NCJ Number
211134
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 53 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 38-40
Date Published
August 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Indiana's Project Hoosier SAFE-T (Safety Acting for Everyone-Together) promises to create communication links among local, State, and Federal emergency responders/public officials throughout 95 percent of the State with 95 percent reliability.
Abstract
SAFE-T is being built on a Motorola 4.1 Astro Smartzone OmniLink 800 MHz trunked voice and data system. It will be distributed statewide through 126 transmission sites, providing direct wireless connections for both analog and digital 800 MHz radios. Agencies that use either VHF or UHF radios, however, will not be required to replace their technology, because all participating dispatch centers will be connected to the SAFE-T network by landline or control stations. The project will cost approximately $78 million. Member agencies will only pay for user and dispatch center equipment, much of which is eligible for government grants. Although the project is not yet complete, the partially finished network enabled 13 emergency-response agencies to communicate seamlessly with one another at the site of a tornado in 2002. For other States considering creation of a statewide interoperable communication system, SAFE-T presents a model for study. The principal advice for those considering replication of SAFE-T is to find someone in government to champion the proposal and have firm, practical funding sources available.