REPORT TITLE:
Haw. Police Dept. Telecom Sys.


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

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                             
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           751
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                                 
                                                             
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                   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,
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           751
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           751
                                                        
                                                        

 
 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, and renovating or expanding existing sites 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
 

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           751
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           751
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $21,772,219, or so
 
 3 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal biennium 1999-2001,
 
 4 for the Hawaii county police department to upgrade its
 
 5 telecommunications system in the following manner:
 
 6      Detailed 800 Mhz system engineering,
 
 7           system specifications, bidding, and
 
 8           consulting engineer                    $   385,000
 
 9      Equipment, installation, and project
 
10           management                             $12,822,553
 
11      System/equipment warranty, spare parts,
 
12           and trunked system test equipment      $   541,992
 
13      Facilities improvement and new site
 
14           development                            $ 1,655,500
 
15      Consultant - final and detailed
 
16           engineering, system specifications,
 
17           bidding for 6 Ghz digital microwave    $   137,500
 
18      Digital microwave equipment,
 
19           installation, and project management   $ 5,632,410
 
20      One year system/equipment warranty,
 
21           equipment spare parts, spare loop and
 
22           hot-standby terminal, system test
 
23           equipment                              $   597,264
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           751
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 county of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
 3      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 4 
 
 5                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________