By the year 2013, all radio communications will be switching to narrow band. This narrow bandwidth is a specific frequency range set aside by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for radio and mobile communication services.
Mille Lacs County has taken the first step forward to guarantee that its emergency response systems, such as 911, will be able to communicate with the sheriff’s office, medical services, and local police and fire departments. The board agreed on Tuesday, May 19, to join the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) in an 800 MHz communications system.
Joining the system will not come cheap, but switching to narrow band is government mandated and not optional. Just like analog TV will no longer be available after June 12, analog radio will no longer be an option for mobile communications after Jan. 1, 2013. No exceptions. No delays, according to Lex Ruetter of GeoCom.
Ruetter presented to the board the results of a county-wide radio study. The study found the current towers in Mille Lacs County to be sufficient to carry the narrow band radio waves for the switch. That will save the county money in the long run.
No matter how it is looked at, the switch will cost the county some money. Exactly how much is unknown, but it has a potential price tag in excess of $1.8 million plus maintenance fees.
The sheriff’s office was given the okay to begin the funding search immediately as one known grant application will close before the next county board meeting.
The emergency project manager for Stearns County said it took that county four years to get all municipalities and agencies on board.
“We need to make a decision now and get moving to be fully compliant by 2013,” Sheriff Brent Lindgren said.
The 2007 Legislature has also provided some funding to complete the ARMER system. Additional funding will be needed to allow the Department of Public Safety to contract with technical consultants.
The ARMER system will enable multiple public safety emergency responders to communicate on demand, in real-time, during day-to-day emergencies and catastrophic events.
Sherburne, Benton and Isanti counties have already transferred to ARMER. Aitkin and Morrison are searching for funding, and Crow Wing County is slightly behind schedule, Lindgren said. The Princeton Fire Department has made the switch.
CSI: Mille Lacs County
A mobile crime scene investigation lab will soon be available in Mille Lacs County. The van has already been donated by Target Corporation, and the sheriff’s office is now waiting on funding to fill the unit with proper equipment.
All funds for initial start-up of the mobile crime lab will come from donations and/or grant funding. The county board approved the grant request submitted by Lindgren.
The goal of the mobile crime lab will be to give investigators the tools they need on the scene to process any crime from assault to homicide and ensure that the evidence collected is properly gathered, packaged, preserved, sealed, bar coded and tracked. This will give the prosecution the best evidence possible when it comes to the trial.
Logging on Soo Line
Central Minnesota was once a bustling logging area and the Soo Line Railroad was used to transport massive amounts of lumber to saw mills along the Mississippi, Rainy and St. Louis rivers.
The Soo Line corridor no longer has railroad tracks, but instead a scenic path for recreational vehicles, including snowmobiles, ATVs, bicycles and pedestrians.
For a few weeks this summer, the old logging world and the world of recreation may be forced to share the trail.
The board approved a request for Randy Wittner and Shane Shaffer to access a portion of land near the Soo Line Trail in Bradbury Township. Shaffer and Wittner will be allowed to fill semi trailers with cut lumber and drive down the trail to the nearest road access, which is County Road 25.
The permit comes with a few restrictions. The lumberjacks must complete the work in as short of a period of time as possible and will be allowed to haul only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. No Friday through Monday hauling will be tolerated. They also agreed to provide a letter of credit, additional insurance and repair any damage done to the trail by the logging equipment. Additional restrictions may apply.
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