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Fec~era~Priorities 2007 Transportation <br />Lane Transit District <br />Commlunication Systems Upgrades <br />Request <br />Lane Transit District (LTD) requests $2 million to upgrade its radio frequency (RF) <br />communications infrastructure and related integrated systems. The upgrades will enable LTD to <br />implement recommendations by the Oregon State Interoperability Executive Council (SIEC) <br />through its "Guide for Short-Term Interoperability." <br />Background <br />Lane Transit District is a member of Lane County's Emergency Preparedness Team. In an <br />event requiring transportation of large numbers of people, such as an evacuation or medical <br />emergency, Lane County's Emergency Coordinator would request resources from LTD's public <br />transit bus fleet. During disaster preparedness evaluation exercises, communications between <br />LTD's dispatchers and the Lane County Emergency Coordinator were carried over conventional <br />phone lines or cellular phones because the LTD radio system could not access the law <br />enforcement frequencies. On one occasion, communications were relayed to LTD's <br />dispatchers from Emergency Coordination personnel via an LTD driver using the vehicle's <br />mobile radio. <br />Analysis of these exercises revealed a shortcoming in the ability of Lane County's Emergency <br />Coordinator to communicate effectively with LTD's dispatchers and field supervisors for the <br />purpose of coordinating public transportation resources during a public safety emergency. This <br />is of particular concern as the community begins planning for the 2008 United States Track and <br />Field Olympic Trials. <br />LTD proposes to address this issue by upgrading its RF communications infrastructure and <br />related integrated systems to provide access to the appropriate interoperability channels as set <br />forth in the Oregon SIEC's "Guide for Short-Term Interoperability" (November 17, 2005). The <br />number one identified critical issue in the State's plan is the "Need to communicate with each <br />other during emergencies and day-to-day operations." <br />The upgrades will create a RF-based communication path for local or state emergency <br />coordinators to issue instructions to and receive feedback from LTD's dispatchers and field <br />supervisors. Until that is complete, Lane Transit District cannot meet the "simplest means to <br />gaining a measure of interoperability" as recommended by the State Interoperability Executive <br />Council's technical committee. <br />The upgrades consist of the following: <br />• Replacement of all current mobile radio units <br />• Purchase and installation of base/control stations at Glenwood and Garfield facilities <br />• Installation of Internet protocol-based. (IP-based) cross connect equipment at Blanton and <br />Coburg transmitter sites <br />• Improvements to dispatcher stations at Glenwood and Garfield facilities <br />14 <br />