,100$


Town of Milford, NH (Standalone Implementation)1 Site, VHF P25 Conventional, 4 Channels, 3 IP Consoles, Subscribers & DVRS

Dispatch Center at Milford PD and Town of Milford Only Operations

Town of Milford

Town of Wilton

Town of Mont Vernon

Town of Lyndeborough TOTALS

Radio System Infrastructure 1,411,400$ 938,800$ 870,300$ 738,500$ 3,959,000$ Radio System Infrastructure % 35.7% 23.7% 22.0% 18.7% 100.0%

Dispatch Infrastructure 654,800$ -$ -$ -$ 654,800.00$ INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL 2,066,200$ 938,800$ 870,300$ 738,500$ 4,613,800$

Recommended Dispatch Operations 471,250$ 97,500$ 65,000$ 16,250$ 650,000$ Dispatch Operations % 72.5% 15.0% 10.0% 2.5% 100.0%

Current Dispatch MACC Base 527,546$ 128,316$ 84,064$ 22,000$ 761,926$ Difference (56,296)$ (30,816)$ (19,064)$ (5,750)$ (111,926)$

Note: Town of Milford Radio System Infrastructure assumes the use of the AT&T Tower.

Competitive Estimate: Regional VHF Simulcast P25 Phase 1 Radio System /

Dispatch Center at Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Dispatch


Table 7-8: Detailed Regional VHF Radio System, Dispatch Center Milford PD and Regional Operations


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 1,437,800$ 1,294,000$ 1,150,200$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY 500,000$ 450,000$ 400,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD 318,500$ 286,700$ 254,800$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM 456,700$ 411,000$ 365,400$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 1,275,400$ 1,147,900$ 1,020,300$ SUBSCRIBERS 1,560,900$ 1,248,700$ 1,092,600$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 128,800$ 109,500$ 96,600$ VENDOR SERVICES 885,600$ 797,000$ 708,500$ DISCOUNT -$ (574,500)$ (763,300)$ SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 29,500$ 23,600$ 20,700$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 106,900$ 96,200$ 85,500$ CONSULTING 262,500$ 262,500$ 262,500$ CONTINGENCY 306,300$ 275,700$ 245,000$

INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL 7,268,900$ 5,828,300$ 4,938,800$ INFRASTRUCTURE TOTAL - using AT&T tower in Milford 6,943,900$ 5,503,300$ 4,613,800$

DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 650,000$ 650,000$ 650,000$ PROJECT TOTAL 7,593,900$ 6,153,300$ 5,263,800$ MAINTENANCE / YEAR 103,700$ 103,700$ 103,700$

Milford - not using AT&T tower 4,282,900$ 3,374,000$ 2,862,400$ Milford - using AT&T tower 3,957,900$ 3,049,000$ 2,537,400$ Wilton 1,430,000$ 1,191,300$ 1,036,300$ Mont Vernon 1,254,200$ 1,066,500$ 935,300$ Lyndeborough 951,800$ 846,500$ 754,800$

Regional VHF Radio System Implementation4 Sites, Simulcast P25 Conventional, 4 Channels, 3 IP Consoles, Connectivity, Subscribers & DVRS

Breakdown by Town

Dispatch Center Milford PD and Town of Milford Regional Dispatch


Table 7-9: Town of Wilton Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 224,000$ 224,000$ 224,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY -$ -$ -$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD -$ -$ -$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM 122,800$ 122,800$ 122,800$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 310,400$ 279,400$ 279,400$ SUBSCRIBERS 393,600$ 334,600$ 295,200$ MDT SYSTEM -$ -$ -$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 37,300$ 31,700$ 28,000$ VENDOR SERVICES 173,600$ 164,900$ 156,200$ DISCOUNT -$ (115,700)$ (221,100)$ SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 7,500$ 6,400$ 5,600$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 15,100$ 13,600$ 12,800$ CONSULTING 88,300$ 88,300$ 88,300$ CONTINGENCY 64,200$ 57,800$ 51,400$ DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 104,000$ 104,000$ 104,000$ SYSTEM TOTAL 1,540,800$ 1,311,800$ 1,146,600$


Town of Wilton, NH (Standalone Implementation)1 Site, VHF P25 Conventional, 3 Channels, Connect to a Dispatch Center, Subscribers & DVRS

Pay for Dispatch Service


Table 7-10: Town of Mont Vernon Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 224,000$ 224,000$ 224,000$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITY -$ -$ -$ DISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD -$ -$ -$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM 122,800$ 122,800$ 122,800$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 231,800$ 208,600$ 208,600$ SUBSCRIBERS 382,700$ 325,300$ 287,000$ MDT SYSTEM -$ -$ -$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS 34,400$ 29,200$ 25,800$ VENDOR SERVICES 153,300$ 145,600$ 138,000$ DISCOUNT -$ (105,600)$ (201,200)$

SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 7,300$ 6,200$ 5,500$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 15,100$ 13,600$ 12,800$ CONSULTING 80,400$ 80,400$ 80,400$ CONTINGENCY 58,600$ 52,700$ 46,900$ DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 68,250$ 68,250$ 68,250$ SYSTEM TOTAL 1,378,650$ 1,171,050$ 1,018,850$


Town of Mont Vernon, NH (Standalone Implementation)1 Site, VHF P25 Conventional, 3 Channels, Connect to a Dispatch Center, Subscribers & DVRS



Table 7-11: Town of Lyndeborough Standalone Implementation VHF Radio System, Pay for Dispatch Service


RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE 173,600$ 173,600$ 173,600$ DISPATCH CENTER - FACILITYDISPATCH CENTER - CONSOLES/LOGGING/CAD -$ -$ -$ MICROWAVE SYSTEM 122,800$ 122,800$ 122,800$ PHYSICAL FACILITIES 310,400$ 279,400$ 279,400$ SUBSCRIBERS 66,800$ 56,800$ 50,100$ MDT SYSTEM -$ -$ -$ PAGING SYSTEM & PAGERS -$ -$ -$ VENDOR SERVICES 151,700$ 144,100$ 136,500$ DISCOUNT -$ (77,700)$ (152,500)$

SPARES - SUBSCRIBERS 1,300$ 1,100$ 1,000$ SPARES - FIXED NETWORK 12,100$ 10,900$ 10,300$ CONSULTING 57,800$ 57,800$ 57,800$ CONTINGENCY 41,900$ 37,700$ 33,500$ DISPATCH - OPERATIONS 48,750$ 48,750$ 48,750$ SYSTEM TOTAL 987,150$ 855,250$ 761,250$


Town of Lyndeborough, NH (Standalone Implementation)1 Site, VHF P25 Conventional, 2 Channels, Connect to a Dispatch Center, Subscribers & DVRS



7.4.1 Estimate Categories The Tables have 3 cost estimate categories:

List Estimate: An estimate for the project determined by the list costs, which are based upon the CTA team’s experience.

Negotiated Estimate: List price costs adjusted for the effect of negotiating with a sole source vendor or system integrator. The list costs reduced by the percentages our team has seen in this type of procurement.

Competitive Estimate: Estimates further reduced to reflect the cost our team has seen in highly competitive procurements.

7.4.2 Cost Elements The Tables are detailed by the cost elements or the categories of equipment that make up a complete communications system.

7.4.2.1 Radio Infrastructure

The estimate for radio system infrastructure includes the fixed equipment located at the transmission and control sites, as described Section 7.1 such as:

P25 Radio System Core Equipment (Regional System Design)

Network Management System (includes alarm system)

Site Controllers Repeaters (transmit & receive station)

Paging System

Antennas Switches

Routers

Multicouplers

Combiners Simulcast equipment (Regional System Design)

OTAP

7.4.2.2 Dispatch Center - Facility

The estimate includes the necessary construction of a Dispatch Center at the Milford Police Department as described in Section 7.2. These costs are assigned to the Town of Milford regardless of the conceptual design chosen.


7.4.2.3 Dispatch Center - Consoles/Logging Recorder/CAD

The estimate includes the necessary consoles, logging recorder, and computer aided dispatch software to facilitate dispatching by the Town of Milford as described in Section 7.2. These costs are assigned to the Town of Milford regardless of the conceptual design chosen.

7.4.2.4 Microwave Connectivity System

The estimate for microwave infrastructure generally includes the content described in Section 7.1

Microwave radios

Microwave antennas Waveguide

Cabling

Network Management equipment Includes engineering services: path surveys, FCC microwave licensing, microwave staging, install

& microwave testing, training In the Standalone designs, Milford does not need a microwave link, and the other town will need a means to link to the Dispatch Center of their choice. In the Regional design, this estimate assumes that all sites will be connected by microwave, and the dispatch center will be part of a microwave ring.

7.4.2.5 Physical Facilities

The estimate for physical facilities generally includes the following, as described in Section 7.1:

Tower analyses for existing towers

New towers or remediation existing towers

Tower foundation inspections

Geotechnical surveys New shelters and/or remediation existing shelters or buildings

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) or

DC Power systems Site clearing and development

Security fencing

HVAC Generators

Grounding

Alarm system

Utilities Site access and parking


7.4.2.6 Subscriber Units

This category includes pricing for new mobile units, portable units, pagers, control stations. For cost estimation purposes, we make the following assumptions:

New mobile and portable radios include the capability to utilize OTAP.

New portable radios include AES encryption for Law Enforcement agencies (Police).

Mobile and desktop control station estimates include the antenna, installation, remote control head, speaker, and a microphone.

Mobile and control station antenna installations assume “normal” conditions. Warranty service for a subscriber is provided for one year.

7.4.2.7 Paging System & Pagers

Included in the design is a replacement conventional/paging system, as described in Section 7.1. The necessary GPS clocks and IP network connection will be part of the Infrastructure upgrade.

7.4.2.8 Vendor Services

Some of the effort on the part of a major radio retailer and/or a systems integrator would be to outsource those efforts which are not part of their core business. As would be expected in the outsourcing, the price for the service is escalated with pass-through fees and administrative add-ons, as well as risk factors for unanticipated activities. In the cost estimate there is a category for Vendor Services which accounts for the expenses the Vendor encounters to perform procedures for professional engineering, design, project management, and their own verification of performance for these elements to match your requirements. Vendor services are estimated at 25% of the radio infrastructure, dispatch center, microwave, physical facilities, and paging system cost.

7.4.2.9 Discount

Most vendors will provide a discount depending on the size of the project and/or the quantity of subscriber units to be purchased. This discount can be highly variable and often one vendor will attach the discount to the infrastructure and another vendor will attach the discount to the subscriber units. CTA has calculated a discount estimate based upon our team’s experience with multiple vendors.

7.4.2.10 Spares Subscribers & Fixed Network

Spare parts for the system infrastructure are estimated at 6% of the infrastructure costs. Spare parts for the subscriber units are estimated at 2%.


7.4.2.11 Consulting Services

The estimate contains the necessary fee to hire an independent consultant to assist with the specification, procurement, implementation, and acceptance of the system. This critical expertise will help to facilitate a clean procurement cycle and a smooth implementation. This will also provide management with the confidence that the console and radio systems purchased meet your requirements.

7.4.2.12 Contingency

In a project of this size and complexity, unexpected occurrences and expenditures will be required. All the estimates and proposals will be predicated on such terms as “normal conditions,” assuming that there will be no zoning appeals and/or delays, suitable access will be available, or other such conditions. While successful and detailed negotiations can assist in protecting the project, the unexpected will occur. In our experience, 5% of the cost of the project, not including subscriber equipment, is an appropriate contingency fund.

7.4.2.13 Dispatch Operations

The estimate contains the necessary costs to run a 3-position dispatch center as described in section 7.2. In the Town of Milford Standalone design all of these costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. In the regional design the majority of these costs are assigned to the Town of Milford. In the Town’s of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough these costs are projected estimates of what might be paid to another dispatch center for services.

7.4.2.14 Maintenance

The new radio system will come with a one-year comprehensive warranty that covers all new equipment and systems purchased. After the first year an annual maintenance contract with the system vendor will need to be established. Maintenance options include remote monitoring, intrusion detection, software maintenance, software upgrades, infrastructure repair, subscriber repair, and technical support. The maintenance contract can support all systems supplied under a turnkey project, including those not manufactured by the radio vendor. The maintenance cost for the conceptual system design will depend upon the number of sites and quantity of subscribers. If the agencies choose to reuse existing equipment such as subscriber units, this equipment will not be covered by warranty and depending upon its age, the vendor may not be willing to include them in the maintenance contract.


8.0 Conclusions

The time is now for the Town of Milford to upgrade your public safety communications. Current systems have reached the end of their useful life and their ability to be supported. Spare parts are becoming scarce. More importantly, new equipment needed for ongoing system expansions is becoming more difficult to purchase. Public Safety radio communications within the Town of Milford are characterized by poor coverage areas on mobiles and portables in-buildings and outdoors, as well as aging equipment. These major deficiencies, plus other operational and technical concerns, currently inhibit public safety personnel from operating at full capacity and efficiency. Mutual aid between the Towns of Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough routinely occur and without the ability to intercommunicate with all public safety personnel in these jurisdictions’ users will find themselves in potentially dangerous conditions. The current situation is inefficient at best and life-threatening at worst. The public safety personnel in the Town of Milford have made valiant efforts to provide necessary services to the general public using the limited communications resources made available to them. The Milford Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Ambulance Director all recognize the potential advantages of designing and implementing a Public Safety Radio System that will address the needs of Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS, and Public Works in the Town of Milford, and allow for the addition of public safety agencies in the surrounding towns that choose to join the regional system.

8.1 Short Term Strategies (6 – 12 months) 8.1.1 Implement Town of Milford VHF Radio System It is critical for the Town of Milford to act swiftly to provide a public safety communications system for its users. This system must provide coverage where needed and capacity when needed. This system must also operate in a manner that supports the user’s mission on a daily basis. CTA recommends the Town of Milford procure and install a single site, 4-channel, P25 Phase 1, conventional radio system. The new configuration will operate in the VHF public safety band and take full advantage of existing licensed frequencies. The planned AT&T tower at the Milford Police Department will provide adequate radio coverage for the Town of Milford. The design includes updates for important auxiliary systems such as the existing VHF paging system, consoles, fixed control stations, and the new AT&T tower site to provide reliable public safety grade service for another radio generation. This architecture may be procured turn-key or via separate procurements using open and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from a variety of system vendors. This design also includes digital vehicular repeater systems in each of the first responder vehicles to augment portable outdoor and in-building coverage. A well designed, implemented, and tested radio system will provide the public safety users in the Town of Milford:

Simplified communications – removing the dispatch communications relay barriers and differences in

equipment and capabilities from agency to agency.


Communicate as needed – within the guidelines of organizational structure, users can push to talk with thosethey need to. Equipment is no longer a barrier and with cooperative agreements, and political boundaries areless of a barrier. The tools are in place for true interoperable communications.

Consistently dependable systems – uniform design, deployment, operation, and maintenance of the systemsmean that robust equipment has been designed for the task, placed where it’s needed, and users can dependon reliable service every day.

A primary concern presented by most users is the ability to interoperate with the surrounding jurisdictions, including the Town of Wilton, Town of Mont Vernon, and the Town of Lyndeborough. To provide seamless interoperability, we have provided a conceptual design for a regional system whereby each town will purchase and install their needed infrastructure and then the four towns will jointly procure and install a simulcast and microwave overlay that will provide ubiquitous coverage throughout the region. The individual towns will own and be responsible for the maintenance of equipment unique to their operation. This would include the subscriber units (mobile and portable radios), DVRS’s, and equipment associated with their dispatch needs.

The Town of Milford must view a public safety communications system as a major capital asset, in the same category as a regional water or sewage processing and distribution system, a new building or plant facility, or a school facility. Economics must be considered in the context of not only the upgrade of current deficiencies, but also the ability to support future needs. It is our opinion that the Town of Milford’s requirement for a public safety communications system is now a critical requirement for those who serve your community and for the citizens they protect. Continuing to delay will only see an increase in costs and a decrease in the ability to rely upon the current radio system, which may result in injury and loss due to lack of reliable communications.

8.1.2 Implement Dispatch Center at the Milford Police Department A new dispatch center can be built at the current Milford Police Department located at 19 Garden Street, Milford, NH. NFPA 1221 guidelines should be followed to the extent reasonable and practical. This dispatch center can accommodate the Town of Milford as well as the towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough.

The following must be implemented to ensure all agencies have the communications they require:

Build a public safety grade expansion onto the existing Police Department facility

The facility will need to accommodate a 4-dispatch console configuration to allow for future growth Purchase 3 new consoles that will work with the new radio system

Purchase a new logging recorder to work with the new radio system(s)

Install three desktop control stations backups to the three consoles

All participating towns will need to install a microwave link connecting to the Milford PD microwave network

8.1.3 Implement Town of Milford Dispatch Operations In years past, Milford Police Department was responsible for dispatch, but this was transitioned to an independent configuration due to concerns from participating agencies that the operations needed to be more well-rounded to serve all public safety disciplines equally. These concerns will be addressed by the new dispatch center operations being under the control of the Town of Milford.


A successful Town of Milford Dispatch will need to have a Governance Committee who will be responsible for establishing a governance structure, annual budget, and overseeing an Operations Sub-Committee and Finance Sub-Committee.

8.1.4 Go Forward Plan of Action 1. Approve the recommendation in this report.

2. Develop the warrant article and seek approval from the citizens of Milford.

3. Review and approve the upgraded radio communications conceptual design contained in this report. Workwith CTA to complete any adjustments in preparation for specifications development.

4. Adopt Project 25 (P25) technology as the interoperability standard for Milford. This will help maintain regionalinteroperability with surrounding jurisdictions that have already migrated to P25 systems.

5. Prepare a radio system set of functional specifications, statement of work, and terms and conditions inpreparation for issuance of Request for Proposals. Construct the RFP package targeting a competitive multi-vendor procurement. We suggest the specifications should allow the following to be examined and evaluatedfor each proposal:

Overall viability of the configuration Communications throughput and performance, matched to consider present and future voice and data

needs

Guaranteed (95%) coverage over the Town of Milford service area

Redundancy and Backup Failure Modes

Fifteen-year life cycle costs, including keeping the number of tower sites as low as possible, whileretaining the required coverage

Degree to which the system requirements are addressed

6. Develop a frequency plan for the conceptual design to ensure sufficient spectrum is properly licensed toMilford agencies.

7. Any new replacement subscriber radios whose lifecycle is anticipated to span into new upgraded P25infrastructure should be P25 capable.

8. Work with the town’s architect to finalize the Dispatch Center plans.

9. Prepare a dispatch center set of functional specifications, statement of work, and terms and conditions inpreparation for issuance of the Request for Proposals. Develop an RFP in coordination with the Town’sarchitect.

10. Work with the Towns of Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough to determine their interest in being part of aRegional Radio System and Milford Dispatch Center.


8.2 Long Term Strategies (12 – 18 months) 1. Establish the Governance Structure for the Milford Dispatch Operations.2. Begin the process of hiring needed dispatchers.3. Begin the process of training the newly hired dispatchers.4. Work with MACC Base to understand the mechanics of CAD data migration.

Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment

Appendix A Glossary

AAES Advanced Encryption Standard ALS Advanced Life Support APCO Association of Public Safety Communication Officials AUX I/O Auxiliary Inputs/Outputs AV Audio Visual

BBDAs Bi-Directional Antennas BER Bit Error Rate BOG Board of Governors bps Bits per Second

CCAD Computer-aided Dispatch CAI Common Air Interface CAP Compliance Assessment Program CSSI Console Subsystem Interface CTA Communication Consultants, LLC

DDAQ Delivered Audio Quality DDR Detailed Design Review DMR Digital Mobile Radio DPW Department of Public Works DVRS Digital Vehicular Repeater System

E EC European Commission ERP Effective Radiated Power ETSI European Telecommunications Standardization Institute

F FCC Federal Communications Commission FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access FirstNet First Responder Network Authority FNE Fixed Network Equipment

G GHz Gigahertz GPS Global Positioning System H

Appendices-1


HVAC Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning

I IMA Intermunicipal Agreement IRR Instant Recall Recorder ISSI Inter-RF Subsystem Interface

K kHz Kilohertz KMA Keene Mutual Agency

L LMR Land Mobile Radio LTE Long-Term Evolution

M MACC Base Milford Area Communications Center Base MAS Milford Ambulance Service MCTRJCA Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 MDT Mobile Data Terminal MHz Megahertz MOU Memorandum of Understanding MPD Milford Police Department MTBF Mean Time Between Failures

N NENA National Emergency Number Association NPSPAC National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee

NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration

NTP Notice to Proceed

O OTAP Over-The-Air Programming OTAR Over-The-Air Rekeying

P P25 Project 25 PoC Push to Talk over Cellular POTS Plain Old Telephone Lines PSAP Public Safety Answering Point PTT Push To Talk

R RF Radio Frequency RFP Request for Proposal RPCs Regional Planning Committees

Appendices-2


RSSI Received Signal Strength Indication ROM Rough Order of Magnitude

S

SOPs Standard Operating Procedures

T

TAC TalkAround Channel TDI Time Delay Interference TDMA Time Division Multiple Access TETRA Terrestrial Trunked Radio TIA Telecommunications Industry Association

U

UHF Ultra-High Frequency UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply

V

VHF Very High Frequency VOIP Voice Over IP

Appendices-3

Appendices-4


Appendix B Interview Records Milford Ambulance Service Milford Fire Department Milford Police Department Milford Department of Public Works Lyndeborough Police Department Mont Vernon Police Department Mont Vernon Public Works Wilton Fire Department Wilton Police Department MACC Base

Appendices-5

Town of Milford Interview Record

Date: October 7, 2019 Agency/Locality: Milford Ambulance Service Contact Name: Eric Schelburg, Director Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities Milford Ambulance Service (MAS) is responsible for all EMS care in Milford and is an ALS service. They respond to approximately 2000 calls a year. They are dispatched by MACC Base and transport to 5 different hospitals. MAS staffs two ambulances, one ambulance is staffed 24/7 with the second ambulance staffed 07:00 – 23:00 seven days per week. The department operates a paramedic response vehicle, a Director’s vehicle and a third ambulance in a back-up role. MAS provides mutual aid coverage to the towns of Amherst, Brookline, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon and Wilton. There are 2 mobile radios per unit, and 2 fleet vehicles with 2 mobiles each. They use one radio in the ambulance to report to the hospital, the other radio stays in the ambulance for them to communicate with MACC Base. MAS has 50 total staff, full time, part time, per diem, and volunteer. There are 8 full time ALS, 42 part-time, and volunteer staff. There are 6 duty radios and 6 duty pagers that on call staff uses. We have issued some additional portable radios and pagers. Current Communications Environment: MACC BASE dispatches MAS via radio tones to activate pagers with subsequent communications via radio primarily mobile, but with occasional portable radio use. Additionally, providers utilize mobile radios to transmit patient “patches”, announce pending arrival to hospitals. They communicate with MACC Base for primary dispatching on a single frequency that is shared with Wilton EMS. There is no backup channel for EMS and no TAC channels with MACC Base. MACC Base obtained a frequency for backup EMS however it is now used for Wilton Fire to move from low band to VHF High band. Town of Milford owns two EMS frequencies, but they are not programmed into MACC Base’s console. They are using Kenwood portable radios now and transitioning to Motorola. They also use Swiss Phone pagers. Beltronics does installations and major maintenance. They most often use mobile radios, but also use the portable. On a daily basis Milford Ambulance talks to MACC Base and the 5 receiving Hospitals: Nashua – St. Joseph and SNHMC; Manchester – CMC and Elliot; and Peterborough – Monadnock Community. They only talk to Wilton when they come on-scene in Milford, or when Milford goes to Wilton. They are able to communicate outside their agency with department radios that are currently configured to communicate with surrounding

Appendices-6

CTA Consultants, LLC Interview Record Page 2

mutual aid communities, receiving hospitals, Air Medical Transport and communities utilizing the State interoperable radio frequencies. Outside their jurisdiction MAS communicates with mutual aid dispatch centers and units on mobile and portable radios and receiving hospital base stations. Mutual aid units are communicated with using State interoperable radio frequencies. Additionally, cellular phones are utilized as needed, or based on the type of communication required. They do not communicate directly with Fire, communications are relayed through MACC Base. They also talk to the Medical helicopter approximately 5-6 times a year, only for very serious injuries that can’t be taken to a level 2 trauma center. They have a Milford OPS channel that is town-wide, but it is never used. The department purchases radio equipment when needed. Additionally, the town created and began funding a Capital Reserve account in 2017, to fund mobile and portable radio purchases for Police, Fire, Ambulance, and Public Works. 9-1-1 calls go to the state and EMD dispatchers stay on the call until someone arrives. State transfers calls to MACC Base, when they enter into the CAD system which sends a text message to MAS, after which MACC Base will dispatch Milford Ambulance. They use call coding to determine an Ambulance call type to automatically send the text. If it is a call that does not automatically send a text to Ambulance, then the dispatcher will manually send the text. MACC Base provides a verbal call pre-alert via radio after receiving a E911 CAD notification of a pending medical call. Current Communications Issues: Their biggest problem is not having a second dedicated channel for EMS communications with MACC Base. There is a single point of failure at the MACC Base tower (antenna on City Hall) on the roof of MACC Base. The backup plan is unknown. At the West end of town pager activation from Town hall mounted antenna is an issue. The Wilton antenna provides clearer and louder signals. Poor to non-available ambulance communication with MACC BASE when ambulance is at Manchester hospitals. Generally, poor portable radio reception by MACC BASE throughout town. For the most part there are not issues with capacity, although it can get busy when Milford and Wilton both have multiple calls. There are no major coverage issues in Milford. Their ambulance cannot talk to MACC Base when they go to the Manchester hospital which is about 10-11 miles away. They experience a delay every night at 1800 due to a tone test for 2 minutes. This is going to be eliminated since it consumes bandwidth. There are some pager and radio coverage issues, depending upon which antennas are used. If they go to Amherst, they know pagers will not work. Not sure if they can send the Ambulance tones through to Wilton.

Appendices-7


Pager activation is not good at 545 Elm Street, near the west end of town, inside Market Basket and other buildings, some commercial, some industrial.

Future Requirements A second dedicated EMS frequency at the dispatch center. Improved mobile and portable radio communication capability with mutual aid communities, including Nashua and Manchester dispatch and Manchester Airport would make their jobs more efficient.

New or expanded features for consideration are a combined portable radio and cellular phone functionality. Data, picture and video capability, PTT over cellular App and more telemedicine. They transmit EKG’s to the hospitals using cellular, it could be useful to do this over radio system data. They currently use a modem hot spot to send info to hospitals.

Mobile radios programmed with NH Interoperable frequencies and access to Nashua and Manchester radio trunk system. Commonality of equipment across all Milford Agencies would be beneficial, and a combination radio/phone.

It is critical not to lose uninterrupted and seamless communication at the scene level as is currently handled by the current dispatch center arrangement. The current dispatch center arrangement is able to communicate directly with multiple agencies providing for efficient and timely communications during large scale incidents, disasters and urgent provider requests.

Additional Comments: MACC Base: Service is adequate, some dispatchers are better than others.

1. Wilton EMS also uses the MACCBASE dedicated ambulance frequency. WEMS is dispatchedapproximately 600 times annually.2. Wilton Fire Department will begin using the MACC BASE license, second EMS frequency. This frequencywas earmarked as a second dedicated EMS frequency that was never incorporated into the dispatchconsole.

This interview record was reviewed by Eric Schelburg and returned to CTA Consultants on November 5, 2019.

Appendices-8

Town of Milford

Interview Record

Date: October 7, 2019

Agency/Locality: Milford Fire Department Contact Name: Chief Kenneth Flaherty

Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson

Interview Questions

Organization and Responsibilities Milford Fire Department is a Combination department. They have 5 career staff operating Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm, with 31 call firefighters that respond to all calls. They respond to approximately 1,200 Fire calls per year. If all ambulances are out of Town, they will send a fire truck as a first response vehicle. However, they are not licensed for ambulance transport, and do not have transport ambulances. There are 37 personnel with 45 total members on the roster including 1 administrative person; all are located at the Fire Station.

There is a single fire station that was recently renovated, with one single base station a mobile with VHF low and high band. Each fire truck has 2 mobiles, an old Kenwood dual band VHF High and Low, and a Motorola VHF. They use the Kenwood for communicating with dispatch and use the Motorola for on-scene communications. Their equipment is over 15 years old and the Motorola mobiles have reached their life expectancy, are aging and failing, and are no longer serviceable

Milford Fire has 1 Fire Chief, 1 Assistant Chief and 2 Deputy Fire Chiefs, 6 Fire Captains, and 4 lieutenants who each have a portable radio they can take home.There are 4 portable radios on each truck, and their fleet has 3 pump trucks, 1 aerial, 1 rescue, 1 reserve, 2 staff cars, 1 Forestry and a 1 utility vehicle. All have vehicles have mobile radios but not all have portables. 1200 calls per year. They have 40-45 Pagers. The Minitor 4 and Minitor 5 pagers are failing, the Unification pagers have programming issues, Swiss Phone is the model of the majority of units. They use dual tone paging through MACC Base. They have 5 VHF frequencies, the only repeater for Milford Fire is at the Federal Hill site, using this site improved coverage. Milford Fire budgets their portable and mobile radios.

Current Communications Environment: Milford Fire talks to MACC Base on a daily basis. They talk to Amherst Fire on the radio on a regular basis and to Bedford Fire on the radio for mutual aid. Typically, they use Statewide Fire Ground interoperability channel for mutual aid. Occasionally they talk to neighboring Fire agencies, Mont Vernon Fire, Wilton Fire (UHF), Lyndeborough, Brookline & Hollis, Nashua, and to Keene Mutual Agency on KMA’s TAC channels. They do not have issues talking to neighboring fire agencies since most Fire agencies in our area are VHF.

They talk to the Schools frequently on the radio, for fire drills and other training exercises. The schools have their own radio system and Milford Fires talks on school frequencies.

Appendices-9


They can talk to Police, their radios are programmed with Police channels, but the Police do not have Fire channels programmed. They can talk to Milford Ambulance, but that is rare. They do not talk to neighboring ambulance. We have 5 VHF frequencies. We have budgeted for our own portable and mobile radios. Only repeater for Milford Fire is at Federal Hill. Current Communications Issues: Typically, there are no coverage issues on portable or mobile radios. Sometimes there is bleed-over from a Milford ambulance over the pagers within a mile radius of the Town hall tower. The Federal Hill site is in a wooden building that gets vandalized frequently, and access to the site is not great, it not plowed in the winter. The equipment is old. No HVAC at the site. The tower and building are owned by the State and Cell providers also use the tower. They have a 3rd party maintenance contract with Belltronics that maintains the infrastructure at the Federal Hill site and covers installations and programming. The Fire repeater equipment is owned and maintained by Milford Fire, not part of the MACC Base system. Wilton Fire asked to come onto their VHF frequency, however capacity concerns prevented this from going forward. There are no issues with people talking over each other, mostly training issues. Their biggest issue is when the repeater system goes down, they go to direct mode with the MACC Base when this happens. Future Requirements They are able to communicate with everyone needed. Considerations for future requirements are intrinsically safe radios, speaker mic’s and bigger knobs on the radios are good for fire. Each fire truck has 2 mobiles, an old Kenwood (dual band VHF High and Low), and a Motorola (VHF). It would be great to have one radio in the truck. They have a 100 mil street box fire alarm system for the town with 90-100 boxes. This comes directly to the fire station, and then goes to dispatch when notifications happen. 100 mil, 3505 receiver, digital dialers (60), alarms go to MACC Base and the to the Fire Station. Additional Comments: MACC Base:

• Two specific dispatchers are very problematic, they have challenges properly dispatching. • They have voiced concerns to dispatch. • Remaining dispatch staff perform well.

This interview record was reviewed by Kenneth Flaherty and returned to CTA Consultants on October 23, 2019.

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Date: October 8, 2019 Agency/Locality: Milford Police Department Contact Name: Michael Viola, Chief Craig Frye, Captain Shaun Pelletier, Captain William Morrow, Juvenile Officer Seth Parmeter, Officer Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities Milford Police Department serves their community of approximately 15,164. Milford is located in the southern region of New Hampshire surrounded by the towns of Wilton, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon, Amherst, and Hollis. They have 38 employees, with 27 full time sworn officers, to include the Chief, 2 Captains, 4 Patrol Sergeant, 1 Detective Sergeant, 1 School Resource Officer, 1 Juvenile Officer, 2 Detectives, 15 Patrolman, 1 Prosecutor, 2 Traffic Aids, 4 full time administrative staff and 4 part time administrative staff. The Police Department’s front lobby is open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm seven days a week, and the patrol division serves the citizens 24/7. Current Communications Environment: Milford PD uses the radio system for responding to dispatch 24/7. If a call comes to the Police Department, it is transferred to MACC Base, and MACC Base dispatches the call for service, even if it’s for an officer to come to the Police Department. On a daily basis, Milford Police communicate with MACC Base and other police departments: Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough, they share the same frequency with these other police departments. They can communicate with agencies outside their jurisdiction by switching the radio channel. One suggested improvement for Milford only was to the radio system by adding digital vehicular repeaters in all their (17) vehicles. This was not a viable option for all agencies on the radio system because Milford would have gone to their own radio channel. While they offer some improvement for inbuilding coverage concerns, DVRs are not meant to support more than a single incident. A particular fire department may have a repeater in every vehicle, but even the technology limits the number of repeaters on the air at any time to one. For fire, this works, they are all at the same location, on the same mission. Contrast this with Police activities which are very different. An actual scenario: an officer responds to a call at a resident, possible domestic in progress. His DVR is enables; he proceeds inside the resident, out of range of the county radio system but not his vehicle. Moments later another officer arrives at a nearby construction site to begin traffic control. The two vehicles are miles apart, but the repeaters can communicate between each other without issue. The second officer’s vehicle is enabled and automatically takes priority and control over the repeater

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channel, while the first repeater is automatically disabled. The officer in the basement of the domestic call misses his checks and half the county is on their way to check on him, because he was too far away to hear the active DVR that was a couple miles away. If this was a single fire scene, it would not be a problem, but these officers are miles apart. DVRs are great for their intended purpose but are not an answer for wide area coverage. Recent changes have improved the system, MACC Base added an antenna on the fire house in Wilton and it helped with the mobile units on the west side of town, but does nothing for portable coverage. The Town of Milford financially contribute 71% to the current radio system / equipment. Current Communications Issues: Their major communication issues are dead spots listed below (from officers in the field), and being told to use cell phone or return to the cruiser in order to talk to MACC Base. This happens when we can’t reach MACC Base on the portable – return to cruiser, or can’t reach them on the mobile – use cell phone. Some of their equipment is over 15 years old, a few of the Motorola mobiles have reached their life expectancy and are no longer serviceable. Will is the Juvenile officer and part of his duties is to check in at each school. He stated that one of the schools he checks is Heron Pond Elementary School. This school is in a valley where there are coverage issues. Portable coverage is problematic for both talk-out and talk-in, at most of the schools and stated problems at Heron Pond School while active shooter training drill was taking place no one could hear anyone from inside the school and MACC Base could not hear them inside the building and asked several times that the command officer transfer the message from a mobile unit. This was also experienced during an active shooter drill at the high school. The system coverage is spotty. Areas with poor coverage are Armory Road, Emerson Road, N. River Road and Elm Street on the west end of town downtown, Nashua Street by Vine Street, Wheeler Street. and Route 101 in the area of Ponemah Hill Road. There are instances in Union Square with another officer on Nashua Street, sometimes they can hear the other officer, but the officer is unable to hear them. Near Wilton there are times when officers can hear MACC Base, but MACC Base cannot hear the officers talk back in. Officers sometimes have to go to the car to talk on the mobile or are told to call in using their cell phones. Due to safety they cannot always go back to the vehicle. They sometimes need to use the mobile or a cell phone. It is a life safety issue. One instance on Homestead Circle, fighting with a subject that was resistant to all tactics due to drugs, MACC Base did not hear officer at all. Issue with back and forth between the dispatcher due to poor communications. In-building coverage is problematic. The following are instances of poor or no communications coverage during potentially serious calls (domestic, suicide attempt, armed subject, medical), which could have had disastrous outcomes: Juvenile Officer:

o Heron Pond Elementary School – is in a valley and dispatch cannot hear them. They do not have portable coverage. Officer responding to MACC Base was not heard on second floor or in the stairwell, was heard but not understood on first floor main corridor, and had to use cell phone.

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Inability to communicate in the school demonstrated during active shooter drill is a major safety concern for children and staff at school as well as officers responding to a violent event at the school (blue on blue). Ability to respond to this type of event relies heavily on our ability to communicate properly and from within the building, officer will not be able to use their cell phone or return to their car to use the radio.

o Jacques Elementary - Moderate Coverage o Milford Middle School - Can hear better on the second floor, cannot communicate o High School – Can hear MACC Base, cannot communicate out. Officers were unable to

communicate portable to portable on Tac 3, at a close distance 317 N. River Road – neither mobile or portable reached MACC Base, had to use cell phone Granite Town Plaza – just over a mile from MACC Base, they could not hear officer 16 North Street – 2 officers, radios on, MACC Base could not reach them 128 Savage Road – MACC Base tried to reach officer for 6-7 minutes, no communications 312 Mason Road to Brookview Court – armed subject, MACC Base kept asking officers to repeat

because they could not hear them 37 Wilton Road – officer was asked to get back in car to communicate with MACC Base, medical call 37 Wilton Road – status checks, could not hear officer, officer had to call via cell phone 95 Powers Street (for Merrimack PD) – MACC Base advised unreadable, had to use cell phone 147 Mile Slip Road – portable unreadable at MACC Base 36 Savage Road – unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to return to vehicle out of site of

suspect 11 Kendrick Lane - unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to return to vehicle, had to use cell

phone. MACC Base confirmed keying up but no transmission coming through 132 Westchester – trying to reach MACC Base for EMS to enter, also officer assistance either not heard

at all or was stepped on by other units. Route 101 and Elm intersection – no answer after several attempts on portable, had to return to vehicle

and use mobile Pine Valley Lofts – unable to reach MACC Base with portable, had to use cell phone 117 Purgatory Road – requested officer assistance, MACC Base heard but could not get code to the

other response unit, just said there was yelling Pine Valley Lofts – medical call, couldn’t reach MACC Base or EMS already on scene 589 Elm Street – subject in custody, 2 officers unable to reach MACC Base on radio 25 Brookview Court – attempted to reach MACC Base 4 times on portable with no response, had to

return to vehicle to reach them. 7 Brookview Court – had to call MACC Base on cell phone, they could not understand transmission 2 Johnson Street – MACC Base tried to reach 2 officers, they did not hear transmission on portables. George Street, Jennison Road and North River Road – MACC Base unable to copy officer Market Basket – unable to reach MACC Base on portable, other officer had to call them on cell phone Shaw’s parking lot (also Lorden’s Plaza) – unable to reach MACC Base on portable 2 x People’s United Bank (Lorden’s Plaza) – MACC Base could not hear officer, only hear static, officer

had to go back to vehicle Elm Street (Merrill’s) – officer at traffic stop MACC Base could not hear him, no other patrol units could

hear him Melendy Road to Fish Hatchery – could not communicate car to car Milford PD to Fish Hatchery and to Chappell Tractor – could not hear officer on portable 390 Federal Hill to Christine Dr – no communications between cars

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Highway 13 and Armory, and Old Troop B to Riversedge - no communications between cars Westchester by Amherst Stamp – MACC Base could not hear officer Mont Vernon St past Hartshorn Pond – MACC Base could not hear officer TAC channel 2 does not seem to be working (July) 60 Mason Road – officer was not advised on recall 13 South near Brookline Road – tried keying up for MACC Base, they could not communicate, or hear

other officer Fixed radio in Sgt office – officer tried to contact from cruiser, couldn’t hear, MACC Base tried to relay,

but convoluted, officer used cell phone 27 Box wood Circle – officer had trouble reaching MACC Base was told to use cell phone, 2nd officer for

same incident tried to confirm information, and could not reach MACC Base – North River Road near Fitches Farm

Future Requirements The ability to communicate with Milford Fire, DPW, Ambulance and Water Utilities would make their job more efficient. And access to the dispatch center after 5 pm Monday through Friday. It is critical not to lose the ability to have the police departments on the same channel. Considerations for future requirements should include monitoring the cameras in Town, and relocation of the IMC server which is at MACC Base and is problematic to get updates installed. Additional Comments: There is confusion on dispatch issues and all the agencies believe Milford Police owns MACC Base. Milford Police believe the community is better served if they dispatch from the Police Department. This will keep the department open 24/7, which is a benefit as they are currently heavily supporting the surrounding Towns at night. They believe Milford Fire Department will agree. Current Fiber Resources: • 24 strand between Town Hall to PD, • 6 strands between PD and Ambulance, Town Hall and Fire House, Town Hall to Library Future Fiber Resources: • Town Hall to SAU, • Town Hall to DPW (south on 13), Tower on Town Hall is owned by US Cellular. Cameras in the following locations: Town Hall (4), Exact Vision (2), PD (28), Fire Dept (7), Ambulance (12), Keys Field (2), Transfer Station (5). All storage for each location is resident at the location. Other Towns do not do e-ticketing, so Milford is lead edge. This interview record was reviewed by Craig Frye and returned to CTA Consultants on October 23, 2019.

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Date: October 7, 2019 Agency/Locality: Milford Department of Public Works Contact Name: Rick Riendeau ([email protected]) Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities The Department of Public Works (DPW) is the largest agency in Milford, responsible for highways, cemeteries, parks, trash transfer station, street lighting, facilities maintenance and custodial services. Winter is their busy time. There are 25 full time personnel, but during seasonal operations there are 15-20 people working. Most employees work 5 days a week, on 8 hour shifts. DPW is not currently on the radio system but uses cell phones for primary communications. In the past there was a low band system, but radios became obsolete and were not upgraded. They are waiting for MACC Base to upgrade in order to gain interoperability. They may be able to use grant funding to purchase subscribers. They would need 23 mobile radios and 6-8 portables and two base stations for a future radio system. Current Communications Environment: DPW communications are internal for the most part, MACC Base used to call on the radio if something was going on. During the winter Police would call dispatch and then dispatch would then call them. It would be nice if Police or EMS could talk directly to DPW, especially during the winter, if there is an EMS call and DPW needs to plow the roads for them. DPW does not have any communications with anyone outside of their agency. They would communicate to MACC Base daily if they could. Occasionally they need to talk with Amherst Public Works, Wilton Public Works, Mont Vernon Public Works, and State Highway Department. Future Requirements Interoperability with other agencies would be the biggest benefit of a new system for DPW. The most important part is to be able to talk on a radio system since they are not using the radios today. DPW garage has no cell coverage inside. DPW Office has limited cell coverage. Coverage inside Town hall is important, they need in-building coverage at those places. Additional Comments: Would like 23 mobiles, 6-8 portables, and 2 base stations (office, garage). This interview record was sent to Rick Riendeau for review on October 23, 2019.

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Date: October 8, 2019 Agency/Locality: Mont Vernon Police Department Contact Name: Kevin Furlong, Chief Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Mont Vernon - 16 square miles, pop 2,500, maybe 3,000 now. Organization and Responsibilities Mont Vernon is 16 square miles, with approximately 3000 people. They currently have 8 officers, 3 fulltime and 5 part time and will be increasing to 4 fulltime and 6 part time officers in 2020. They patrol from 6am to Midnight and are on-call at night. They usually have 1-2 officers on duty unless there is a special event where they might have 3. They respond to 2,400 calls per year. They have a mix of different mobile radios, portables are different types of Motorola. They have 3 cruisers (4 by next year) with Motorola and Kenwood mobiles. Cruisers have Motorola DVRS that activate when the cruiser shifts to park. DVRS were installed due to coverage issues in an area where an officer was assaulted and could not talk back to dispatch. Currently have 3 mobiles, 3 DVRs, and 7 portables. Current Communications Environment: They use the MACC Base primary PD channel that is shared with all Police on MACC Base. They communicate with New Boston and Amherst law enforcement frequently. They can talk to state police and Hillsborough Sherriff on their frequencies. They can talk to EMS but it is very infrequently. They cannot talk to Fire, MACC Base must relay information for them. They have two maintenance contracts, 2-Way Communications for their mobiles, and Belltronics for infrastructure and hardware maintenance. They trying to obtain another High Band frequency through Beltronics for their mobiles. They are also talking with AT&T about adding antennas on the cell tower at 52 Cross Road to improve coverage. This is the highest point in Mont Vernon and are having problems licensing because it is so high. The contract may allow the addition for Public Safety at no cost. Current Communications Issues: There are really no coverage issues on the mobiles, because they use the DVRs. Most coverage issues on portables, outdoor and inside the Village school (K-6) Brooke Road, Tater Street.

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Future Requirements New or expanded features to be considered for the radio system is Push to talk App. Additional Comments: Police believe MACC Base dispatching is the best alternative. They handle the mutual aid very well between the four towns. Police have no complaints about the dispatchers. They go above and beyond to help out the officers in the field. This interview record was reviewed by Kevin Furlong and returned to CTA Consultants on November 4, 2019.

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Date: October 8, 2019 Agency/Locality: Department of Public Works Contact Name: Ben Crosby, Director Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities The Department of Public Works (DPW) has five full time employees, on call 24/7 365 days a year. They respond to approximately 1500 calls per year. They typically work 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday. They are responsible for road work, snow plowing, tree work, and building maintenance. They have 3 dump trucks, 2 pickup trucks, 1 regular pickup, loader, backhoe, low grader. All of these vehicles have a mobile radio. They have 5-6 portable radios for traffic control and dual band receivers. Current Communications Environment: DPW talks to MACC Base (on low band 35.50) on a daily basis for trees down, especially in the winter, however they cannot talk to MACC Base on the portables. They can hear the other towns DPW Lyndeborough, Wilton, Milford, and the Fire/EMS dispatch pages on their mobile radios but cannot respond. They talk to other public safety agencies through MACC Base relaying, but it is infrequent. Very rarely do they talk to public works outside of Mont Vernon. Current Communications Issues: Primarily there are problems communicating between our trucks, mobile to mobile in the Northeast corner of Town there are coverage gaps: Brooke Road, Tater Street, Kendall hill road, Salisbury Road (New Boston End). MACC Base: Brooke Road, Tater Street, Kendall Hill. These sites are farthest away from the transmit sites. Future Requirements DPW is considering adding a base station at their building. New or expanded features to be considered for the radio system are a channel where we could talk directly to fire and police on the radios and use of Push to talk Apps. Additional Comments: There are no issues with MACC Base, the dispatchers are good, and they want to continue with MACC Base due to mutual aid. This interview record was sent to Ben Crosby for review on October 24, 2019.

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Date: October 8, 2019 Agency/Locality: Town of Wilton Emergency Management Town of Wilton Ambulance Service (EMS) Contact Name: David Boissonnault, Emergency Management Director Steven Desrosiers, Chief of Service Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities The Town of Wilton Ambulance Service covers the Town of Wilton, Lyndeborough, Temple, and Greenfield. The chief is the only full-time staff, there are 40 per diem paid personnel that staff the ambulance Monday through Friday 6 am to 6 pm. At other times people are on-call and respond from home. They respond to 700-800 calls per year. Current Communications Environment: They are primarily dispatched by MACC Base, but Temple, Greenfield, and Lyndeborough are dispatched by Keene Mutual Aid. MACC Base hears KMA and calls out EMS. We regularly talk with the Fire Departments outside of Milford area over KMA frequencies. Rarely talk to Milford EMS but when we do its through MACC Base. They respond to a lot of mutual aid calls (63 so far this year). They operate on VHF High band everywhere and use mostly Kenwood, with some Motorola units but they are very old and a mix of portables/mobiles. They have two trucks with mobiles, one mobile is in the rapid response vehicle, and they have 15 portables and 15 Motorola Minotaur 6 pagers. Beltronics does all our programing and installs and maintenance for subscribers. Current Communications Issues: Coverage is a big issue in Wilton, since there are no transmit sites or base stations in Lyndeborough. The biggest MACC Base problem EMS is during a large-scale incident, they are unable to communicate with Fire so the dispatchers get overwhelmed relaying radio traffic. There was a house fire last Thanksgiving and they could not hear anyone at the incident. Other issues are the Portables and Pagers in Wilton, Lyndeborough, inside buildings, even the mobiles outside can be spotty. Their emergency buttons do not work either. Mill buildings have in-building coverage issues, they are unable to talk outside to the truck on scene.

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Future Requirements A future radio system needs to address clear and concise communications. They have concerns about the safety of their public safety personnel. They also need interoperability with all Wilton Public safety agencies (EMS, Fire, DPW, Police). Additional Comments: It would be beneficial to have a single vendor for all system users. This interview record was sent to Steven Desrosiers for review on October 23, 2019.

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Date: November 6, 2019 Agency/Locality: Town of Wilton Fire Department Contact Name: Don Nourse, Deputy Fire Chief Interviewed By: Mark Cady, Rachel Soward Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities The Wilton Fire Department is 100% volunteer agency serving the Town of Wilton and surrounding communities. They have 33 volunteers and respond to approximately 125 fire calls per year. They also assist EMS when needed for extrication/rescue and Priority 1 EMS calls. The Department is currently in the process of moving from low band to high band via a frequency licensed to MACC Base, who is adding them to their license for dispatching. All necessary conversion work at the site has been completed, and MACC Base is able to dispatch the Fire Department on that channel. The radios in vehicles are all high band. However, their pagers are still being dispatched on low band, as the Department still needs to purchase new pagers for high band. This change is a huge improvement, previously the low band UHF repeater system did not work. There were no communications on scene, and units could not communicate with others until they arrived. Now, they have increased interoperability with incoming fire departments, and are able to use high band radios on scene with no trouble communicating. While getting to high band was the first step. Current Communications Environment: On a daily basis they communicate with MACC Base. They provide regular mutual aid to the 6 contiguous towns. They are able to communicate directly with Wilton Ambulance Services and the Police Departments in Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Lyndeborough. They have the capability to talk with adjacent Fire Departments and State Agencies. They have interoperability mobile radios in their trucks and base radios that were provided through a Homeland Security Grant. Those units are programmed with the interoperability channels Banks G-H. The state received a grant to update all of the programming, which will take place Spring 2020. Wilton’s financial contribution for maintenance is paid through the IMA agreement. Pagers are purchased through the municipal budget. The next Town Meeting is in March 2020. As part of their conversion process, they financially invested $3,000 in reprogramming their location as a transmitting site, and reprogramming all mobiles, portables and MACC Base consoles. Radio Repair Budgets is currently $2400, with a potential increase to $5000 for replacement of portables. The Department is very happy with MACC and believe they are responsive, public safety centric and do a good job dispatching, they dispatch fire calls well, and that the dispatchers are well rounded. They

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understand MACC Base is limited by technology available to them and that MACC Base has done a great job planning for the future and taking care of public safety end users. The Department also believes it is important to have regional area dispatch center that handles all Fire Police Ambulance calls. Current Communications Issues: They are experiencing pager coverage issues on low band. MACC Base dispatch tones out fire calls twice, first off Pead Hill and then re-tones off Federal Hill site for pagers because the sites do not cover all of the town or responders. The process is the same for toning out Mont Vernon Fire Department. Many users have relied on tones from the Federal Hill site, because they did not receive the first pages from Pead Hill. Purchasing new high band pager is being addressed with capital next spring. Other areas where the Department has problems communicating are along Route 31 toward Greenville, and on the west side of town, due to mountains in that area. During busy times it is possible that they step on Mont Vernon, but expect it is very seldom as they have similar call volume. They have not been on high band communicating with MACC Base for very long, but expect coverage problems to be similar to Wilton Police. With limited use, the Department feels the high band system has been reliable given the age of equipment. With more use, they may be able to identify areas that could be improved. The age of equipment is an issue they face regarding the radios and infrastructure. The biggest issue identified was inability to build out the communications plan due to governance and funding. The Department recognizes several solutions have been presented and plans created, but no action has been taken by the board. Future Requirements The Department currently has the capability to communicate with the agencies they need. Any future system should address operability improvements so the system works as it was designed. New, high band pagers, and updated mobiles and portables (2003) should be considered in the future. Additional Comments: US Cellular towers could be a solution for western part of town. There are actually two cell towers in the western part of Town, one off Route 101 in the area of Mansur Road and a second off of King Brook Road, closer to the Greenville Town line. This interview record was reviewed by Don Nourse and returned to CTA Consultants on November 11, 2019.

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Date: October 8, 2019 Agency/Locality: Town of Wilton Police Department Contact Name: Paul Branscombe Town Administrator Eric Olesen, Chief of Police Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities The Town of Wilton is about 25 square miles with a population of approximately 4000 people. The Police Department operates 24/7 with 6 full-time (normally 8) and 3 part-time sworn officers. Officers work 12 hour shifts, with 2 police during the day and 1 officer at night. There is also a 35 hour a week administrative staff. Police cover the Town of Wilton, and if requested provide Mutual aid for (Milford, Mason, Temple/Greenville, Greenfield, and Lyndeborough). This occurs from 2 to 10 times each month. They respond to about 10,000 calls for service each year. They have 4 cruisers, each has a mobile radio, there is 1 base station, and they have a bank of 12 portables plus 6 portables for full time officers. Current Communications Environment: Police communicate with MACC Base. They complete business checks on their MDT’s, they use e-ticket and e-complaint. If they are making a vehicle stop, then they have to call in on the radio system. Otherwise they listen to what’s going on around Wilton and try to keep traffic to a minimum, so they do not talk over other officers in Milford or other agencies. Occasionally Police talks to EMS and Fire but it is very rare. They can monitor Fire now, since they transitioned to VHF high band, but to talk to them they have to switch to their channel. They are only able to talk with other Police Departments through relay by MACC Base, because they are on the same frequency. MACC Base has to relay information to other PD’s on a daily basis. They can talk to Milford Fire/EMS, and to Temple/Greenville, and other Towns dispatched by Hillsborough but not often and usually via relay through MACC Base. They are also able to talk with State Police. Current Communications Issues: One major issue is the panic button cannot always be heard by MACC Base. They have emergency buttons on the speaker mic, portable radio, and on the laptop. A Wilton police officer tried to use all three buttons, they did not work, the emergency never declared at MACC Base. The area they were in has poor coverage

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area for talk-in and talk-out. The 31 South and North and in downtown Wilton are bad coverage areas. There is also no cell coverage in these areas. Depending on where officer are, they cannot hear them in the field. Changes in the radio have improved some, however a complete overhaul of the radio system is needed. Police purchase their own subscribers and pay a portion to MACC Base for dispatching and the radio system. They use CenCom for maintenance and programming on subscribers. Adamson’s industries previously completed their installs because those radios were funded by a grant. MACC Base dispatching services are great for Wilton Police. Their main issues are with the failing communication systems. This has been discussed for many years and nothing is getting done. They are concerned an officer may get hurt. Who will be liable for that? Chief Olsen is the representative on the MACC Base Governors Board. Future Requirements For the future we would like to have clear communications between our public safety. Wilton believes the Joint MACC Base alternative is the best option. Also having a single maintenance vendor would be more efficient and cheaper together. Additional Comments: Town Administrator: we are in favor of the joint MACC Base option; do not want to be a customer of Milford. Need to extend the existing IMA. Milford could have two votes for budget items, but should only have one vote for other issues. This interview record was sent to Eric Olesen for review on October 23, 2019.

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Date: October 7, 2019 Agency/Locality: Lyndeborough Police Department Contact Name: Chief Rainsford Deware Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities Lyndeborough Police serve the town with 1 full time and 8 part time sworn officers. The Police Chief is part time (32 hours), and there is 1 administrative person who works about 4 hours per week. Shifts for the officers are 7:00 am - 3:00pm and 3:00pm - 11:00pm; State Police are on call between 11:00pm and 7:00am. They have 2 vehicles and respond to approximately 6,000 calls per year and about 1,000 of those calls are dispatched through MACC Base. Their response area is 32 square miles, about 79 miles of roads, and the population is around 1,700. There is 1 school (a preschool and kindergarten) on main street). Current Communications Environment:

Citizens do not usually call 911, they call the Police Department or MACC Base directly. Lyndeborough officers make every attempt to use the laptop to log their activity but do depend on MACC Base for calling in Motor vehicle stops, receiving calls for service that are called into MACC Base or E-911 and when the laptop is down due to bad connectivity. They have two police cars with new Kenwood radios (2016, 2018), and there are 8 Kenwood portable radios for the officers to carry. There is 1 base station with a single antenna mounted on the outside of the police station. They are using Ossipee Mountain Electronics’ frequency for the two vehicle repeaters. They use the radio system to primarily communicate with MACC Base and surrounding communities and occasionally with the NH State Police Troop B. They cannot hear communities around them and may unknowingly talk over other police departments. They primarily talk on Pead Hill and Mt Vernon Fire Station sites. On a daily basis they communicate with MACC Base, Milford PD, Wilton PD, and Mont Vernon PD and with others. The Lyndeborough Fire Department is currently on Low Band and is dispatched by Keene Mutual Aid (KMA). They also talk to Hillsborough County a lot because we provide mutual aid with them, to Francestown, Greenfield, and Temple, but have their frequencies programmed in the radios. They also talk to Lyndeborough fire over VHF mutual aid on the KMA (Keen Mutual Aid Dispatch) system. They talk to New Boston a few times a week, and Wilton Ambulance provides EMS for Lyndeborough. They are able to communicate with:

Milford PD,

Wilton PD,

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Mont Vernon PD,

Hillsborough County State Police Troop B

Hollis Dispatch

Amherst PD New Boston

Car to Car Channel 2

Milford PD TAC 2

Fish and Game Lyndeborough finances radio equipment by incorporating a radio replacement cycle in their budget. They use Kenwood radios because they are on the state contract and have a good warranty. One recent change is fiber that TDS is installing in the Town. Current Communications Issues: Users report good coverage from MACC Base everywhere in town, and there are no issues with the portable radios as long as the DVRs are on. The vehicular repeaters support the portables but have to be manually turned on. Their biggest issue is not being able to hear other Police Departments, for example when Milford and Wilton are talking they may unknowingly conflict with each other, or cut each other off. Future Requirements

It would be helpful to hear and talk directly to other Police Departments, not just on cruiser radios, but on portables as well! This interview record was reviewed by Chief Rainsford Deware and returned to CTA Consultants on October 23, 2019.

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Date: October 7, 2019 Agency/Locality: Milford Area Communications Center (MACC) Base Contact Name: Jason Johnson, Director Interviewed By: Cheryl Giggetts, Mark Cady, Curtis Johnson Interview Questions Organization and Responsibilities MACC Base stands for Milford Area Communications Center Base. They have 5 full time positions (one vacant slot), and 6 part time positions. There are (4) 10 hour shifts that overlap, 2 people are there 16 hours per day, and 1 person from 3am - 11am. Their goal is to have 2 dispatchers 24 / 7. Jason is the Director, since November 2011, he works 20 hours of dispatch and 20 hours of administrative, though due to present staffing 30-40 hours of dispatch with administrative tasks completed simultaneously. MACC Base provides dispatch service for four towns (Mont Vernon, Wilton, Milford, and Lyndeborough Police Department), in the past they have provided services for as many as 7 towns. They have a good working relationship with all dispatched public safety agencies. MACC Base is responsible for the radio infrastructure and handles all dispatcher issues. They have procedure books and scripts for EMS/Fire calls. Dispatchers must be well rounded in order to handle police, Fire/EMS, and Public Works calls. Training can vary depending on previous experience. Some dispatchers are part time, some have been there for 10+ years, most are full time have been there for more than 5 years. Politics may have a part in the turnover rate, and job insecurity has taken its toll on the team. The current contract ends in 2020. MACC Base is responsible for the infrastructure, stops at the tower. They use a wireless RF control station in VHF to reach the sites. They have the following sites:

Town Hall

• Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough • Ambulance: Milford, Wilton, • Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton (except Milford), • Public Works: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Federal Hill

• Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton Fire (MACC Base holds the lease for the tower and the land from the state)

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Mont Vernon Fire Station • Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough • Ambulance: Milford, Wilton, • Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton (except Milford), • Public Works: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Peed Hill

• Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough • Ambulance: Milford, Wilton, • Fire: Mont Vernon, Wilton, Low band • Wilton High Band Fire (house and land containing tower for sale)

(MACC Base holds the lease for the tower and land with the present owners, expiring December of 2020)

Abbott Hill [High Mowing School]

• Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough • Fire: Mont Vernon, Low band

Wilton Fire Station [Main Street]

• Police: Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Lyndeborough

Milford Police Department is a 24 hour agency. There are 5 sites TX/RX (Town Hall, Mont Vernon Fire Station, Peed Hill, Abbot Hill and Wilton Fire Station). There are known coverage issues, and they experience delays and missed communications by stepping on each other.

Milford Ambulance only serves the town of Milford. There are coverage issues in Manchester. Milford Fire has a single site repeater (Federal Hill), they own and maintain this site. They can also talk directly to Milford Fire near MACC Base. There are in-building coverage issues at large concrete apartment buildings and coverage issues downtown. They find it better to use direct communications versus the repeated channel. Milford Public Works use their cell phone, they are not on the radio system. Mont Vernon Police has 5 TX/RX sites and can transmit on all 5. They use DVRs repeaters in their vehicles. The Police cover unique geographic areas and have coverage issue in one valley in the town of Mont Vernon (78 Brook Road, former Beaver Brook Farm and Transportation Museum]. They experience users stepping on each other. Mont Vernon Fire uses Low band VHF for toning, and only covers the town of Mont Vernon. They use statewide interoperable VHF High band channels for fireground communications and can be heard at MACC Base. They can operate on VHF Low or High band. Their pagers are low band. Their biggest challenge is old equipment.

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Mont Vernon Public Works has 2 sites. All of the Fire/EMS calls are rebroadcast on all DPW’s frequency. This is done as a feature of the console. Lyndeborough Police use 5 TX/RX sites, although there are no sites within the Town of Lyndeborough, which is approximately 32 square miles. They use DVRs repeaters in their vehicles, and generally use MDTs. Lyndeborough Police are contracted to dispatch their PD. Police cover unique geographic areas and have coverage issues with DVRS (in-band). Lyndeborough Public Works: (no contract with PW) has ancillary communication with PW, They communicated mostly via cell phone. Wilton PD: is a 24 hour agency. There are 5 TX/RX sites (Town Hall, Mont Vernon Fire Station, Pead Hill, Abbot Hill and Wilton Fire Station). They deal with extreme geographic issues and need better coverage, river valleys are their biggest challenge. The main street site covers a small area of downtown Wilton west to Milford, and to Highway 101.

Wilton Ambulance serves 4 towns Wilton, Lyndeborough, Temple, and Greenfield and transport to the same hospitals as Milford with the addition of Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough. Wilton Fire is transitioning from VHF Low Band to High Band. They used a spare licensed frequency.

Current Communications Environment: Milford financially contributes 71.29% and is a full member of MACC Base with 50% voting rights. Wilton financially contributes 17.34% and is a full member of MACC Base with 25% voting rights. Mont Vernon financially contributes 11.36% and is a full member of MACC Base with 25% voting rights. Lyndeborough - pays a contracted amount and is not a full member of MACC Base and has no voting rights. All Police use a common frequency. Dispatchers chose the site to transmit on based upon where the call to them originates or the known location of an officer. See below for number of calls by Town and Agency:

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Current Communications Issues: The biggest issues MACC Base faces is old equipment and politics. Belltronics provides preventive maintenance once a year. They do not currently have monitoring and alarms. Improvements to consider are site security. Funding is an issue, if Milford pulls out of MACC Base, MACC Base will not exist anymore. There will not be enough money to continue dispatching. Future Requirements Future requirements need to include monitoring at the sites and a Microwave system to connect all of the sites, which is in process. Additional Comments: Crown Castle quoted MACC Base $25,000 per year to have a single antenna on the tower located on the west end of Milford. This site would be key to linking all present sites in a resilient microwave ring. This interview record was reviewed by Jason Johnson and returned to CTA Consultants on October 23, 2019.

2015 2016 2017 2018Town Service % ACFS % ACFS % ACFS % ACFS

PD 54587 75.82% 51707 69.97% 46947 69.42% 45897 70.32%FD 1102 1.53% 1072 1.45% 990 1.46% 1094 1.68%

EMS 2097 2.91% 1898 2.57% 2114 3.13% 2170 3.32%Town Total 57786 80.26% 54677 73.99% 50051 74.01% 49161 75.32%

PD 10051 13.96% 9278 12.55% 7679 11.36% 7944 12.17%FD 198 0.28% 212 0.29% 172 0.25% 155 0.24%

EMS 437 0.61% 456 0.62% 430 0.64% 525 0.80%Town Total 10686 14.84% 9946 13.46% 8281 12.25% 8624 13.21%

PD 5706 7.93% 5715 7.73% 5707 8.44% 6011 9.21%FD 90 0.13% 92 0.12% 68 0.10% 92 0.14%

Town Total 5796 8.05% 5807 7.86% 5775 8.54% 6103 9.35%

PD* 25 0.03% 5903 7.99% 5841 8.64% 4094 6.27%EMS** 86 0.12% 21 0.03% 16 0.02% 21 0.03%

Town Total 111 0.15% 5924 8.02% 5857 8.66% 4115 6.30%

Temple EMS** 63 0.09% 75 0.10% 66 0.10% 68 0.10%

71999 73901 67624 6526874442 76429 70030 68071

* LPD dispatching by MACC began Jan 2016** EMS in Lyndeborough & Temple is covered by Wilton Ambulance Service*** Grand total is greater than Actual CFS total due to multiple services/towns responding to some calls

All listed percentages are calculated using the Actual CFS total for year

Actual CFS total for yearGrand total CFS***

Milford

Wilton

Mont Vernon

Lyndeborough

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Appendix C Site Survey Records Abbot Hills Site Crown Castle Site Federal Hill Site MACC Base Dispatch Center Site Mont Vernon Fire Station Site Patch Hill (Summer Street) Site Pead Hill Site Town of Milford Waste Water Treatment Plant Site

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Town of Milford, NH Radio Needs Assessment

Site Survey Report – Town of Milford, NH

Site Name: Abbott Hills Site Survey Date: 10/06/2019 Latitude: 42° 49' 10.66" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 44' 34.83" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Abbott Hill Satellite View

Overview The Abbott Hill tower site is a leased site on High Mowing School property. Town of Milford radio equipment is located in the school’s maintenance building. The site is located at 222 Isaac Frye Hwy, Wilton, NH 03086. This site is a VHF transmit/receive site for the MACC Base Law Enforcement Channel used by Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Lyndeborough law enforcement agencies, and the Ambulance Channel used by Milford and Wilton Ambulances.

Figure 2 - Abbott Hill Site

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Site Access/ Physical Security The Abbott Hill site access appears well maintained by the school. There is adequate parking and the gravel access road is in good condition. There is no perimeter fencing enclosing the maintenance building or the tower. There is no alarm and monitoring equipment installed at this site and there is no room for an additional shelter. Tower The tower at the Abbott Hill site is a 40-foot wooden pole with one tower leg. The tower appears in fair condition. The tower does not appear to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is no vertical cable ladder. All transmission cables are attached directly to the wooden pole. There is no ice bridge installed to protect the transmission cables from the shelter cable ports to the tower. There is one cable entry port system installed on the side of the building where transmission cables enter the building. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables. There are no microwave antennas at this site. MACC Base connects to this site via a UHF control station link.

Figure 3: Abbott Hill Tower

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Shelter The MACC Base radio equipment is co-located in a room in basement of the building. The door to the building was locked and required a key to gain entry. The door to the equipment room was also locked and required a different key to gain entry. Radio Equipment MACC Base has a Kenwood radio that transmits to law enforcement users in the field, and a Kenwood radio that transmits to EMS users in the field, that are connected to the UHF RF control station on a counter inside the shelter. The UHF Control station link is utilized to transport voice transmissions to and from the MACC Base dispatch center. There are no repeater systems at this site, so when users in the field talk on their portables or mobiles their radio traffic is only relayed to MACC Base and not to other field radio users. There are no equipment racks in the equipment room and there does not appear to be room to add any equipment racks. Wiring and cabling is neatly organized for the Milford equipment.

Figure 4: MACC Base Radio Equipment

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Figure 5: MACC Base Radio Equipment

There is no HVAC system installed in the equipment room. The temperature inside the shelter was not available at the time of our site survey. Emergency Backup Power Systems The MACC Base radio equipment is connected to battery backup that can temporarily power all of the radio equipment if commercial power is lost. There is no backup generator at this site.

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Figure 6 – Backup Battery

Grounding The grounding system in the equipment room consists of a small grounding bus bar near where the transmission lines exit through the cable port. The transmission cables are the only thing grounded to that small bus bar. There is not a ground halo installed in the equipment room. The battery backup, and the radio equipment did not appear to be grounded. There was no additional grounding in the equipment room, and there did not appear to be electrical surge suppressors. There is no grounding system installed outside at the tower. The wooden pole appeared to be grounded with a single copper cable that extended all the way to the top of the pole.

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Figure 7 - Transmission Cable Grounding

Figure 8 – Outdoor Transmission Cables

Recommend Improvements/Upgrades at the Abbott Hill site 1. Install a repeater system so field users are able to communicate with each other. 2. Install a UPS system that can support all equipment if commercial power is lost. 3. Install an emergency backup generator that can support all equipment if commercial power is lost. 4. Install alarm and monitoring equipment at this site for identification of equipment failures. 5. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment room to the halo. 6. Install a larger grounding bus bar where the small bus bar is currently located.

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7. Install grounding cables to the new grounding bus bar for each piece of radio equipment, and the battery backup.

8. Install electrical surge suppressors to prevent electrical surge damage from commercial power provider.

9. Install a HVAC system for the equipment room to maintain the proper operating temperature for the radio equipment.

10. Install a grounding bus bar on the outside of the building and ground all transmission cables immediately after they exit the building.

11. Install a ground ring system for the wooden pole and connect the wooden pole to the ground ring with multiple connections.

12. Reground transmission cables as they climb the wooden pole. 13. Install perimeter fencing with razon wire around the tower and cable port entry to prevent damage to

transmission cables or wooden pole.

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Site Name: Crown Castle Site Survey Date: 10/06/2019 Latitude: 42° 49' 46.59" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 43' 13.57" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Crown Castle Satellite View

Overview The Crown Castle tower site is owned by Crown Castle in the Town of Milford, where the Town of Milford radio equipment could be located in the future. The site is located at Dram Cup Hwy., McGettigan Road, Milford, NH. There is currently no equipment for MACC Base or the Town of Milford at this site. Site Access/ Physical Security The Crown Castle site access appears well maintained by the site owner. There is adequate parking and the gravel access road is in good condition. There is barbed-wire perimeter fencing completely enclosing the shelter and the tower and the gates on the perimeter fence were locked. The site had an adequate gravel base layer and vegetation was controlled within the site. Tower The tower is approximately 200-foot steel self-supported tower with three legs. The tower paint appears in good condition and shows no signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower appears to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There are multiple vertical cable ladders where transmission cables are neatly running up the tower. An ice bridge is installed to protect the transmission cables from the shelter cable ports to the tower. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables.

Appendices-39


Figure 2: Crown Castle Tower Figure 3: Crown Castle Antennas

Shelter There is an existing concrete prefabricated shelter within the crown castle facility, however the Town of Milford and MACC Base do not currently have any equipment at this site.

Figure 4: Crown Castle Shelter

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Grounding The grounding system installed at the tower appears to be in good condition. All transmission cables are grounded on a bus bar immediately after exiting the existing shelter. The legs of the ice bridge are grounded. The base of the tower appears to be grounded to a ground ring that is just for the tower structure. The shelter appears to be grounded to a separate ground ring for the equipment shelter. The transmission lines are grounded to the base of the tower and are re-grounded as the cables ascend the tower. The perimeter fence is grounded and there is a grounding tether to both sides of the access gate.

Figure 5 – Transmission Cable Grounding

Figure 6 – Tower Leg Grounding

.

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Site Name: Federal Hill Site Survey Date: 10/08/2019 Latitude: 42° 48' 17.44" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 37' 49.61" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Federal Hill Satellite View

Overview The Federal Hill tower site is a state-owned site in the Town of Milford, where the Town of Milford’s radio equipment is co-located. The elevation at this site is 704 ft. and is located at 347 Ponemah Hill Road, Milford, NH. This site is a VHF transmit site for the Milford Fire Department.

Site Access/ Physical Security The Federal Hill site access appears well maintained by the Town of Milford. There is adequate parking and the gravel access road in fair condition with parts of the access road being washed out and requiring a 4WD vehicle to traverse. There is no perimeter fencing enclosing the shelter and the tower but there is a locked gate across road accessing the site. The gate prevents vehicles from reaching the tower site however many hikers frequent the fire tower at the site. The site had an adequate gravel base layer and vegetation was controlled within the site. There is not a door alarm installed at this site. Milford Fire Department reports multiple vandalism incidents at the equipment shelter at this site resulting in damages and outages for their radio equipment.

Figure 2: Federal Hill Site

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Tower The tower at the Federal Hill site is an 85-foot steel fire lookout tower which is a guyed tower with four legs. The tower paint is in poor condition and shows signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower may have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is not a vertical cable ladder for transmission cables. All transmission cables are attached directly to the tower. The tower foundation for one of the tower legs appeared to be deteriorating.

Figure 3: Tower Leg Deterioration An ice bridge is installed to protect the transmission cables from the shelter cable ports to the tower. However, there is an approximately 20 foot long section of cable from the shelter to the ice bridge where the Fire Department’s transmission cable is uncovered and exposed to falling ice or other debris from the tower.

There is a single cable entry port installed on the shelter for the Fire Department’s transmission cables. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables. The Milford Fire Department has transmit/receive antennas for VHF low band and high band mounted on top of the fire lookout tower. There are no microwave antennas at this site. This site is connected to the MACC Base Dispatch Center via a UHF control station link.

Figure 4: Exposed Transmission Cables

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Figure 5: Federal Hill Tower Figure 6: Federal Hill Antennas

Shelter The Town of Milford equipment is co-located in the State-owned shelter. The door to the shelter was locked and required a key to gain entry. The equipment shelter is a built-on site wood house that was previously inhabited but is now abandoned. The shelter foundation appeared to be in fair condition. The Milford Fire Department has radio equipment in a small outdoor equipment cabinet located inside the shelter. Wiring and cabling in the shelter was not neatly organized for the Milford radio equipment. The Milford Fire Department has a Kenwood TKR-750 VHF low band repeater and a Kenwood TKR-750 VHF high band repeater mounted in their equipment rack inside the shelter. There appeared to be a significant amount of animal tracks and feces inside the equipment shelter. Underneath a sink in the shelter there appeared to be an animal nest build inside the cabinet. There were holes to the exterior of the shelter where visible light could be seen from inside the shelter.

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Figure 5: Animal Nest and Tracks Inside Cabinets

Figure 6: Federal Hill Radio Equipment

Figure 7 Federal Hill Radio Equipment

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There is no HVAC system installed in the shelter. The thermostat was not visible at the time of our site survey, but temperature inside the shelter felt cool. There is a single 120-Amp wire circuit breaker installed in the shelter. There is a single transmission line port entry and no additional open port entries for new transmission cables. The Town of Milford does not have any alarm or monitoring equipment at this site. Emergency Backup Power Systems The Town of Milford’s equipment is connected to backup batteries that can temporarily power the all of the Town’s equipment if commercial power is lost. There is not a UPS system or emergency backup generator installed at this site. Grounding There is not a grounding bus bar installed in the equipment room. The equipment is not grounded in the equipment rack however; the equipment cabinet is grounded. There is not a ground halo installed. Only one transmission cable appears to be grounded. The single transmission cable and the equipment cabinet are grounded to a single ground cable that exits the shelter through the cable entry port. There are no surge suppressors installed for the electrical panel to prevent further electrical surge damage. The backup batteries for the radio equipment do not appear to be grounded. The grounding system installed outside at the tower appears to be in fair condition. All transmission cables are grounded on a bus bar immediately after exiting the building. All transmission lines are grounded to the base of the tower. The legs of the ice bridge are grounded. The base of the tower appears to be grounded to a ground ring that is just for the tower structure. The shelter appears to be grounded to a separate ground ring for the equipment shelter.

Figure 8: Equipment Grounding Inside Shelter

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Figure 9: Exterior Grounding Bus Bar

Recommend Improvements/Upgrades at the Federal Hill site 1. Install a UPS system that can support all equipment if commercial power is lost. 2. Install an emergency backup generator that can support all equipment if commercial power is lost. 3. Install alarm and monitoring equipment at this site for identification of equipment failures and

increased security at the site. 4. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment room to the halo. 5. Install a grounding bus bar in the shelter. 6. Install grounding cables to the new grounding bus bar for all radio equipment, transmission lines, and

the battery backup. 7. Install electrical surge suppressors to prevent electrical surge damage from commercial power

provider. 8. Redress and organize cables and wiring to prevent damage to cables and accidental unplugging of

cables during equipment maintenance. 9. Install a HVAC system for the equipment room to maintain the proper operating temperature for the

radio equipment. 10. Seal all holes to the exterior of the shelter and clean out all animal nest and feces to prevent

environmental damage to existing radio equipment and bodily harm to maintenance technicians for radio equipment.

11. Perform a structural analysis of the existing fire lookout tower to determine if tower upgrades are necessary due to the deteriorating tower leg foundation.

12. Consider installing a new shelter for radio equipment that is enclosed in a perimeter fence with razor-wire, and a locked gate for improved security at this site.

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Site Name: MACC Base Dispatch Center Site Survey Date: 10/07/2019 Latitude: 42° 50' 8.45" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 38' 55.79" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: MACC Base Dispatch Center – Milford Town Hall

Overview The MACC Base Dispatch Center is a is located on the fourth floor of the Milford Town Hall. MACC Base leases this space from the Town of Milford. MACC Base is located at 1 Union Square, Milford, NH 03055. The MACC Base Dispatch Center is the secondary public safety answering point for all 9-1-1 calls in the Towns of Milford, Wilton, and Mont Vernon. MACC Base also receives some 9-1-1 calls from the Town of Lyndeborough. All 9-1-1 phone calls for the state of New Hampshire are received at Concord and transferred to the appropriate jurisdictions dispatch center. MACC Base dispatches law enforcement and Fire agencies from all four towns and only dispatches ambulances (EMS) for the Towns of Milford and Wilton. Dispatch Console Equipment The MACC Base Dispatch Center has two dispatch positions that can be call taker and dispatcher positions and one call taker only positions (usually not staffed). The two dispatch positions share a single set of backup control stations. There is not a backup console position. There is an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) at each console position for backup power. The dispatch position contains the following equipment:

• Valor State 911 CAD Software – Statewide EMD and call info transmitted through CAD • Motorola MCC 5500 Dispatch • Paging Encoder

Appendices-48


• IMC Cad (MACC Base’s CAD) – CAD information goes to Police Department over MDT’s through cellular air cards

• XCOM logging recorder • Toshiba Phone Systems (no VOIP) • State of NH NCIC System

Figure 2: MACC Base Dispatch Position

The dispatch equipment is housed in a closet in the main dispatch floor room. There is a single equipment rack for the MACC Base dispatch equipment. Wiring and cabling is not neatly organized for MACC Base dispatch equipment rack. The following equipment was mounted in the dispatch equipment rack:

• Cisco 800 Series Ethernet Switch (FirstNet Testing) • R-Nic Mutual Link (FirstNet Testing) • Spectracom GPS Synchronization Clock • Motorola Backup Control Station • 2 x Motorola MCC 5500 Console Equipment • Motorola Voted Receiver Equipment – Police • Motorola Voted Receiver Equipment – Fire • Motorola Voted Receiver Equipment – Ambulance

Appendices-49


Figure 3: MACC Base Dispatch Equipment

Radio Equipment The MACC Base Dispatch Center radio equipment is in the attic of the Town hall above the dispatch center. During the site survey there was visible water damage to the wood flooring in the equipment room. There did not appear to be any HVAC system for the attic equipment room. MACC Base has radio equipment in 5 equipment racks. Wiring and cabling is neatly organized for MACC Base equipment racks. Below is a list of equipment for MACC Base Dispatch Center: Rack 1 – MACC Base Radio Equipment

• Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford Fire Department Channel 3 • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford Fire Department Channel 4 • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford Ambulance • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford Fire • Kenwood UHF Control Station Link • CPI Tone Remote • Cielo Skylink CG2X Microwave Equipment • Kenwood DPW Control Station • Astron Power Supply • APC UPS (On floor beside rack)

Rack 2 – MACC Base Dispatch Radio Equipment

• Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford Police Department

Appendices-50


• Kenwood VHF Control Station – Wilton Police Department • Telex DSP-223 • CPI Tone Remote • Kenwood UHF Control Station – Pead Hill UHF Link • Kenwood Control Station – Milford Police Department – TAC 2 • Astron Power Supply • Kenwood VHF TXR-750 Repeater – MACC Base Police Department - Channel 2 • Kenwood VHF TXR-750 Repeater – Milford Fire Department - Fireground • DC Power Supply – MACC Base Police Department • DC Power Supply – Milford Fire Department

Rack 3 – UHF Combiners

Rack 4 – MACC Base Dispatch Radio Equipment

• Kenwood Control Station – VHF Low Band Abbott Hill • Kenwood Control Station • Kenwood Control Station – Abbott Hill UHF Link • Kenwood Control Station – Pead Hill UHF Link • Kenwood TKR 750 Repeater – Milford Police Department – TAC • Kenwood TKR 750 Repeater – Milford EMS • DC Power Supply – Milford Police Department – TAC Team • DC Power Supply – Milford EMS

Rack 5 – MACC Base VHF Combiners / Multi-couplers

• 4 x Telex TIS60H Dual Isolator • VHF Combiners

Figure 4: MACC Base Dispatch Radio Equipment

Appendices-51


Site Access/ Physical Security The MACC Base Dispatch Center site access appears well maintained by the Town of Milford. The site had adequate parking. The dispatch center is located inside the Town Hall which is open to the public on business days. However, the dispatch center is located on the 4th floor behind locked doors. There are security cameras installed so that dispatchers can monitor the entryways to the center. There are smoke alarms and fire suppression systems installed in the dispatch center. Tower The tower at the site is an approximately 45-foot tall steel guyed tower mounted on the roof of the Milford Town Hall. The tower paint appears in good condition and shows minimal signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower does not appear to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is a vertical cable ladders where transmission cables are neatly running up the tower. All transmission cables are attached to the cable ladder with mounting brackets approximately every 8 feet up to their respective antennas. A metal cable tray cover is installed to protect the transmission cables from the building cable ports to the tower. There is a 4-port cable entry port system installed on the shelter with no unused ports available for new transmission cables.

Figure 5 - MACC Base Tower

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Emergency Backup Power Systems

MACC Base dispatch equipment is connected to a small APC UPS on the floor beside the equipment rack in the dispatch closet. The MACC Base radio equipment is connected to a small APC UPS between the racks that can temporarily power the all the MACC Base’s equipment if commercial power is lost. The entire MACC Base Dispatch Center is connected to a generator that is just for MACC Base. Grounding The grounding system in the equipment room contains a bus bar near where the transmission lines exit equipment racks. All equipment racks appear to be grounded. All components of MACC Base’s equipment in the racks appeared to be grounded to the racks. There is not a ground halo installed in the equipment room. The UPS’s in the equipment rooms did not appear to be grounded. There did not appear to be surge suppressors installed to prevent electrical surge damage from the commercial power provider.

Figure 6 – APC UPS The grounding system installed outside at the tower appears to be in fair condition. Transmission cables are not grounded immediately after exiting the building. Transmission cables are grounded to a small grounding bus bar at the base of the tower. The guyed wire anchors for the tower are not grounded. The tower base is grounded. There are many additional antennas mounted directly to the roof that do not appear to be grounded.

Figure 7 – Interior Transmission Line Grounding

Appendices-53


Figure 8 – Transmission Cables Not Grounded

Figure 9 – Tower Grounding Bus Bar

Appendices-54


Figure 10 – Additional Antennas Not Grounded

Recommend Improvements/Upgrades at the MACC Base Dispatch Center site 1. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment rooms to the halo. 2. Install grounding cables for all UPS units. 3. Install grounding cables for all guy wire anchors on the roof. 4. Install electrical surge suppressors in the equipment rooms to prevent electrical surge damage from

commercial power provider. 5. Redress and Organize cables and wiring in the dispatch equipment closet to prevent damage to

cables and accidental unplugging during equipment maintenance. 6. Install a HVAC system for the equipment room to maintain the proper operating temperature for the

radio equipment. 7. Seal all holes to exterior of the building in the attic equipment room to prevent water and other

environmental damage to MACC Base equipment. 8. Install a grounding bus bar below the transmission cable port entry on the roof and ground all

transmission cables immediately after they exit the building.

Appendices-55



Site Name: Mont Vernon Fire Station Site Survey Date: 10/6/2019 Latitude: 42° 53 35.81" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 40' 27.56" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Mont Vernon Fire Station Satellite View

Overview The Mont Vernon Fire Station tower site is a site owned by the Town of Mont Vernon where MACC Base radio equipment is co-located. The site is located at 3 Hardware Road, Mont Vernon, NH 03057. This is the Town of Mont Vernon’s only VHF transmit site. The elevation at the Mont Vernon Fire Station is 807 ft. This site is a VHF low band transmit site for Mont Vernon Fire Department channels 1 and 2 and VHF transmit site for MACC Base Ambulance and Law Enforcement channels.

Figure 2: Mont Vernon Fire Station Site

Appendices-56


Site Access/ Physical Security The Mont Vernon Fire Station site access appears well maintained by the Mont Vernon Fire Department. There is adequate parking and the paved access road is in good condition. There is not a barbed-wire perimeter fencing enclosing the tower. The site has a paved parking lot around fire station. There is no monitoring or alarm equipment at this site.

Figure 3: Tower attached to back of Fire Station

Tower The tower at the Mont Vernon Fire Station site is a 60-foot steel self-supporting tower with three legs and is mounted to the side of the fire station. The tower paint appears in good condition and shows no signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower does not appear to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is not a vertical cable ladder installed on the tower. All transmission cables are attached directly to the tower, running up to their respective antennas. There is not an ice bridge is installed to protect the transmission cables from the building cable ports to the tower. There is a single port cable entry system installed on the building with no unused ports that are still available for new transmission cables. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables. MACC Base has 4 low band antennas and 3 VHF antennas on the tower. MACC Base will have a 4.9 GHz microwave link installed at this site in the future. MACC Base connects to this site via leased copper lines.

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Figure 4: Mont Vernon Fire Station Antennas

Shelter MACC Base’s radio equipment is co-located in the attic of the Mont Vernon Fire Station. The door to the Fire Station building is locked. MACC Base has 1 existing equipment rack inside the building. Wiring and cabling is messy and unorganized for the Milford equipment. CTA recommends redressing and organizing cables and wiring to the equipment rack. Below is a list of equipment for the MACC Base Equipment Rack: Rack 1 – Town of Milford Radio Equipment

• CPI Tone Remote • Kenwood VHF Low Band Control Station – Mont Vernon Fire – Channel 1 • CPI Tone Remote • Kenwood VHF Low Band Control Station – Mont Vernon Fire – Channel 2 • Samlex America DC Power Supply • CPI Tone Remote

Appendices-58


• Kenwood VHF Low Band Control Station – Mont Vernon Highway Department • CPI Tone Remote • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Milford EMS • 2 x Astron DC Power Supply • CPI Tone Remote • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Mont Vernon Police Department

Figure 5: Town of Milford Radio Equipment Figure 6: Unorganized Wiring and Cables

There are no repeater systems at this site, so when users in the field talk on their portables or mobiles their radio traffic is only relayed to MACC Base and not to other field radio users The equipment room is on the building’s HVAC system. The temperature inside the attic of the building was unknown at the time of our site survey.

Appendices-59


Emergency Backup Power Systems Milford’s equipment is connected Fire Station’s Siemans emergency backup generator and can power all of MACC Base’s equipment if commercial power is lost. The generator is connected to three underground liquid propane fuel tanks that are protected by bollards.

Figure 7 – Underground Fuel Tanks

Figure 8 – Seimens Backup Generator

Grounding The grounding system in the equipment room consists of a grounding bus bar where the transmission lines exit through cable ports. MACC Base’s equipment rack appears to be grounded to this bus bar. All components of MACC Base’s equipment in the rack appeared only to be grounded to the rack by contact. There is not a ground halo installed in the equipment room, and metal items such as shelving units, cabinets, and HVAC vents do not appear to be grounded. All transmission cables appear to be grounded to a single ground cable with in-line surge suppressors before exiting the equipment shelter through the cable ports.

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The grounding system installed outside at the tower appears to be in fair condition. All transmission cables are grounded immediately after exiting the building. Only one of the three tower legs appear grounded. The roof mounted antenna is also grounded.

Figure 9 – Grounding Bus Bar in Equipment room

Figure 10 – Roof Mounted Antenna Grounding

Appendices-61


Figure 11 – Tower Leg Grounding

Recommend Improvements/Upgrades at the Mont Vernon Fire Station site 1. Redress and Organize cables and wiring in the dispatch equipment closet to prevent damage to

cables and accidental unplugging during equipment maintenance. 2. Install a repeater system so that field users can communicate with each other. 3. Install a UPS system that can support all equipment if commercial power is lost. 4. Install alarm and monitoring equipment at this site for identification of equipment failures. 5. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment room to the halo. 6. Ground each piece of equipment in the rack to the equipment rack with individual ground cables. 7. Install ground cables for all tower legs. 8. Install perimeter fencing with razon wire around the tower to prevent damage to the tower.

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Site Name: Patch Hill (Summer Street) Site Survey Date: 10/06/2019 Latitude: 42° 50' 56.73" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 39' 6.21" W ASR#: 694385

Figure 1: Patch Hill Satellite View

Overview The Patch Hill tower site is owned by U.S. Cellular with reserved space for public safety in the Town of Milford. The site is located at Summer Street, Milford, NH. Patch Hill with a site elevation of 446 ft. There is currently no MACC Base or Town of Milford equipment at this site Site Access/ Physical Security The Patch Hill site access appears well maintained by the site owner. There is adequate parking and the gravel access road is in good condition. There is perimeter fencing completely enclosing the shelter and the tower and the gates on the perimeter fence were locked. The site had an adequate gravel base layer and vegetation was mostly controlled within the site. There is room for an additional shelter for radio equipment at this site.

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Figures 2 Patch Hill Site

Tower The tower at the Patch Hill site is an approximately 140-foot new steel self-supported tower with three legs. The tower paint is in excellent condition and shows no signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower appears to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is a vertical cable ladder where transmission cables can be run up the tower. All transmission cables are attached to the cable ladder with mounting brackets approximately every 8 feet up to their respective antennas. An ice bridge is installed to protect the transmission cables from the shelter cable ports to the tower. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables.

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Figure 3: Patch Hill Tower

Shelter There is currently no shelter at the Patch Hill site. There are only two outdoor cabinets for cellular carrier equipment. Grounding The grounding system installed at the tower is in excellent condition. All transmission cables are grounded. The legs of the ice bridge are grounded. The base of the tower appears to be grounded to a ground ring that is just for the tower structure. The perimeter fence is grounded and there is a grounding tether to both sides of the access gate.

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Figure 4 – Transmission Cable Mounting

Figure 5 – Tower Grounding

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Site Name: Pead Hill Site Survey Date: 10/06/2019 Latitude: 42° 51 45.85" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 44' 18.08" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Pead Hill Satellite View

Overview The Pead Hill tower site is a leased site where the Town of Milford radio equipment is collocated. The site is located at 118 Pead Hill Road, Wilton, NH 03086. The elevation at this site is 875ft. This site is a VHF transmit site for law enforcement agencies (Milford, Wilton, Mont Vernon, and Lyndeborough) , Milford EMS, and Wilton Fire Department. MACC Base connects to this site using UHF control station links. Site Access/ Physical Security The Pead Hill site access appears somewhat maintained. There is not adequate parking at this site. There is no perimeter fencing enclosing the shelter or the towers. There is a small rope gate across the road access. There is no alarm or monitoring equipment installed at this site. Tower The towers at the Pead Hill site are two 50-foot wooden telephone poles with a support bracket connecting the two poles. The towers appear to be in good condition and shows minimal signs of tower degradation. The towers do not appear to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is not a vertical cable ladder for transmission cables to run up the tower. All transmission cables are attached directly to the wooden poles running up to their respective antennas. There is not an ice bridge is installed to protect the transmission cables from the shelter cable ports to the towers. There is a 2-port cable entry port system installed on

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the shelter with no unused ports that are still available for new transmission cables. There is an adequate drip loop installed in the transmission cables. MACC Base uses lease copper lines, and UHF control station links to connect to and transmit on the VHF control stations at this site.

Figure 2: Pead Hill Site

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Figure 3: Pead Hill Towers

Figure 4: Pead Hill Antennas

Shelter MACC Base radio equipment is co-located in a 6 ft x 6 ft built-on site concrete shelter. The door to the shelter was locked and required a key to gain entry. The shelter foundation appeared to be in fair condition. The UHF Control station links are utilized to transport voice transmissions to and from the MACC Base dispatch center. There are no repeater systems at this site, so when users in the field talk on their portables or mobiles their radio traffic is only relayed to MACC Base and not to other field radio users.

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There is one existing equipment rack inside the shelter. Wiring and cabling appeared unorganized for Milford’s equipment rack. Below is a list of equipment for the MACC Base equipment rack: Rack 1 – MACC Base Radio Equipment

• Astron DC Power Supply • Kenwood UHF Control Station Link (To MACC Base) • Kenwood VHF Low Band Control Station – Wilton Fire Department • Kenwood UHF Control Station Link (To MACC Base) • Kenwood VHF Control Station - Milford EMS • Astron DC Power Supply • Kenwood UHF Control Station Link (To MACC Base) • Kenwood VHF Control Station – Wilton Police Department – Channel 1 • Kenwood UHF Control Station Link (To MACC Base) • Kenwood VHF Control Station • APC UPS • 2 x VHF Combiners

Figure 5: Town of Milford Radio Equipment Figure 6: Unorganized Wiring and Cables

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There is a small space heater installed on the ceiling of the shelter, however it appears to be in poor condition and was not on at the time of our site survey. There was no thermostat in the shelter so the temperature in the shelter was unknown at the time of our site survey. Emergency Backup Power Systems MACC Base’s equipment is connected to a small portable APC UPS that can temporarily power the radio equipment if commercial power is lost. The UPS’s is on the floor beneath the equipment rack. All of MACC Base’s equipment inside the shelter is connected to a Generac backup generator. The generator appears to be in good condition with no visible signs of rust or degradation.

Figure 7 – UPS System

Figure 8 – Backup Generator

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Grounding The grounding system in the equipment room consists of a grounding bus bar where the transmission lines exit through cable ports. The equipment rack does not appear to be grounded to this bus bar. All components of MACC Base equipment in the racks appeared to be grounded to the racks. There is not a ground halo installed in the equipment room, and metal items such as shelving units, cabinets, and HVAC vents do not appear to be grounded to the shelter ground. All transmission cables appear to be grounded to a single ground cable with in-line surge suppressors before exiting the equipment shelter through the cable ports. The grounding system installed outside at the tower appears to be in poor condition. Transmission cables are not grounded after exiting the building. The wooden poles appear to be grounded with a single ground cable extending up the poles to the antennas. The generator and UPS do not appear to be grounded. There do not appear to be any additional grounding outside the shelter except the grounding for the wooden poles.

Figure 9 – Grounding Bus Bar in Equipment Shelter

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Recommend Improvements/Upgrades at the Pead Hill site

1. Install a repeater system so that field users can communicate with each other.2. Redress and organize cables and wiring to prevent damage to cables, and accidental unplugging

during equipment maintenance.3. Install alarm and monitoring equipment at this site for identification of equipment failures.4. Install a grounding cable for the UPS.5. Install a grounding halo and ground all metal objects in the equipment room to the halo.6. Install a grounding cable for the existing equipment rack.7. Install electrical surge suppressors to prevent electrical surge damage from commercial power

provider.8. Install a HVAC system for the equipment room to maintain the proper operating temperature for the

radio equipment.9. Install a grounding bus bar on the outside of the building and ground all transmission cables

immediately after they exit the building.10. Install a ground ring system for the wooden poles and connect the wooden poles to the ground ring

with multiple connections.11. Reground transmission cables as they climb the wooden pole.12. Install perimeter fencing with razon wire around the tower and shelter to prevent damage to

transmission cables or wooden poles.

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Site Name: Milford WW Treatment Plant Site Survey Date: 10/06/2019 Latitude: 42° 49' 36.57" N Surveyor: Curtis Johnson Longitude: 71° 37' 36.05" W ASR#: N/A

Figure 1: Milford WW Treatment Plant Satellite View

Overview The Milford WW Treatment Plant tower site is a Town of Milford owned site, where the Town of Milford radio equipment could be located in the future. The site is located at 584 Nashua Street, Milford, NH. There is currently no MACC Base or Town of Milford radio equipment at this site. Site Access/ Physical Security The Milford WW Treatment Plant site access appears well maintained by the Town of Milford Water Department. There is adequate parking and the paved access road in good condition. There is no barbed-wire perimeter fencing enclosing the shelter and the tower however, gate access was locked. Vegetation was controlled within the site. There is room for a new shelter for radio equipment at this site. There may also be space within the secured WW Treatment Building that the small tower is connected to. Tower The tower at the Milford WW Treatment Plant site is an approximately 90-foot tall steel guyed tower with three legs. The tower paint is in good condition and shows no signs of rust or tower degradation. The tower appears to have available space for additional antennas; however, a structural engineering analysis is required to confirm availability. There is not a vertical cable ladder for transmission cables on the tower. There is not an ice bridge installed at this site because the tower is connected directly to the building. Currently there is only a small antenna on the tower used for SCADA by the Milford Water Department.

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Figures 2 Milford WW Treatment Plant Site Figure 3: Milford WW SCADA Antenna

Shelter There is currently no shelter at the Milford Waste Water Treatment Plant site.

Grounding The grounding system installed outside at the tower is in good condition. Two of the three tower legs are grounded. The guyed anchors for the tower did not appear to be grounded. There are no additional grounding systems installed at this site.

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Figure 4 – Tower Grounding

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Appendix D Coverage Maps

Milford VHF Mobile Talk-in Predicted Coverage Milford VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Mobile Talk-in Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage

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Milford VHF Mobile Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Mobile Talk-In Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – In Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.73 dBm

Sites: Milford Police Department

Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4500 mobile radio, with a Unity gain antenna mounted on the roof of a vehicle.

Coverage displayed is based on predictive statistical modeling utilizing information from FCC regulations and USGS geographical data. Users in the field will experience variable coverage conditions due to multi-path fading, interference, and other random effects, which will be further degraded based upon the age of the equipment in use.

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Milford VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage Composite Study: Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.81 dBm Sites: Milford Police Department Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4500 mobile radio, with a Unity gain antenna mounted on the roof of a vehicle. Coverage displayed is based on predictive statistical modeling utilizing information from FCC regulations and USGS geographical data. Users in the field will experience variable coverage conditions due to multi-path fading, interference, and other random effects, which will be further degraded based upon the age of the equipment in use.

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Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage Composite Study: Talk – in Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -89.73 dBm Sites: Milford Police Department Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached operating inside a light building (12 dB loss). Coverage displayed is based on predictive statistical modeling utilizing information from FCC regulations and USGS geographical data. Users in the field will experience variable coverage conditions due to multi-path fading, interference, and other random effects, which will be further degraded based upon the age of the equipment in use.

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Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -81.31 dBm


Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached operating inside a light building (12 dB loss).


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Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage Composite Study: Talk – in Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.73 dBm Sites: Milford Police Department Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached. Coverage displayed is based on predictive statistical modeling utilizing information from FCC regulations and USGS geographical data. Users in the field will experience variable coverage conditions due to multi-path fading, interference, and other random effects, which will be further degraded based upon the age of the equipment in use.

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Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Milford VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -93.31 dBm


Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached.


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Regional VHF Mobile Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Mobile Talk-In Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – In Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.73 dBm

Sites: Milford Police Department Crown Castle (Wilton) Mont Vernon Fire Department Lyndeborough (American Tower)



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Regional VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Mobile Talk-out Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Simulcast Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.81 dBm




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Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-in Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – in Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -89.73 dBm


Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached operating inside a light building (12 dB loss).


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Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Portable Light Building Talk-out Predicted Coverage Composite Study: Simulcast Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -81.31 dBm Sites: Milford Police Department Crown Castle (Wilton) Mont Vernon Fire Department Lyndeborough (American Tower) Coverage is based on a Motorola APX4000 portable radio, mounted on the hip with a shoulder mic attached operating inside a light building (12 dB loss). Coverage displayed is based on predictive statistical modeling utilizing information from FCC regulations and USGS geographical data. Users in the field will experience variable coverage conditions due to multi-path fading, interference, and other random effects, which will be further degraded based upon the age of the equipment in use.

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Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-in Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Talk – in Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -101.73 dBm




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Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage Terrain Analysis Package (TAP): www.softwright.com

Regional VHF Portable Outdoor Talk-out Predicted Coverage

Composite Study: Simulcast Talk – out Tile Size: 0.05 mi x 0.05 mi Propagation Model: Longley Rice 90/90 DAQ:3.4 Transmission Type: P25 Phase 1 Minimum Required Signal Level: -93.31 dBm




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Appendix E Existing Frequency Table

Band License Holder FCC Call Sign Frequency Type ERP Location Milford Fire KDA383 33.6400 FB 100 TOWN HALLMilford Fire KDA383 33.6400 MO 100 MobileMACC WNKW865 33.6400 FB 105 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKW865 33.6400 FB 95 Town HallMACC WNKW865 33.6400 FB 110 High Mowing School Abbott HillMACC WNKW865 33.6400 MO 110 MobileMACC WNKW865 33.6400 FB 110 Federal Hill Fire TowerMACC WNKW865 33.6600 MO 110 MobileMACC WNNV625 33.6800 FB 96 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNNV625 33.6800 FB 96 Town HallMACC WNNV625 33.6800 MO 290 MobileMACC WNKW865 33.7200 FB 105 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKW865 33.7200 FB 95 Town HallMACC WNKW865 33.7200 MO 110 MobileMACC WNKW865 33.8800 FB 105 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKW865 33.8800 FB 95 Town HallMACC WNKW865 33.8800 MO 110 MobileMilford Fire KDA383 33.9000 FB 100 TOWN HALLMilford Fire KDA383 33.9000 MO 100 MobileTown of Milford KNHB592 39.5000 FB 90 19 Garden St.Town of Milford KNHB592 39.5000 MO 110 MobileMACC WNPU388 39.5000 FB 110 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNPU388 39.5000 FB 110 Town HallMACC WNPU388 39.5000 MO 110 MobileMilford Fire WPTN304 72.0600 FXOT 1 Temp. Fixed

Low-Band

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Band License Holder FCC Call Sign Frequency Type ERP Location Milford Ambulance WPWW414 151.0550 FB 50 MPD & TOWN HALLMilford Ambulance WPWW414 151.0550 MO 50 MobileMilford Ambulance WPWW414 151.0550 FB 50 66 ELM ST.Wilton Ambulance WQCL318 151.4975 FB 50 Locust Lane LydenboroughWilton Ambulance WQCL318 151.4975 FB 50 404 FORREST RD WILTONWilton Ambulance WQCL318 151.4975 MO 45 MobileMilford Police KCD463 152.8750 MO 100 MobileMACC WNKW865 153.7700 FB 105 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKW865 153.7700 FB 95 Town HallMACC WNKW865 153.7700 MO 110 MobileMilford Fire WQAW924 153.8525 MO 25 MobileTown of Milford KNHV346 154.0250 FB 100 TOWN HALLTown of Milford KNHV346 154.0250 MO 100 MobileMACC WNPU388 154.0775 FB 100 Town HallMACC WNPU388 154.0775 FB 43 Pead Hill RoadMACC WNPU388 154.0775 MO 60 MobileMACC WNKW865 154.1600 FB 105 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKW865 154.1600 FB 95 Town HallMACC WNKW865 154.1600 MO 110 MobileMilford Fire KDA383 154.1900 FB 30 TOWN HALLMilford Fire KDA383 154.1900 MO 25 MobileMilford Fire WQBD242 154.3700 FB2 50 Milford Fire StaMilford Fire WQBD242 154.3700 MO 25 MobileMilford Police WDB352 154.6500 FX1 100 19 Garden St.Milford Police WDB352 154.6500 MO 110 MobileMilford Police KCD463 154.8750 FB 132 19 Garden St.MACC WNPU435 154.8750 FB 110 Town HallMACC WNPU435 154.8750 FB 110 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNPU435 154.8750 FB 110 High Mowing SchoolMACC WNPU435 154.8750 MO 110 MobileMACC WNPU435 154.8750 FB 110 Pead Hill Road

VHF

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Band License Holder FCC Call Sign Frequency Type ERP Location Town of Milford KNHB592 155.1000 FB 90 19 Garden St.Town of Milford KNHB592 155.1000 MO 110 MobileTown of Milford KNHV346 155.1000 FB 100 TOWN HALLTown of Milford KNHV346 155.1000 MO 100 MobileMACC WNPU388 155.1000 FB 110 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNPU388 155.1000 FB 110 Town HallMACC WNPU388 155.1000 FB 110 Brookline Fire Station Bond St.MACC WNPU388 155.1000 FB 110 High Mowing School Abbott HillMACC WNPU388 155.1000 MO 110 Hillsbrough County, NHMACC WNPU388 155.1000 FB 43.423 Pead Hill RoadMilford Ambulance WPWW414 155.1000 FB 50 66 ELM ST.Milford Ambulance WPWW414 155.1000 MO 50 MobileMACC WNKG579 155.1600 FB 96 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKG579 155.1600 FB 96 Town HallMACC WNKG579 155.1600 MO 290 MobileMACC WNKG579 155.1750 FB 96 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKG579 155.1750 FB 96 Town HallMACC WNKG579 155.1750 MO 290 MobileMACC WNKG579 155.3400 FB 96 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNKG579 155.3400 FB 96 Town HallMACC WNKG579 155.3400 MO 290 MobileMACC WQGI887 155.7375 FB 40 Town HallMACC WQGI887 155.7375 MO 25 MobileMACC WQGI887 155.7375 FB 40 Pead Hill RoadMACC WQGI887 155.7375 MO 25 MobileMACC WNPU435 155.7825 FB 110 Town HallMACC WNPU435 155.7825 FB 110 Mont Vernon Fire Sta Rt 13MACC WNPU435 155.7825 FB 110 High Mowing SchoolMACC WNPU435 155.7825 MO 110 MobileMACC WNPU435 155.7825 FB 110 Pead Hill RoadMilford Fire WQBD242 156.0675 MO 25 MobileMilford Fire WQBD242 158.9925 MO 5 MobileMilford Ambulance WPWW414 159.0600 MO 50 MobileMilford Fire WQAW924 159.1275 FB 50 Town HallMilford Fire WQAW924 159.1275 MO 25 MobileMilford Fire WQBD242 159.1725 MO 5 Mobile

VHF

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Band License Holder FCC Call Sign Frequency Type ERP Location MACC WNPU388 453.0625 MO 2 MobileMACC WNKW865 453.1625 FB2 45 High Mowing School Abbott HillMACC WNKW865 453.1625 MO 45 MobileMACC WNKW865 453.4625 FB2 45 Town HallMACC WNPU388 453.5375 FB2 45 Pead Hill RoadMACC WNKW865 453.6125 FB2 45 Federal Hill Fire TowerMACC WNKW865 453.7625 FB2 100 Pead Hill RoadTown of Milford WPIY524 458.0375 MO 2 MobileMACC WNPU388 458.0625 MO 2 MobileMACC WNKW865 458.1625 MO 45 MobileMACC WNKW865 458.1625 FX1 25 6.1m Control Station NHMACC WNKW865 458.4625 MO 45 MobileMACC WNPU388 458.5375 MO 25 MobileMACC WNKW865 458.6125 FX1 25 6.1m Control Station NHMACC WNKW865 458.7625 MO 45 MobileMACC WNPU435 465.0375 MO 2 Mobile

UHF

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Documents

· 2020. 9. 4. · Town of Milford, New Hampshire 911 Communications Dispatch Center and Radio Needs Assessment i . Table of Contents . Executive Summary