MODOC OPERATIONAL AREA

MODOC OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN Approved Disaster Council June, 2009 Revised, January, 2013 1

Table of Contents... 1 MODOC OPERATIONAL AREA... 1 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS...1 DEVELOPMENT PLAN...1... 1 RADIO-NONCARRIER COMMUNICATIONS... 3 INTRODUCTION... 3 BACKROUND...3 PROPOSED SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT...4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LG)...7 SYSTEM DESIGN...7 MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER... 7 MODOC COUNTY GREEN COMMAND... 8 SYSTEM DESIGN...8 REPEATERS...8 WIDOW HAPPY CAMP BARNES... 8 SVEC (SV) SHEEPY... 8 PAYNE PEAK...8 HAPPY CAMP...8 CONTROLLERS...8 400 MHz LINK...8 MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER... 8 MODOC COUNTY AVL/DATA NET...9 SYSTEM DESIGN...9 ROSE/GRAY NET PORTABLE REPEATERS...10 DESIGN...10 MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER... 10 ALTERNATE DISPATCH CONFIGURATIONS... 10 VHF BACKUP RADIO SYSTEM...11 PORTABLE DISPATCH KIT... 11 BACKROUND...12 INTRODUCTION... 12 PROPOSED EOC SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT...13 EOC TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATIONS...13 2

RADIO-NONCARRIER COMMUNICATIONS INTRODUCTION The Modoc Operational Area (MOA) encompasses a large area of the Modoc Plateau and adjacent mountains. This area is dissected by three mountain ranges with valley floors at the 4000 feet range and the highest mountain rising to nearly 10,000 feet. The one incorporated city within the MOA is Alturas with approximately thirty percent of the population. The rest of the population is dispersed in small, unincorporated towns and rural subdivisions spread over 4200 square miles. This situation provides a major challenge for communications even with an unlimited budget. With over sixty-five percent of the land base of the county in public ownership, the tax base provides very small revenues for county government to establish infrastructure. This plan provides some alternatives for further developing the current system and changing some frequencies used in the county to better utilize the current frequencies both in routine daily emergencies and disaster situations. BACKROUND The introduction provides the backdrop for the county s challenges in establishing countywide radio communications systems. The Modoc County Sheriff s Office maintains a local government (LG) radio system and dispatch services supporting communications by Modoc County Sheriff s Office, Alturas City Fire and fourteen fire protection districts along with two hospital districts that provide ambulance services. The Modoc County Communications Center (MCCC) is the only 24-hour dispatch facility in Modoc County. The LG system has 10 mountain top repeaters and one remote base controlled by a 400 MHz link. A backup VHF radio is maintained at the Sheriff s Office. The backup radio transmits off of the tower at the Sheriff s Office, and is able to access all repeaters except Sheepy Ridge. The Timber and Co. Rd. 15 repeaters are usable but noisy using the backup VHF radio No other path diversity is currently built into this system. This system provides 3

90% handheld coverage within the inhabited areas of the county. Redundant repeaters are still needed in the Surprise Valley area. Plans for further development are ongoing, dependent on funding and technology. The only other county radio system is used by the Road Department. It has one repeater on Likely Mtn. and provides very limited mobile coverage for the county. The Road Department also has one simplex frequency not currently used and originally planned for on site use such as traffic control in construction areas. This system does not have adequate coverage to be used for public safety. The Sheriff s Office has three frequencies in use and available as simplex frequencies. Two of these frequencies are licensed in Klamath County, Oregon causing major interference problems especially in the western parts of the county. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) intra-communications at this time would occur between members face to face or telephonically. A small cache of VHF radios is stored at the Sheriffs Office for SAR. Significant confusion exists with the frequency labeling currently used in the county with the two tactical frequencies being labeled variously as TAC 3 and TAC 4 in some radios and TAC 1 and TAC 2 in other radio programming. In addition, other agencies have TACs labeled as TACs 1,2,3 and 4. Significant confusion has occurred on incidents with personnel and equipment ending up on the wrong agency s tactical frequency. PROPOSED SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT Using the current and new frequencies and the limited budgets available, this plan proposes new configurations and uses of the current frequencies. The plan will better utilize the frequencies and create a second command/dispatch system which would allow for a back up command/dispatch net built out on five mountain tops. This net would be labeled Green Command. Remote base control of this system will occur from a different mountaintop than LG thus giving the county a diverse path and redundancy of control. If an event takes out one of the mountain top remote base sites, the other net remote base will be operational. An Automatic Vehicle Location System (DATA/MDT NET) is planned as a simplex repeater system. This system is not planned for voice communication and could be used for 9600 bps data transmission. This system would be built on five mountaintops. 4

In addition to the reallocation of use of the existing frequencies, the tactical frequencies would be relabeled using color labels. This avoids the confusion of number labels that are duplicated by other state and federal agencies. Path diversity in the current radio system (Local Government) would be enhanced with the installation of a second remote base at Payne Peak. A repeater at Payne Peak would provide further redundancy in the Alturas area and will provide some redundancy in the Surprise Valley area. This would allow for UHF control of the Modoc Local Government system on both Payne Peak and Grouse Mountain. In addition, a UHF portable radio with paging terminal and power supply is being procured that will allow for offsite access to both Local Government and Green Command nets. The portable control base would be used should the Modoc County Communications Center (MCCC) become incapacitated allowing for alternate location dispatch capability. Two portable 400 Mhz repeater systems and radio caches will be set up for use in the OA. This system will include 24 handheld radios and two repeaters that can be easily carried and set by two people. These units would be modular and would not need technical expertise for set up. This system will have VHF programmable cross-band accessibility so this system would be interoperable with the County s VHF frequencies if needed. These two sets of frequencies would be referred to as Rose Net and Gray Net. Two new VHF tactical frequencies have been implemented which replaces the current county tactical channels and are labeled as Gold Tac and Yellow Tac. A third frequency is proposed for jail operations. The current frequency will be used in Shasta County and the APCO frequency coordinator is proposing a new frequency. The new proposed frequency (Brown Command) would be available county wide as a simplex command frequency. This frequency would be useful for incident to ICP communications should one be established. All radios used as jail ops radios would be tone protected on both receive and transmit with other radios in the MOA programmed on a different tone so that use of this frequency as an alternate simplex command would not interfere with correctional officers activities. An alternative proposal is to control the Modoc County Grouse Mtn. radio equipment with spread spectrum microwave. As the county adds equipment to Grouse Mtn. or other mountain tops, this alternative should be considered. Another technology should be considered which would give path diversity to MCCC radios consoles. The technology is known as VOICE OVER IP. This connectivity would allow any computer site on the Modoc County Computer System to potentially be an alternate dispatch site. This technology should be considered in the next replacement cycle. The acquisition of surplus federal repeater/remote base equipment in June, 2003 and current Homeland Security and Domestic Preparedness Equipment grants 5

would provide the equipment for the build out of the county Automatic Vehicle Location System on a five-mountain top VHF simplex system and a five-mountain top secondary command/dispatch duplex (GREEN COMMAND) repeater system. Funds for the licensing and installation of this equipment are being sought. The following tables display the configuration of the various nets and repeater systems. As already noted, labeling using one and two syllable color names is proposed for all new frequencies eliminating the confusion of number labeling. The only exception to this will be the current local government frequency, which would continue to be the primary dispatch and command frequency and referred to as Local Government (LG). Also included is a Modoc County frequency table that will be updated as necessary and as licenses and frequency authorizations occur. 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LG) SYSTEM DESIGN REPEATERS BARNES GRADE GROUSE MT. SHEEPY LIKELY RIM GOOSE LAKE CO RD 15 (SV) BIG VALLEY WIDOW PAYNE PEAK (PROPOSED) TIMBER MT. HAPPY CAMP CONTROLLERS GROUSE MT. PAYNES PEAK (PROPOSED ALTERNATE) 400 MHz Links MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 7

MODOC COUNTY GREEN COMMAND SYSTEM DESIGN REPEATERS WIDOW HAPPY CAMP BARNES SVEC (SV) SHEEPY PAYNE PEAK HAPPY CAMP CONTROLLERS 400 MHz LINK MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 8

MODOC COUNTY AVL/DATA NET SYSTEM DESIGN SIMPLEX REPEATERS HAPPY CAMP MT. PAYNE PEAK CO RD 15 (SV) SHEEPY WIDOW HAPPY CAMP MT. 400 MHz LINK MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER CAD SYSTEM EMERGENCY RESOURCE MAPPING TIMS SYSTEM 9

ROSE/GRAY NET PORTABLE REPEATERS DESIGN ROSE/GREY NET 400 MHZ TRANSMITTER REPEATER CONTROLLER VHF PROGRAMABLE RECIEVER UHF PROGRAMABLE RECIEVER MODOC COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ALTERNATE DISPATCH CONFIGURATIONS 10

VHF BACKUP RADIO SYSTEM KENWOOD VHF MOBILE (Located AT MCCC) LG1 REPEATERS (except Sheepy Ridge) GREEN COMMAND [except Sheepy Ridge and SVEC- (SV)] ALTURAS PD OTHER MUTUAL AID FREQUENCIES PORTABLE DISPATCH KIT BATTERY PAK POWER SUPPLY MANUAL PAGING ENCODER MOBILE UHF 4OO LINK RADIO TX/RX TO GROUSE OR PAYNE PEAK LG1 CONTROLLERS TX/RX TO HAPPY CAMP MTN. GREEN COMMAND CONTROLLER TX/RX TO ROSE & GRAY PORTABLE REPEATERS TELEPHONIC-CARRIER BASED COMMUNICATIONS 11

BACKROUND Because of the isolation of the Modoc Operational Area, telephonic communication is very vulnerable to failure. No diverse paths exist either within the hard copper portion of the telephone system locally or within the microwave system carrying communication out of the MOA. US Cellular s microwave system would allow communication on their system, should Frontier s system fail. Little other path diversity can be found in the MOA. Verizon s cellular system is wired to Frontier s system thus with a failure in either system, the Verizon cellular system is down. The copper wire network in the City of Alturas has one cable path to the Sheriff s Office for emergency, non-emergency and 911 trunks. INTRODUCTION One wired carrier and two cellular companies serve the greater MOA. Frontier Communications system serves most of the MOA with the back hall of this system occurring by microwave. Century Communications and California-Oregon Telephone serve the New Pine Creek and Newell areas respectively. US Cellular and Verizon are the licensed cellular carriers. Verizon s cellular system is totally dependent on Frontier for connectivity within and outside of the MOA. With the exception of Surprise Valley, all US Cellular s cellular site connectivity is a microwave system back hall to Medford, Oregon independent of Frontier Communications. US Cellular s Surprise Valley cell site is connected back to Alturas by Frontier Communication s fiber optic line. No Personal Communications Service (PCS) carriers have built out on the six licenses issued by the FCC in the MOA. The commercial telephones into the Sheriff s Office include five administrative lines and two outside emergency lines. The two outside seven digit emergency lines will roll to the administrative stack if the two emergency lines are busy. Two direct-inward-dial private lines are directed to the Sheriff s offices. All five administrative lines are in rotary stack. Two fax lines terminate in the Sheriff s Office. No telephone lines are currently dedicated to outward dial only. The following 911 trunks terminate at the Sheriff s Office which is Modoc County s Public Safety Access Point (PSAP). Two trunks terminate in the public safety access point (PSAP) for the 294 and 299, 279, 664 and 667, and 336 exchanges. Three trunks terminate in the PSAP for the 233 exchanges. Two 12

trunks will terminate in the future for the 946 exchange from New Pine Creek. Currently these 911 calls terminate in Lakeview, Oregon. All telephone lines terminating at the Modoc County Sheriff s Office are carried by non-redundant telephone cable from Frontier s CO switch on Howard and First Street. The MOA has eight OASIS satellite phone lines available. Five of these lines are configured for voice and three for data. These provide vital connectivity outside the area and are of low quality voice communications. During any incapacitation of the commercial system, these telephone lines will be vital to the operation of the OA. Refer to the table on page 14 for OASIS phone extensions and phone numbers. Two hybrid satellite phones have been purchased and are located at the Sheriff s Office. These telephones will have the capability of working on the satellite system as well as a local CDMA cellular carrier. In addition, the telephones should have different exchange numbers (260 & 640) which means they will travel through two different switches giving further redundancy. In addition, two cellular phones will be acquired to place on US Cellular s system again with 640 and 260 exchange numbers that will be routed through different switches within US Cellular s system. PROPOSED EOC SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT An alternative communication path is proposed with four telephones to provide backup to the current telephone system. This will give the EOC four telephones independent of the Frontier Communications system. EOC TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATIONS 13

EXISTING AND PROPOSED TELEPHONIC CONNECTIVITY FRONTIER ADMINISTRATIVE LINES (5) EMERGENCY LINES (2) PSAPS TRUNKS (13) PRIVATE LINES (2) OASIS VOICE LINES (5) 4.2500 4.2501 4.2502 4.2503 4.2504 4.2505 Dispatch Center Sheriff s Office Undersheriff s Office Unused Unused Unused 4.2506 4.2507 4.2508 RIIMS EDIS OTHER DATA DATA LINES (3) US CELLULAR EMERGENCY PHONE 260 (1) EMERGENCY PHONE 640 (1) HYBRED SATTELITE CELLULAR PHONES GLOBAL STAR Cellular 260 (1) Proposed GLOBAL STAR Cellular 640 (1) Proposed CLEAR-TEXT WORD AND PHARSES 14

UNREADABLE Used when signal received is not clear. Try to add the specific trouble Unreadable noise LOUD AND CLEAR Self-Explanatory STOP TRANSMITTING Self-Explanatory COPY, COPIES Used to acknowledge message received. Unit ID must also be used. Ex: Engine 4220 copies AFFIRMATIVE Yes NEGATIVE No RESPOND, RESPONDING Used during dispatch- proceed to or proceeding to an incident. Ex: Engine 5321 respond or Modoc County, Engine 5321 responding ENROUTE IN-QUARTERS, with Station Name or number Normally used by administrative or staff personnel to designate destination. Enroute is not a substitute for responding. Used to indicate that a unit is on a station. Ex: Modoc County, Engine 4422 in quarters Likely UNCOVERED Indicates a unit is not in-service, because there isn t any personnel to operate it. OUT-OF-SERVICE Indicated a unit is mechanically out of service. When repairs have been completed the following phase should be used. Modoc County, Engine 5220 back in service, available. this means that the unit is operating, not in response to a dispatch. Ex: Modoc County, Medic 11, inservice road orientation IN-SERVICE REPEAT WEATHER 15

RETURN TO Normally used by MCCC to direct units that are available to a station or other location. WHAT IS YOUR LOCATION CALL BY PHONE DISREGARD LAST MESSAGE STANDBY VEHICLE REGISTRATION CHECK IS AVAILABLE FOR A PHONE CALL AT SCENE Used when unit arrives at the scene of an incident AVAILABLE Used when a unit is ready for a new assignment or can return to quarters. Modoc County will give the unit a new assignment or direct it to return to quarters. AVAILABLE AT SCENE Used when a unit is still committed to an incident, but could be dispatched to a new emergency if needed. CAN HANDLE Used when the amount of equipment needed to handle the incident is at scene. Modoc County, MED OPS 15 can handle with units at scene. BURNING OPERATIONSSelf explanatory 16

REPORT ON CONDITIONS EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ONLY Radio users will continue all radio traffic to an emergency in progress or a new incident EMERGENCY TRAFFIC RESUME NORMAL TRAFFIC Term used to gain control of a radio frequency to report an emergency. All other radio users will refrain from using that frequency until cleared for use by Modoc County Communications Center Self Explanatory TRANSPORTING x CODE T0 For Medical Transport Units, Ex: Modoc County, Medic 51 Transporting x 2 Code 3 to Modoc Medical Center 17