REPORT TITLE:
Haw. Police Dept. Telecom Sys.


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for the Hawaii county police department to
upgrade its telecommunications system.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1279 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                                 
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO UPGRADE THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
   OF THE HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a critical
 
 2 need to upgrade the telecommunications system of the Hawaii
 
 3 county police department to enhance public and police officer
 
 4 safety.  This need is evidenced by deficiencies in the present
 
 5 communications system, in the area of inadequate radio coverage,
 
 6 due in part to the distinctive geography of the island,
 
 7 punctuated with the unique topography of the island's many
 
 8 valleys and mountains.
 
 9      The existing system's unreliability, the inability to
 
10 restore the system in a timely manner, and channel congestion are
 
11 also major concerns.  Secondary to these problems are the
 
12 system's lack of voice security, multiple channels required to
 
13 cover a single district, sporadic in-building service with hand
 
14 held two-way radio units, and the poor overall quality of radio
 
15 communication in specific locations.  There are an insufficient
 
16 number of non-interfering frequencies available in the present
 
17 communications band to resolve these problems.
 
18      Coupled with these inherent problems of the existing system,
 
19 the county of Hawaii is mandated to make changes in the present
 

 
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 1 radio system, as a result of the Federal Communication Commission
 
 2 rules under Part 88, known as the "Refarming Act" and the
 
 3 reallocation by the Federal Communication Commission of the 2 Ghz
 
 4 microwave (which the county of Hawaii is presently utilizing) to
 
 5 private communications services.
 
 6      The need to upgrade the county of Hawaii police
 
 7 telecommunications system is further evidenced by the overall
 
 8 growth of the population and visitors to the island of Hawaii and
 
 9 the ever increasing number of calls for police service via the E-
 
10 911 emergency telephone system.
 
11      The most viable solution to these problems is to upgrade the
 
12 existing system by acquiring a modern 800 Mhz trunked radio
 
13 system, coupled with a digital microwave "backbone".  The salient
 
14 reasons for having this type of system is that:  first, the 800
 
15 Mhz frequency band has an adequate number of radio channels
 
16 assigned specifically for public safety, and secondly, the Hawaii
 
17 county, itself, has already been allocated 800 Mhz channels as
 
18 part of the State of Hawaii 800 Mhz Regional Plan, which has been
 
19 approved by the Federal Communication Commission.  Since the
 
20 allocation is exclusively for public safety, it provides a very
 
21 low potential for radio interference and increased channel
 
22 privacy.  Lastly, 800 Mhz trunking technology makes possible much
 
23 more efficient utilization of the radio spectrum, greatly
 

 
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 1 enhanced functional capabilities, the quickest availability of
 
 2 new technology, and extensive interoperability among different
 
 3 departments or agencies operating on the system.  Trunking not
 
 4 only offers frequency efficiency, but will provide maximum
 
 5 flexibility for multiple users, operational applications,
 
 6 expansion capability, flexibility for restructuring, protection
 
 7 from loss of an individual repeater, and other multiple features,
 
 8 including the capability of having mobile data terminals.
 
 9      The trunking system will overcome the limitations of the
 
10 existing radio system and permit future growth.  The legislature
 
11 recognizes that this telecommunications system would be
 
12 instrumental in coordinating the response by county, state, and
 
13 federal agencies in disaster or other emergency situations.
 
14      Acquiring a new loop microwave system, developing additional
 
15 radio sites, and renovating or expanding existing sites is
 
16 paramount as infrastructure is essential for the success of the
 
17 new trunking radio systems.  Experience has demonstrated that 800
 
18 Mhz frequency band is very effective for public safety use.
 
19 There are thousands of systems in operation on the continental
 
20 United States, and two such systems are presently installed in
 
21 the county of Kauai and the city and county of Honolulu.  The
 
22 county of Maui is presently in the process of installing their
 
23 own 800 Mhz trunking system.  The 800 Mhz trunked radio system
 

 
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 1 can provide a common, integrated radio backbone infrastructure
 
 2 that can be shared by all county, state, and federal agencies
 
 3 (i.e., "National Mutual Aid Calling channels").  Each of the
 
 4 counties in the State that presently operate an 800 Mhz system
 
 5 must maintain an independent radio infrastructure to operate on
 
 6 the assigned frequencies within the 800 Mhz spectrum.
 
 7      In July of 1995, the Hawaii county council hired a
 
 8 consultant firm, Schema Systems Inc., from Whittier, California,
 
 9 which completed an 800 Mhz feasibility study.  The study
 
10 encompassed an analysis of the present radio operations,
 
11 including the existing microwave system and radio facilities.
 
12 The study also pointed out the deficiencies and the needs and
 
13 requirements of the individual departments that utilize the
 
14 system.  It also gave an in depth analysis and conversion costs
 
15 for transforming the existing VHF system to an 800 Mhz trunked
 
16 system.  The figures in this Act are based upon these costs.
 
17      Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds
 
18 for the Hawaii county police department to upgrade its
 
19 telecommunications system.
 
20      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
21 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $21,772,219, or so
 
22 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal biennium 1999-2001,
 
23 for the Hawaii county police department to upgrade its
 

 
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 1 telecommunications system in the following manner:
 
 2      Detailed 800 Mhz system engineering,
 
 3           system specifications, bidding, and
 
 4           consulting engineer                    $   385,000
 
 5      Equipment, installation, and project
 
 6           management                             $12,822,553
 
 7      System/equipment warranty, spare parts,
 
 8           and trunked system test equipment      $   541,992
 
 9      Facilities improvement and new site
 
10           development                            $ 1,655,500
 
11      Consultant - final and detailed
 
12           engineering, system specifications,
 
13           bidding for 6 Ghz digital microwave    $   137,500
 
14      Digital microwave equipment,
 
15           installation, and project management   $ 5,632,410
 
16      One year system/equipment warranty,
 
17           equipment spare parts, spare loop and
 
18           hot-standby terminal, system test
 
19           equipment                              $   597,264
 
20      SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
21 county of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
22      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
23 
 
24                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________
 

 
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