Emergency communicationL.A.’s emergency communication system facing many hurdles

After the 9/11 attacks, the federal government encouraged authorities in large cities to build emergency communications systems that would allow separate agencies to coordinate together quickly and efficiently. The government offered grants to help pay some of the costs of the systems, pending completion of the work by a set deadline.

In Los Angeles County, a common communications system is still not a reality years after officials signed up for the federal program. Besides technological hurdles, contracting issues, and constantly changing requirements from the federal government, Los Angeles County is having to deal with firefighters and residents who object the plan citing health and property value concerns with the placement of giant cell towers in their neighborhoods. Furthermore, some cities have dropped out of the project, claiming they do not need the network and do not want to pay the costs.

Supporters of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) are now trying to get the communications system back on track. “Public safety is No. 1 here, and I would hate to see this fall apart,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “I hope we can do a better job of outreach and move forward.” If the project loses support from too many cities and is unable to build an adequate number of towers, “the whole system could very well go away…. It would not be affordable or workable.”

The LA-RICS Authority planned to build two separate public-safety communications systems — a Long-Term Evolution for transmitting data and a Land Mobile Radio to allow first responders to communicate via voice. The LA-RICS received a $154 million federal grant to pay for 80 percent of the Long-Term Evolution data building costs, with local participants paying the rest. The Land Mobile Radio, due for 2018, is anticipated to cost about $250 million, with federal grants expected to pay for most of it. It would replace the roughly forty radio systems now operated by public-safety agencies throughout Los Angeles County and allow them to switch to new frequencies set to be available in 2021.

The Los Angeles Times notes that if the Long-Term Evolution data system is not completed by the end of September, local officials will have to return any unspent federal money. To meet the deadline, the LA-RICS Authority decided to build its cell towers on publicly owned sites, including fire stations, and received exemption from state environmental review requirements.

Firefighters are now worried that the towers’ radio frequency emissions would pose health hazards to them and their neighbors. Some cities have refused to allow the towers, reducing their planned numbers from 232 to 177. County officials insist that health concerns regarding the towers are groundless, noting that the emissions are well below Federal Communications Commission standards and less than what are given off by cordless phones and baby monitors. Firefighters, still unconvinced, have asked residents to share their concerns with county officials.

“We told them the supervisors are the only ones who can stop this thing,” said Lew Currier, a director of the Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014. The protesters’ strategy seem to be working. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich recently ordered a halt to tower construction at a Saugus fire station until neighbors’ concerns are addressed. “While a reliable communications platform … is vital to preserve life and property during times of natural or made-made disasters,” Antonovich said in statement, “our employees and residents need to be assured that there are no health risks, and adequate notification should be made on planned cell towers.”

Apart from safety concerns, LA-RICS officials have to deal with the consequences of twelve cities dropping out of the project, with several others behind them before a 23 November “opt out” deadline. Most cities have operating cost concerns. Reggie Harrison, director of disaster preparedness and emergency communications for Long Beach, said city officials were alarmed by the estimated $1.3 million they would be assessed annually. Costs are based on a city’s population and geographic size. “We’re extremely supportive of RICS, and if those numbers change, we could very well find ourselves back at the table,” Harrison said, adding that Long Beach has decided it can manage with its current communications systems in the meantime.

Patrick J. Mallon, executive director of the LA-RICS Authority plans to address cost concerns by devising a new pricing formula. He also hopes to calm worries about the aesthetics of the cell towers by making them look like trees or hiding them in fire station structures used to dry hoses.