Pubic Safety Radio Infrastructure Improvements

Barrington's emergency responders rely heavily on the Town's radio communications infrastructure to provide essential services to the community.  In 2005, the Town established an emergency communications capital reserve fund with the purpose of saving money to fund radio improvements.  In 2021, the Town endeavored to take a comprehensive and organized approach to needed radio improvements.  Long-time resident Normand Boucher is an expert consultant who, through his company Communications Design Consulting Group (CDCG), has provided services to local, county, state, and private organizations across the country.  Since 2021, Norm has donated his time and expertise to lead the Town's radio infrastructure improvement efforts.  This work has included replacing equipment which is beyond its useful/serviceable life and adopting new technology in order to leverage additional capabilities.  The summary below highlights the improvements made since 2021 and the details that follow show every step of the process.

Summary

  • Replaced Fire and Ambulance Department Repeater and Antenna
    • Added a new frequency for improved communication within the Barrington-Lee-Madbury communications district 
    • Added new fiber connection between the Ramsdell Lane radio tower and UNH Dispatch
    • New radios in all Fire and Ambulance vehicles
    • New portable radios to be ordered in 2024
  • New Repeater and Antenna for Highway Department Radio Frequency
    • Added a new frequency to allow repeater to function
    • New radios for all Highway Department trucks
  • Secured Two Additional Frequencies to Serve as Tactical Channels
    • Allows car-to-car communciation between public safety personnel
  • Police Radio Improvements in Conjunction with Strafford County Improvements
    • Replacing cruiser radios on a rolling basis through cruiser replacement schedule
    • Replaced 50% of portable radios, remaining to be replaced in 2024
  • Generator for Ramsdell Lane Radio Tower
  • Fire Department
    1. New control stations and antenna
    2. Bunk room horn and lights alert system
    3. Speaker and intercom/PA system throughout facility
  • Police Department
    1. New antenna
    2. Speaker and intercom/PA system throughout facility
  • Town Hall/Emergency Operations Center
    1. Three control stations and antennas for Police/Fire/Highway frequencies
    2. Two ethernet desktop control stations for use within Town’s multi-facility dark fiber network
  • Highway
    1. New control station for rear garage and new antennas
    2. Two new desk sets (one for front and one for rear garage)
    3. Speaker and intercom/PA system throughout front and rear garage

June 12, 2023 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Acceptance of Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Communications Tower Generator Grant – $74,500 – Vote

    1. See attached, Grant Agreement Barrington Comm Tower Generator

    2. This is a new grant for a generator at 105 Ramsdell Lane for the radio tower and building.  It is anticipated that the Town Hall Emergency Operations Center construction costs will be used towards the match requirement of this grant.  If additional funds are required, we anticipate utilizing the emergency communications capital reserve.  This would require separate action by the Select Board. 
    3. Acceptance of unanticipated funds is governed by RSA 31:95-b.  As required, this public hearing was published in Foster’s Daily Democrat on June 5th, 2023.
    4. Public Comment (see Visitor Orientation below)

Make a motion to accept the terms of the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) as presented in the amount of $74,500 for the communications tower generator.  Acknowledging that the total cost of this project is up to $149,000, in which the Town will be responsible for a 50% math ($74,500).  Further to authorize the Town Administrator to sign related documents.

May 4, 2023 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Radio Licensing Fees – Emergency Communication Capital Reserve - $1,150
    1. The radio communications improvements continue in Barrington.  There was recently another round of licensing at a cost of $1,150.  The Select Board is asked to authorize that expenditure from the Emergency Communications Capital Reserve.

Make a motion to authorize $1,150 from the Emergency Communications Capital Reserve for licensing fees.

December 5, 2022 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Public Safety Building Radio Systems Improvements
    2. See attached, BARRINGTON EOC REMOTES&CTRL STATIONS QUOTE
    3. These scopes are part of the ongoing radio system improvement project.  These funds were properly budgeted in the Emergency Communications Upgrades Capital Reserve which has a current balance of $293,842.75.

Make a motion to authorize the Public Safety Building and Town Hall/Emergency Operations Center proposals from ALL-COMM as presented and to appropriate up to $65,000 from the Emergency Communications Upgrades Capital Reserve.

September 12, 2022 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Police and Fire Radio Purchases

Make a motion to appropriate up to $35,000 from the Emergency Communications Capital Reserve to purchase portable radios through the volume purchasing discount negotiated by Strafford County.

August 8, 2022 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. At the January 3, 2022 meeting, the Select Board appropriated $80,000 and authorized proceeding with recommended radio improvements.  At that meeting, radio frequencies were discussed as a potential cause for delay.  This includes a frequency for ‘Barrington Local’ and for the UNH Dispatch Communication District.
  2. To make that ‘Barrington Local’ work on a repeater there needs to be a companion frequency.  The Town’s radio communications consultant continues to work with the FCC to do so.  Most of the physical equipment is delivered and ready to be installed at the tower and in vehicles. 
  3. UNH, Barrington, Madbury, and Lee have recently agreed to system-wide improvements to the UNH Dispatch Communication District.  The same communications consultant has secured the necessary frequencies to make these upgrades work.  These upgrades will include a new repeater at the tower in Barrington.  In support of that upgrade, the Town recently finalized a new fiber connection from the communications tower to UNH dispatch. 
  4. The plan is to install both repeaters and related equipment at the same time later this summer or early fall. 
  5. The Police Department is also reviewing prices from Strafford County to purchase upgraded radios as part of the county-wide upgrade. 

February 28, 2022 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Radio Licensing Appropriation
    1. Normand Boucher of CDCG continues to donate his time to design and improve the Town’s radio communications infrastructure.  Part of that project includes FCC licensing research and acquisition which has a cost component.  We are asking the Select Board to appropriate $2,907.50 from the Communications Upgrades for Emergency Services Capital Reserve for this purpose. 

Make a motion to appropriate $2,907.50 from the Communications Upgrades for Emergency Services Capital Reserve to CDCG for frequency research and FCC licensing. 

January 3, 2022 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Barrington Local Repeater – Vote
    1. At the May 24, 2021 meeting, the Select Board authorized the acceptance of a Radio Communications Study to be performed by Communications Design Consulting Group (CDCG).  Normand Boucher (a Barrington resident) offered this proposal to the Town at no cost.  His expertise has been invaluable thus far. 
    2. At the October 4, 2021 meeting, the Select Board voted to advertise an RFP/specifications for a new repeater and radios for the Barrington Local frequency and to replace the Fire repeater with a plan to use funds which are available in the properly established capital reserve account.
    3. After review by the Town’s radio communications consultant, we recommend awarding the project to ALL-COM with a proposed contract price of $74,125.85.  ALL-COM demonstrated a complete understanding of our current communication infrastructure and the needs associated with an upgrade.  The company is well recommended. 
    4. See attached, Town of Barrington NH Radio System Update
    5. Our radio communications consultant is still working to finalize the additional frequencies needed and the results may necessitate minor adjustments to the ALL-COM proposal.  As a result, we ask that the Select Board consider authorizing up to $80,000 (the original budgeted amount) toward the project

Make a motion to award the Barrington Local Repeater and Radios and Fire/EMS repeater scope to ALL-COM and authorize up to $80,000 to be spent from the Emergency Communication Upgrades Capital Reserve on the project.

November 24, 2021 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Fire/EMS Radio Tower Communications Line – Vote
    1. The Fire/EMS repeater on Ramsdell Lane is currently connected to the dispatch center through an antiquated 4-wire copper-line system.  As part of the radio infrastructure upgrades, we explored our upgrade options.  The two solutions we considered were a wireless microwave link and dedicated fiber.  All-Com submitted a proposal for microwave which would cost $36,500.  We requested proposal from Atlantic Broadband, FirstLight, and Consolidated for the fiber connection.  Atlantic Broadband is just now entering Durham and the timeline is inconsistent with our current needs.  FirstLight does not have infrastructure close enough to support the connection.  Consolidated could provide a fiber connection for $10,000 down and $309 per month (five-year contract with non-appropriation clause).
    2. Although we would like to explore microwave in the future, that system would best be considered in conjunction with the neighboring communities.  We will pursue the planning stages of a microwave connection, but feel it is in the Town’s best interest to pursue the fiber connection at this time.

Make a motion to authorize entering a contract with Consolidated Communications to install a fiber connection between the Fire/EMS repeater and the dispatch center with $10,000 down and $309 per month for five years with a non-appropriation clause. 

October 4, 2021 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Radio Communications Improvements – Discussion
    1. At the May 24, 2021 meeting, the Select Board authorized the acceptance of a Radio Communications Study to be performed by Communications Design Consulting Group (CDCG).  Normand Boucher (a Barrington resident) offered this proposal to the Town at no cost.  His expertise has been invaluable thus far. 
    2. Over the past few months Mr. Boucher has been working with the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Road Agent, Town Administrator and other stakeholders to review our radio communications infrastructure and needs.  On September 28, 2021 the stakeholders met for a three-hour meeting to discuss the initial findings and identify priorities moving forward. 
    3. In summary, deficiencies exist with the radio communications for Police, Fire, and the Highway Department.  The greatest deficiency identified was in the Highway Department.  Although they have a licensed frequency to use (‘Barrington Local’), the Highway Department has no radio infrastructure to support their communications, so the range is only vehicle to vehicle.  This limited functionality requires the employees and contractors to rely on their mobile devices which is extremely undesirable.
    4. At the September 28, 2021 stakeholder meeting, the group identified that installing a inci for the Barrington Local frequency on the Ramsdell Lane tower would not only benefit the Highway Department, but also reduce the vulnerabilities for Police and Fire.  This frequency would have similar connectivity to the existing Fire Department frequency and would be available ask a backup or incident channel if Police or Fire needed to use it.
    5. The scope of installing a repeater for the Barrington Local frequency would include the repeater and supporting hardware/installation and mobile radios for the vehicles.
    6. An additional vulnerability on the Fire frequency is that the existing repeater is beyond end of life.  This has made it increasingly difficult to have repaired due to lack of parts or experienced technicians.  It would be appropriate to replace the Fire Department repeater at the same time as installing the Barrington Local repeater.
    7. The approximate cost to accomplish this first phase of radio communications improvements as described would be $80,000.  Fortunately, we have been preparing for these necessary improvements for many years and have $268,000 currently available in the Communications Upgrades Capital Reserve.
    8. If the Select Board is comfortable with proceeding with phase one, we would work with Mr. Boucher to develop a specifications package to advertise in early October.  The Select Board would be asked to award the bid in mid-to-late October, and we would target a completion date in December.  During that time, we would continue to work through additional recommendations to address the remaining communications vulnerabilities. 

Make a motion to authorize the advertisement of an RFP/specifications for a new repeater and radios for the Barrington Local frequency and to replace the Fire repeater with a plan to use funds which are available in the properly established capital reserve account.

May 24, 2021 (Select Board Meeting)

  1. Public Safety Radio Communications Study – Vote
    1. The Police, Fire, and Highway Departments all rely on radio communications to varying degrees.  Each system is different, but they share the need for improvements/replacements.  Over the past few months, the Technology Committee has been discussing the best way to approach these upgrades.  It was agreed that hiring an expert consultant would allow the Town to make the most informed decisions. 
    2. What we did not know at the time is that long-time resident Normand Boucher is such an expert consultant.  Mr. Boucher’s company, Communications Design Consulting Group (CDCG) has provided services to local, county, state, and private organizations across the country.
    3. On April 20, 2021, I met with Mr. Boucher and we discussed the desired scope and the experience of CDCG.  To my surprise, Mr. Boucher offered to provide his services to the Town for $1. 
    4. On May 3, 2021, CDCG provided the attached proposal.
      1. See attached, CDCG Proposal Barrington Radio Consultant_3may2021
    5. On May 11, 2021, the Technology Committee met with Mr. Boucher to review the proposal and prepare a recommendation to move forward.  The Technology Committee unanimously recommends proceeding with the proposal.  The Technology Committee also extended their deep appreciation to Mr. Boucher for his generosity in offering these services at no cost.

The Select Board is asked to consider authorizing the acceptance of the CDCG proposal for a radio communications study.