Learning to Communicate: Communications Preparedness with Colleges and Universities

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Learning to Communicate Communications
Preparedness with Colleges and Universities
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• Moderator
• Constance McGeorge, Commonwealth Interoperability
  Coordinator
• Panelists
• Beth Simonds, University of Richmond
• Michael Coleman, University of Virginia
• Garth Wheeler, J. Sergeant Reynolds Community
  College

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Emergency Communications at University of Richmond

• Presented by
• Beth A. Simonds, Police Captain
• University of Richmond Police Dept.

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• University Background
• Private, 350 acre, suburban, liberal arts college
  located in Central Virginia
• Located in 2 jurisdictions County of Henrico and
  City of Richmond
• 3000 Undergrad Students living on campus, faculty
  staff, law school, School of Continuing Studies
• 9000 seat basketball arena are constructing
  8500 seat football stadium

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• University Police Department
• CALEA Accredited Law Enforcement Agency since
  1990 reaccredited for the fifth time in November
  2006
• 33 employees 19 sworn officers
• 24/7 Communications Center
• Answer 911 calls to campus for police, fire
  rescue
• Operate on 800 Regional Radio System
  communicate with Richmond Henrico
• Access to NCIC/VCIN LInX

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• Other Campus Communications
• UR Alert to send emergency messages via voice,
  text, and e-mail to faculty, staff, and students.
  (Connect-ed Emergency Notification System)
• Satellite Telephones
• Radio Station
• Television Channel 16
• Tornado Siren System
• Emergency Alert webpage http//alert.richmond.edu
  /

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• Other Communications Cont.
• Blast e-mail to __at_richmond.edu accounts
• Communication thru Resident Assistants and Area
  Coordinators
• UR Emergency Hotline [phone] or toll free
  at [phone]
• Telephone Intercom System in all classrooms

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• Current Challenges
• Requesting fleet mapping changes to create
  talk-groups with Richmond, Henrico and U of R
• Some coverage issues in buildings
• Being a user is more time consuming
  bureaucratic when radio problems occur.
• Cannot communicate by radio with State Police
• Do not have written mutual aid agreements with
  other responding agencies

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• Story
• May 6, 2008 Gunman Incident on University of
  Richmond campus

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Albemarle-Charlottesville-UVARegional Radio
System

• Planning and Development
• Of the 800 MHz System
• Michael A. Coleman
• Captain
• University of Virginia Police Department

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UVA Football

• 120 personnel
• 10 police agencies plus fire and rescue
• Crowds of 60,000 people
• Under the scrutiny of up to 25 real time media
  reports

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Communications Handled Through

• Incident Command
• AND
• A Regional 800 MHz Radio System

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Regional System Created Because

• 3 jurisdictions plus fire and rescue had aging
  radio systems
• Region needed to communicate together because
  they interacted on a regular basis
• System was expensive so the jurisdictions could
  share the costs

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Before You Issue an RFP

• Talk to People Who Have What You Want
• Review the Literature
• Get Professional Help
• Determine Your Partners

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Fate Strikes

• State notified the region of a possible federal
  grant
• Chief Werner applied for the federal grant based
  on information from regional meetings
• Grant was approved to fund the infrastructure for
  the system

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Jurisdictions Paid Their Way

• Portable radios at 3,500 each
  (100 X 3,500350,000)
• Vehicle radios
• Radios for Services Sections of agencies
• Microphones
• Earpieces
• Belt Holders
• Installation

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Fleet Mapping
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Fleet Mapping

• 16 Positions (Talk Groups) to each Zone
• 20 Zones
• First 3 Zones used to show most used talkgroups
• Talkgroups include talk-arounds, NIMs channels,
  and regional talkgroups like blue, green

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You Have to Assign Functionsto the Radio
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Vehicle Installation
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Towers were located in 5 locations in different
parts of the county
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Delays

• Lawsuits
• Environmental Issues
• Building Damaged
• Work Delays

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95 Coverage Was Verified

• Some areas are shadowed by mountains or buildings
• Buildings with lots of concrete and metal do not
  receive on the interior

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Results

• System Works Well
• Each Agency Uses Its Own Talkgroups
• We Can Switch to Talk to Other Agencies
• We Have Regional Talk Groups for Large Events
• NIMs Talkgroups Are Available
• Convertible Boxes Are Available to Coordinate
  with Radios from Other Areas in an Emergency

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Next

• Mobile Data Computers

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Emergency PreparednessLearning To Communicate

• Chief Garth Wheeler
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community
• August 4, 2008

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College History Demographics

• J. Sargeant Reynolds established in 1972
• Grown to 3rd largest community college with over
  18,000 credit students.
• 3 campuses each representing the community it
  serves urban, suburban rural.
• In 2005 J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
  established their police department.
• This included establishing effective
  communications between the 3 campuses thru a
  central dispatch center.
• Prior to 2005, each campus operated independently
  with no central emergency number.

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Progress In Emergency Communications

• Funding sources came from college budget and
  Homeland Security grant.
• Approximate cost for current radio communications
  system is 80,000.
• Does not include the computerized case
  tracking/IBR system.
• Worked with VITA to obtain the necessary radio
  system upgrades.
• Radio system includes 4 frequencies 2 police
  frequencies and 2 facilities frequencies.
• Even with improvements our communications system
  is at a very basic operational capability

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Current Challenges

• Effective communications for college personnel,
  including police, security and facilities.
• Radio communications with other public safety
  agencies non-existent.
• 800 MHz system currently not within budgetary
  grasps.
• Exploring other alternatives to include
• SIRS
• State Police frequency
• STARS
• Partnering with local jurisdiction
• 2 storiesRCC Mock Drill Bomb Threat at college

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Current Challenges con.-

• 3 jurisdictions to coordinate with during
  emergencies
• Henrico, Richmond, Goochland
• 5 L.E. agencies to coordinate with during times
  of crisis
• Richmond, Henrico, Goochland, State Police
• Implementation of new college wide mass
  notification system.
• Mutual Aid agreement issues.

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Determining Operational Effectiveness

• Training
• Mock Drills
• RCC multi-jurisdictional exercise (spring,08)
• Proposed mock drill at Western Campus
• Post Incident Reviews
• JSR Bomb threat/potential shooter (winter, 08)

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Questions?
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Thank You!Please visit www.interoperability.virg
inia.gov for more information on Virginias
Interoperability Effort, as well as registration
for the 2008 Virginia Interoperable
Communications Conference!
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• Contact Information
• Beth Simonds
• University of Richmond
• 804-289-8722 bsimonds_at_richmond.edu
• Michael A. Coleman
• University of Virginia
• 434-924-8835 mac2e_at_virginia.edu
• Garth Wheeler
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
• 804-523-5239 gwheeler_at_reynolds.edu