REPORT TITLE:
HI County PD Telecom Upgrade



DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds to upgrade Hawaii county police department's
telecommunications system.  (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2552
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
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.
 
 5      This need is evidenced by deficiencies in the present
 
 6 communications system, in the area of inadequate radio coverage,
 
 7 due in part to the distinctive geography of the island,
 
 8 punctuated with the unique topography of the island's many
 
 9 valleys and mountains.
 
10      The existing system's unreliability, the inability to
 
11 restore the system in a timely manner, and channel congestion are
 
12 also major concerns.  Secondary to these problems are the
 
13 system's lack of voice security, multiple channels required to
 
14 cover a single district, sporadic in-building service with hand-
 
15 held, two-way radio units and the overall quality of radio
 
16 communication is poor in specific locations.  There are an
 
17 insufficient number of non-interfering frequencies available in
 
18 the present communications band to resolve these problems.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2552
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
Page 3                                                     2552
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
Page 4                                                     2552
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 Honolulu.  The county of Maui is presently in the process of
 
 2 installing their own 800 MHz trunking system.  The 800 MHz
 
 3 trunked radio system can provide a common, integrated radio
 
 4 backbone infrastructure that can be shared by all county, state,
 
 5 and federal agencies (i.e., "national mutual aid calling
 
 6 channels").  Each of the counties in the State of Hawaii that
 
 7 presently operate an 800 MHz system must maintain an independent
 
 8 radio infrastructure to operate on the assigned frequencies
 
 9 within the 800 MHz spectrum.
 
10      In July of 1995 the Hawaii county council hired a consultant
 
11 firm, Schema Systems Inc., from Whittier, California which
 
12 completed an 800 MHz feasibility study.  The study encompassed an
 
13 analysis of the present radio operations including the existing
 
14 microwave system and radio facilities.  The study also pointed
 
15 out the deficiencies and the needs and requirements of the
 
16 individual departments that utilize the system.  It also gave an
 
17 in-depth analysis and conversion costs for transforming the
 
18 existing VHF system to an 800 MHz trunked system.
 
19      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
20 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $       or so much
 
21 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, for the
 
22 Hawaii county police department to do the following:
 

 
 
 
Page 5                                                     2552
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      For detailed 800 MHz system
 
 2      engineering, system specifications,
 
 3      bidding, and consulting engineer.                  $  
 
 4      For equipment, installation and project
 
 5      management.                                        $  
 
 6      For system/equipment warranty, spare
 
 7      parts and trunked system test
 
 8      equipment.                                         $  
 
 9      For facilities improvement and new site
 
10      development.                                       $  
 
11      For consultant -- final and detailed
 
12      engineering, system specifications,
 
13      bidding for 6 GHz digital microwave.               $  
 
14      For digital microwave equipment,
 
15      installation and project management,
 
16      and building construction.                         $  
 
17      For one year system/equipment warranty,
 
18      equipment spare parts, spare loop and
 
19      hot-standby terminal, system test
 
20      equipment.                                         $  
 
21      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
22 county of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
23      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.