Loveland Police Department moves forward on communications ...

The City Council last week approved a purchase for radio equipment that will put the finishing touches on a major upgrade for the Loveland Police Departments dispatch center.

The council awarded a contract to Motorola Solutions Inc. in the amount of $889,517 for the purchase of Internet Protocol radio systems for one dispatch center and 10 operator stations at the police department. IP systems will replace the current analog radios and enable the department to connect with agencies across the state.

This is a remarkable advance for the entire community for the efficiency of the entire public safety workforce, said Police Chief Luke Hecker.

The purchase will complete a project that was started in the early 2000s when the city contracted with Motorola to build and maintain 800-megahertz radio towers at about $100,000 a year. When that became the statewide system, the state absorbed the cost of the towers, leading the city to incur the savings, which came to a little more than $1 million, according to Hecker.

That cost savings has been used to update the communications center, which dispatches for Loveland Police, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services and Berthoud Fire. The dispatch center was rebuilt and expanded last year with state-of-the-art console furniture and an addition of four consoles for a total of 10. Larimer County Emergency Telephone Authority updated the telephone system this year to IP technology and the last piece is the radio system.

It will round out the entire project, said Mark Gaisford, communications manager for the department. Once it all comes together, theres a lot more capabilities.

In the direction the technology is moving, people could potentially text or email the police department in an emergency where a phone call may be dangerous. And with respect to other agencies, Loveland could dispatch for those agencies in the event of an emergency, using the new Communications Emergency Operations Center. Its been held up by the lack of IP radio equipment, but when its operational the department will be able to use it for regional special events and emergencies.

Its changing the way that we think about how we can provide emergency services, said Hecker.

The IP radio system is expected to go live by the end of the year, and Gaisford said dispatchers will not need much additional training based on their experience with the IP telephone system.

Jessica Maher can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 516, or maherj@reporter-herald.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JessicaMaherRH.

Source: http://www.upgradingonlineconference.com/loveland-police-department-moves-forward-on-communications-upgrade/

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