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2 <br />To support the anticipated outcome of this study, the County has identified approximately <br />$3.5 million dollars in the Capital Investment Program (CIP) to build towers and add <br />channel capacity to help resolve these issues. <br />PROPOSAL <br />Enhancing the State -owned VIPER system for coverage and channel capacity will not <br />enable Orange County to achieve true interoperability because those agencies that the <br />State considers non - emergency (transit, public works, schools, inspections, etc.) will not <br />be allowed to use the system. <br />With supplemental funding in addition to the current CIP, Orange County could convert <br />to a locally owned and controlled Trunked 700MHz system for true interoperability. The <br />system would be designed to provide significantly better coverage, more user capability, <br />and the ability to implement the use of data and GPS for increased safety options for all <br />of the users. It would also be completely compatible with the State's VIPER system for <br />redundancy and resiliency (users could still use statewide mutual aid TalkGroups). <br />An inter -local government agreement with the City of Durham would allow us to use <br />their P25 (digital) radio controller to operate our system seamlessly, saving about $2 <br />million dollars of initial investment. Over the next 3 -5 years, Orange County would <br />purchase and install our own P25 controller, and offer a link to Durham so we both would <br />have redundant P25 radio controllers. If one system went down, the other would continue <br />to operate the system, and vice versa. <br />Advantages to a locally owned and operated system; <br />• Achieve true interoperability by expanding the system to include not only all <br />public safety agencies, but also other services active in emergency and disaster <br />response and recovery such as Transit, Public Works, Parks & Recreation, <br />Inspections, Schools and others. The system would enable all local agencies <br />capable of communicating with each other during planned events, emergencies <br />and disasters. <br />• The local system uses the same radios and towers as the VIPER system. There is <br />no additional cost of having to replace any existing equipment. We would keep <br />the VIPER system programmed into the radios for statewide interoperability with <br />mutual aid partners. <br />• The system could be a cost sharing partnership between Orange County and three <br />(3) municipalities, helping to keep costs at a minimum. The City of Durham has <br />expressed willingness to partner locally, potentially reducing implementation cost <br />for all partners. <br />• The system would be designed to provide better building penetration and channel <br />capacity to eliminate busy "bonks ". It would also be designed to enable the use of <br />several safety options such as text/data and GPS location. <br />2 <br />