New radio channel to help emergency responders

Last week, the Missouri State Highway Patrol launched the "MTAC" public safety radio channel. MTAC is a Missouri tactical channel now available to public safety-related agencies so they can communicate during emergencies where interagency communication is necessary.

At any given automobile accident scene, structure fire or train derailment, there may be four or more responding agencies on site, each trying to communicate with a dispatcher, their own crews and other agencies. Without MTAC, the resulting chorus of radio voices can be confusing and create problems.

Fire, police, paramedics and local governments can access MTAC regardless of their function or jurisdiction. The channel came out of work done by members of the Missouri State Interoperability Executive Committee and the Missouri Security Council, groups formed by Gov. Bob Holden following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The MTAC Common Channel is in the VHF 150 MHz frequency band most commonly used by Missouri's public safety agencies. It can be programmed easily into most existing radios. And because the channel is statewide, an agency member from one part of the state traveling through another region can contact a local agency member by using MTAC.

Agencies must sign a memorandum of understanding with the Missouri State Interoperability Executive Committee to begin using the channel.

"Each agency would have to make their own committment to putting the channel in their radios," said David Hitt, director of the Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operation Center.

This could cost between $10 to $25 per radio, depending on how many units need updating, he said. The EOC has 25 hand-held and 20 base radios.

But for poorer departments, MTAC may eventually save them money. It could lessen the need for buying additional frequencies, which can cost $600 to $650 for the first 10-year license, Hitt said.

Most newer model radios can handle at least 16 different channels simultaneously.

"When I hired on 17 years ago in Cape Girardeau, we had radios that could only handle two channels," said interim chief Mark Hasheider. "Now there are radios that can handle up to 99 channels."

Hasheider is supportive of implementing the new channel.

"There's no doubt in my mind that when we start interacting with law enforcement, paramedics and other agencies this would allow us to communicate much more easily," he said. "However, for us, it would be more for each agency's specific incident manager to use, as opposed to everyone."

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department has 28 hand-held and 17 mobile radio units. The police department has 111 hand-held and 64 mobile units.

"I think it'll be great when it's set up," said Cape Girardeau police communications supervisor Kim Conway. "Because that's a major problem when we're communicating with different agencies."

Jackson Fire and Rescue has 10 mobile units and 31 hand-held radios, said chief Brad Golden.

"Certainly we'll look at using it later on," he said. "But right now it's not a priority to set up because we do have other ways of communicating with other agencies, including satellite phones."

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160