April 22, 2021 Hood County Radio Workshop

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On April 22, 2021, Hood County held a radio workshop where L3 Harris presented a comprehensive proposal for a regional P25-compliant trunking radio system featuring two primary tower sites with distributed core architecture, four Symphony dispatch consoles, and integration capabilities with existing county equipment and surrounding agencies. The presentation covered system infrastructure including RF redundancy, dispatch center failover design, the Beyond broadband application for extended coverage, and the XL portable and mobile radio product line, as well as advanced features such as GPS-enabled situational awareness through Live Earth integration, emergency alert capabilities, and interoperability protocols for regional communication. L3 Harris emphasized that detailed proprietary information including coverage maps could not be shared in open session but offered to present such details in a closed meeting, and the discussion highlighted the importance of multi-agency participation to realize full system benefits across the region.

• L3 Harris company overview and communications expertiseL3 Harris presented its company background and communications capabilities as foundation for the proposed regional radio network.
• Attendee introductionsHood County commissioners, county staff, and vendor representatives introduced themselves.
• Proprietary information handling and meeting procedureL3 Harris and county officials discussed limitations on disclosing confidential pricing and technical details due to competitive vendor presence.
• Systems engineer background and presentation approachKeith Turcotte, L3 Harris scientist engineer, introduced his 35-40 years of experience designing public safety and mission-critical infrastructure.
• Trunking system architecture overviewThe proposed system is a trunk system with a distributed core architecture used by the world's largest and most critical public safety communication systems.
• Radio frequency infrastructure proposalThe proposal includes two P25-capable tower sites with four channels each, operating in 700 megahertz, with an option to add a third site.
• Dispatch infrastructure and Symphony consolesThe proposal provides four L3 Harris Symphony dispatch consoles, a new widely-appraised product known for ease of use and simplified training.
• System interoperability layersMultiple interoperability levels are built into the system, from basic radio capability to legacy system integration and P25 standards-based connectivity.
• Beyond broadband solution and extended accessBeyond is L3 Harris's broadband solution enabling communication where land mobile radio coverage is unavailable and allowing flexible user access via cell phones.
• Logging recorder capabilityGranberry has a digital logging recorder; the proposal allows Hood County to tie in its own logging recorder if desired.
• Core architecture and geographic redundancyThe system's core architecture features two geographically separate computer centers with duplicated applications enabling seamless maintenance and maximum survivability.
• RF network redundancy with simulcast configurationHood County will have two RF sites simulcasted with two Granberry sites forming one large RF network with redundant controllers ensuring continued communication if any site becomes orphaned.
• Dispatch center redundancy designAll dispatch consoles have redundant network connections and embedded control station radio, ensuring continued operations during network failure.
• Existing radio capabilities and upgrade optionsHood County currently uses L3 Harris XL 200P portables; Kenwood mobile radios can be upgraded to work on the trunking system without replacement.
• Multi-band radio ecosystem and standardizationL3 Harris XL product line provides same physical radio with different software configurations for different user roles, enabling battery and training consistency.
• XL portable radio features and designThe XL series portable is a top-tier radio with extensive features including multi-band capability, dual SIM carrier support, Wi-Fi, FirstNet, and Harman Kardon sound engineering.
• Mobile radio capabilitiesThe XL mobile radio provides the same communications capabilities and user interface as the portable without the same noise cancellation architecture due to vehicle environment use.
• Beyond broadband application features and flexibilityBeyond is a broadband cellular application providing secure communication, flexible deployment, and multi-device support for emergency service personnel and authorized users.
• Beyond configuration and multi-group capabilityUsers signing into Beyond receive their full channel bank and group configurations; multiple users can monitor different talk groups simultaneously on multiple devices.
• Symphony dispatch console design and hardwareThe Symphony dispatch console is a single rack-unit device released five years ago, designed by dispatchers for dispatchers, with robust hardware architecture and minimal cabling requirements.
• Dispatch phone integration and I/O controlsThe proposal includes call director feature allowing dispatcher to communicate on radio and phone through one headset; I/O controls enable door locks, light trees, and emergency systems.
• Dispatch console software configuration and modularitySymphony console software is highly configurable with modular screens, multiple tabs for different operational needs, and built-in logging capability.
• Simul-select and patch functionalityThe proposal includes 16 predefined simul-select talk groups that only dispatchers can activate, and patch capability enabling field personnel to communicate across multiple talk groups.
• Additional console featuresThe console includes instant recall recorder and many other features described in detail in proposal documentation.
• Trunking versus conventional system differencesTrunking abstracts frequencies from users; the system automatically assigns available frequencies, enabling features unavailable in conventional systems like priority preemption and all-call capability.
• Device identification and network registrationEach radio and device has a unique ID number that allows towers to register known users and identify their general location for targeted alerts.
• Baton dispatch tool and workflow improvementsThe proposal includes a Baton application that collapses full console functionality into a secondary computer tool, allowing dispatchers to manage CAD and radio operations simultaneously.
• Situational awareness features and live earth integrationAll radios include GPS capability; the system offers partnership with Live Earth to provide mapping, real-time location data, and integration with cameras and weather information.
• Live Earth demonstration and camera integration successDuring an early Live Earth product demonstration, a real-time incident occurred at a bridge location that was captured and displayed on screen through integrated camera feeds.
• Coverage maps and proposed sitesThe presenter offered to share coverage maps showing ground and in-building coverage from all proposed sites, including Granberry's considered sites and an optional Chalk Mountain location.
• Proprietary information and closed session discussionDetailed proprietary coverage information cannot be shared in open session due to the meeting being recorded; the presenter offered to provide information in a closed session or later meeting.
• Interoperability with existing systems and P25 standardsThe interoperability gateway bridges disparate VHF, UHF, and conventional systems that cannot move forward independently, integrating them into the proposed P25 network.
• P25 standard and ISSI interoperability between vendorsThe P25 standard includes ISSI (Inter-System Interface) protocols allowing different vendor systems—such as L3 Harris and EF Johnson—to interconnect across county boundaries.
• Previous radio investment and forward compatibilityThe previous sheriff's radio package purchase was designed with forward vision, and the existing investment is being preserved by allowing portable radios to be upgraded and maintained in the new system.
• Multi-agency participation and system benefitsParticipation by all surrounding agencies—including Somerville, Granberry Police, game wardens, and others—determines whether the system delivers full benefits across the region.
• P25 standard regional communication designThe P25 standard was designed specifically to enable all different organizations in a region to communicate together, with phased protocol releases for infrastructure and inter-system connectivity.
• Open mic and radio identification in trunking systemsIn trunking systems, every radio must be identified in the network so that accidental or intentional open mics can be immediately attributed to a specific radio and operator.
• Emergency button capabilities and dispatcher acknowledgmentWhen officers press an emergency button, it sends an alert to dispatch that must be acknowledged before two-way contact can be established.
• Automatic emergency activation and emergency microphone openingThe radio can be programmed to automatically send an emergency signal if held in a certain position for a maximum time limit; dispatchers can then remotely open the officer's microphone for communication.
• Conventional versus trunking system architectureConventional systems assign each frequency to a unique purpose; when that frequency is in use, other users must wait. Trunking systems use one control channel and dynamically allocate voice channels for much greater efficiency.
• Executive session and meeting adjournmentThe meeting reconvened from executive session with no action taken and was adjourned.