Franklin County EMS Communications Network

1
Franklin County EMS Communications Network

• Project Initiation Presentation
• (Phase I)
• June 12, 2008

2
What is the concept?

• The intent of the Franklin County EMS
  Communications Network is to establish county
  wide dedicated frequencies for EMS operations.
• Major Goals
• Ensure that EMTs can communicate with their
  Ambulance units to coordinate responses and
  improve response times.
• Ensure that EMTs can communicate with each other
  to better coordinate responses and improve
  response times.
• Ensure that all Franklin County EMS Agencies can
  communicate with each other to better coordinate
  response and improve response times.
• Improve communications with EMS Agencies in
  surrounding counties to better coordinate
  responses and improve response times.

3
How will it work?

• Franklin County Emergency Services will obtain a
  license for a dedicated VHF High Band EMS radio
  frequency (in progress).
• Franklin County Emergency Services will install
  and maintain the necessary infrastructure to
  support the communications network.
• Franklin County Emergency Services will use grant
  funding to provide EMS Agencies with some initial
  VHF High Band radio communications equipment.
• Franklin County Emergency Services will establish
  policies and procedures for the use of this new
  radio communications network and will authorize
  network users.
• Franklin County Emergency Services will monitor
  the functionality of the new EMS radio
  communications network and work to make
  continuous improvements.

4
VHF High Band License / Infrastructure

• Franklin County Emergency Services is actively
  seeking a pair of VHF High Band frequencies that
  can be used county wide for operational EMS
  communications.
• Progress to date
• Frequency pair has tentative approval.
• Funding for 5 repeaters.
• Site 1 (Northern Franklin County)
• Site 2 (Northern Franklin County)
• Site 3 (Southern Franklin County)
• Site 4 (TBD as needed)
• Site 5 (TBD as needed)

5
Initial Radio Equipment

• Grant funding is anticipated to provide limited
  funding for some initial equipment for each of
  the 20 EMS Agencies within Franklin County.
• Funded equipment
• 1 Mobile Radio for each Ambulance unit. (30
  mobiles).
• 1 Mobile Radio for each Agency EMS Chief/Capt (20
  mobiles).
• 1 Portable Radio for each EMT or A-EMT within
  each EMS Agency (150 portables).
• 1 Portable Radio for Franklin County Public
  Health for emergency / disaster use only (30
  portables).
• EMS Agencies can purchase additional equipment as
  desired in compliance with the established
  policies and procedures for this new
  communications network.

6
Initial Radio Equipment (cont)

• VHF High Band
• Bulk purchase (likely NYS contract) so all the
  initial equipment will be alike.
• 50 watt narrow band 16 channel mobiles (antenna
  and install may be funded).
• 5 watt narrow band 16 channel portables.
• Programming software included.
• Frequencies
• Franklin County EMS.
• NYS EMS Frequencies.
• Talk about Dot frequencies.
• Frequencies of surrounding EMS agencies or Fire
  Depts that you have authorization for (we will
  try and accommodate requests).
• No Police Frequencies!

7
Policies Procedures

• Communications on the new network will be limited
  to EMS operations.
• Radio units must be authorized by Franklin County
  Emergency Services and by the EMS Agency Chief
  Officer / Fire Chief.
• Mobile radios restricted to Ambulances, NYS
  Certified First Response Vehicles, Fire Dept
  Apparatus, Fire Dept Officers, EMS Agency
  Officers.
• Portable radios restricted to the individuals
  mentioned above and EMS providers (NYS EMTs,
  A-EMTs).
• Individuals that are not authorized by their EMS
  Agency Chief Officer (Rescue Chief/Capt, Fire
  Chief, etc.) will not be granted permission to
  use the EMS communications network.
• Non-EMS Providers (firefighters, scene support
  personnel, etc.) are not authorized users on the
  EMS communications network because the network is
  exclusively for operational EMS communications.

8
Policies Procedures (cont)

• Unit numbers
• Ambulances, Officers, and Apparatus use existing
  unit numbers.
• EMS providers without unit numbers on portables
  use agency, NYS EMS provider level, last name
  (i.e. Malone EMT Smith, Saranac Lake A-EMT-I
  Smith).
• Authorized uses
• EMS provider to ambulance, officer, apparatus.
• EMS provider to provider.
• EMS on scene operations.
• EMS interagency communications.
• Disasters (interagency to include public health)
• All communications on the EMS network should
  comply with the existing Franklin County
  emergency communications policies and procedures.

9
Monitoring Evaluation

• Monitoring and evaluation is required by our
  grant funding agency (2 years).
• What will be monitored?
• Technical functionality of the network (does it
  work in all areas?, are there non-coverage areas?
  Is additional infrastructure needed? etc.)
• Radio traffic (radio ID capability)
• Notable improvements in county wide coordination
  of EMS responses and resources.
• Notable improvements in county wide response
  times.
• Notable positive and/or negative results of the
  new EMS communications network.
• Feedback from each EMS agency will be a very
  important part of the monitoring and evaluation.

10
Next Steps - Timeframe

• Build infrastructure. (July / August 2008)
• Washington DC meeting with funding agency.
  (August 2008)
• Purchase mobile portable radio equipment.
  (August 2008)
• Deploy mobile portable radio equipment. (Sept
  2008)
• Work out any technical communications issues.
  (Oct / Nov 2008)
• Monitor evaluate the EMS communications network
  and make any necessary adjustments. (Nov 2008 /
  Nov 2010)
• Consider expanding the network (include seeking
  additional funding) if there are positive
  results. (Nov 2010)