SOUTH-WESTERN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT INSTALLS INTEGRATED RADIO SYSTEM FOR SEAMLESS, DISTRICT-WIDE COMMUNICATION

SITUATION

Spanning 119 square miles and with a total enrollment of approximately 20,000 students, Ohio's South-Western City School District is the second largest in Franklin County and the sixth largest in the State of Ohio.

With the FCC's January 2013 narrowbanding requirement looming, the District decided to streamline its radio bandwidth use. To comply with Homeland Security requirements, the District needed to facilitate a whole new level of communication between the four law enforcement agencies and five fire departments serving its jurisdiction.

The initiative began with an FCC narrowbanding mandate. By 2013, the District's radio system was required to double its efficiency, switching from 25 kHz technology to 12.5 kHz levels. This necessitated the creation of a budget for the switch, which had not previously existed.

As the District investigated its options, it became clear that its communication system was in need of a critical upgrade. Some facilities had two-way radios; others did not. Buildings operated on a UHF system, while buses used a VHF system. Some buildings relied on low-cost, low-reliability radios purchased locally. At times and in certain locations, the signal did not come through clearly. The School District recognized the need for wholesale changes to comply with Homeland Security regulations, secure its communication system, and ensure the safety of its students.

SOLUTION OVERVIEW

A comprehensive, customized, and cost-effective radio communication system.

Since the District sought a solution integrated with first-responding agencies, it initially contacted the Grove City Police Department, which had a relationship with a local channel partner, B&C Communications. Led by District Project Director of Readiness and Emergency Management in Schools, Gary L. Sigrist, Jr., the District approached B&C with a detailed list of requirements, including the ability to communicate directly with one of its police departments.

Gary L. Sigrist, Jr. stated, "We met with B&C Communications, and we talked about a consistent communication piece across the District. We wanted to be able to communicate through different departments, buildings, etc. When we explained that we wanted to start from scratch and buy new equipment to communicate across the District, we started looking at the CP200 XLS radios for building use and MOTOTRBO for District-wide use. We talked about communicating with the Grove City Police and about GPS."

He added, "I knew what we needed in terms of Homeland Security and communicating with first responders. To be honest, we didn't know what was out there. When I conveyed our ultimate goal and needs, that's when they suggested the MOTOTRBO and CP200 XLS to meet our long-term needs." The implementation proceeded from there.

IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS

The installation occurred in two phases:

• Phase 1 (Spring 2011): Each District building received a CP200 XLS radio. These analog radios were intended for day-to-day use within buildings and could be used interchangeably across different schools, facilitating communication during multi-school events.
• Phase 2 (Summer 2011): The District began programming and installing MOTOTRBO digital mobile radios in buses.

In August 2011, the District equipped its administrators with MOTOTRBO portable radios, enabling communication with anyone in the District, regardless of whether they were using a CP200 XLS analog radio or a MOTOTRBO digital radio. Sigrist described the entire installation and transition process as a "pretty smooth rollout."

RESULTS

In August 2011, the District introduced a newly integrated radio system that was compliant with the 2013 FCC narrowbanding mandate and met Homeland Security requirements. The system provided the appropriate mix of radios for the District's needs.

The District now utilizes a UHF channel, facilitating consistent communication throughout its entire area. Each District building is equipped with a CP200 XLS analog portable radio. School buses are equipped with MOTOTRBO digital mobile radios, which include GPS and a direct channel to the Police Department. Administrators use MOTOTRBO radios in analog or digital mode to communicate easily between buildings and departments, as well as with public safety officials. This integrated radio solution significantly enhances the efficiency and functionality of District-wide communications.

KEY FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY

Seamless Network

The District now has an integrated communication system that is Homeland Security compliant. Every administrator's MOTOTRBO digital radio is programmed to operate with any of the CP200 XLS analog portable, building-specific radios within the district. Administrators can also switch their radios to operate on the district-wide MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus digital system, which includes a hidden, listen-only channel for emergency notifications to building principals and administrators.

Gary L. Sigrist, Jr. shared an example of this district-wide functionality: "Yesterday, we had an incident where a building was without power. They were told that it was going to be out for at least 3 hours. We had property services, transportation, the superintendent's office, and the public information office all on one channel. I was just listening, because they don't need me to make those kinds of decisions. What you could hear was that we had people literally as far apart in our district as they could possibly be, but because we were all on the same channel, everyone heard the same discussion. That's the way it was supposed to work."

Private Call

One vital MOTOTRBO function is "private call." Sigrist recounted a recent incident: "I was at a building and I noticed there was a news reporter sitting up on the school property, which was not allowed. I was able to program my radio so it was a clone of the building radio. Because I was outside the building, I was able to contact the principal on his channel, as I didn't want everyone on the staff to hear what was going on outside. I said, 'Private call my radio.' Then he was able to private call my radio, so he and I were the only two that could hear the conversation about what was happening outside."

Telemetry Features

Each District bus is equipped with a suite of telemetry features, tracking speeds, door open status, flashing lights, and more. When drivers press the "panic button," the radio automatically transfers to the police department for 30 seconds. Law enforcement officials can then speak directly to the driver and also listen to what's happening on the bus, even if the driver cannot respond. Because each mobile radio is assigned to a specific bus, authorities can identify the bus when they key their microphone.

Bus GPS for Accountability

As the District utilizes Motorola's radio solutions, it continues to find valuable applications. Sigrist described how the District has found new uses for the GPS on bus mobile radios: "If someone were to call to tell us that a bus driver was driving too fast in a residential or construction area, we now have the ability to go back and check the records to verify the bus' speed at any given time or location."

WHY MOTOROLA

When it came time to choose radio products, Motorola met the District's complex communication and compliance needs. Sigrist explained, "When the U.S. Department of Education asked me why we went with B&C and chose Motorola, I told them that as part of the REMS grants, we stress building strong relationships with our first responders. This system provides us with seamless integration between the Grove City Police Department and the School District."

WHAT'S NEXT

Expanding functionality will be more accessible due to the District's investment in an integrated, multi-tiered, custom communications solution. For example, in the future, the District may consider the advantages of installing additional antennae on its radio tower to enable data transfers between radios, thereby increasing its resilience in responding to future security and communication challenges.