Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/121369
Sarasota News Leader April 12, 2013 Page 17 calls through the 911 centers in the two coun- help guide county staff "through the pitfalls that you have just described …" ties to make communication possible. With the new system, he said, "We would have He added, "If the consultant couldn't allay all of our concerns … then we would be out very mutual channels on our radios …" little money by hiring the consultant" and not Robinson told Tobias she had spent about 15 buying the first-generation equipment. minutes on the Internet researching the P25 equipment and had found complaints in vari- Robinson said she felt county staff should be researching the issues before hiring the conous major metropolitan areas. sultant. (Tobias earlier had said the request "Any time you install a complex system … for proposal to be advertised for the position across a wide network, there's bound to be, was nearly complete.) as you call them, 'bugs,'" he told her. However, the vendor typically works with the local Tobias also asked Bill Hutchison, the former government to make sure issues are resolved, Manatee County public safety director, to address the commission. he pointed out. When Robinson continued that she had found some information about the federal government looking into creating a compatibility certification process for P25 systems to ensure interdependability, Tobias said he was unaware of that. Hutchison recently retired, he said, but he is still working as a consultant to Manatee County. Referring to Charlotte County officials, Robinson added, "They had done much more research on this issue and the bugs involved in it, and I'm concerned that we haven't. … I want to know what the problems are ahead of time and make sure that we're making a good choice to go with this now …" Numerous P25 systems have been installed in Florida, he pointed out, indicating they are working well. "We're aware of some of the issues with P25 deployments around the country," he said, "but that's largely anecdotal information." He cautioned the commission that because technology is evolving rapidly, "You should not expect to get 20 years of life out of the radio system that you're contemplating She continued, "If the second generation [of putting in …" P25 equipment] is right around the corner … The advantages of both Sarasota and Manatee I might be willing to pay that money to take counties installing the same new system are of [it] over the first [generation]." high importance, he added. "That's why we're One reason his office had sought approval for pushing forward as hard as we can on this hiring the consultant, Tobias replied, was to regional concept." %