Radio Communication Problems in 2005 Related to Narrow Banding, and Resulting NMAC Strategy

1
Radio Communication Problems in 2005 Related to
Narrow Banding, and Resulting NMAC Strategy

• Martin Maricle
• AK-Division of Forestry
• Originally presented By Dan Smith- NC Forestry

2
Fire Season 2005 Narrow Band Radio Communications
Conflicts

• Fire fighter safety issues
• Increasing number of reports concerning
  communication issues through SAFENET and SAFECOM
  prompted the National Multi-Agency Coordinating
  Group (NMAC) to charter a Fire and Aviation
  Safety Team (FAST) in August, 2005

3
Federal Mandate to Narrowband

• Restructure of Federal Radio Frequency Spectrum
  required federal agencies to transition to
  narrowband FM frequencies(162.0000 to 174.0000)
  by January 1, 2005.
• State and local governments 2013

4
NMAC Charters FAST

• FAST to validate and elaborate on problems and
  report
• Interviewed 70 sources
• Findings -narrowband versus wideband conflicts
• -users incorrectly using radios
• -poorly maintained radios
• -federal agencies isolated from cooperators
• -unreliable communication systems requiring
  workarounds

5
Aviation Safety Technical Assistance Team (ASTAT)

• Aviation Safety Alert distribution almost
  simultaneous with FAST report
• Mixed narrowband and wideband frequencies
• aircraft on wideband volume much louder
• wideband to narrowband signal becomes choppy
  (inaudible at close range)
• wideband to narrowband repeater results in lock up

6
NMAC Assigns Area Command Team

• Area Command Team 4 (Rounsaville)
• 6 core team members of which 3 are state
  employees
• First time an Area Command Team was mobilized for
  a special assignment
• Delegated to produce long and short term solutions

7
Area Command Radio Communication Review Assignment

• Research fact finding
• Validated the problem and FAST report
• Produced Firefighter Safety Advisory for NMAC
  that was distributed August 24, 2005

8

• Developed NMAC Group Strategic Plan for Wildland
  Fire Radio Communications
• 15 Action Items
• Short and long term
• Strategic Plan and Action Items approved and
  supported by NMAC
• Reports on USFS Fire and Aviation Management web
  site

9
Action Items

• Fire Season 2005 Field Training
• Interagency Communications Work Group
• Annual Electronic Equipment Inspection and
  Testing Protocol
• List of Narrowband compatible radios

10
Action Items

• Radio Problem Reporting System
• Annual Communications Refresher
• Radio Technical Support
• Distribution of Safety Alerts
• Workload analysis

11
Action Items continued

• Radio Management Hierarchy
• Coordination with Fire Departments
• State Forestry Survey
• Fireline Communications of the Future
• Standard Contract Language
• Incident Radio Coverage

12
Whats Going on Now ?Whats been implemented?

• Fire Season 2005 field training - coordinated
  with GACCS
• More information on web sites
• http//radios.nifc.gov
• http//www.fs.fed.us/fire/
• Implementation of NMAC Strategic Plan
• Implementation of 15 Action Items

13
Radio Narrowband Implementation Task Group

• Chartered 11/17/05 by National Fire and Aviation
  Executive Board and operates under its authority
• Implementation of short term recommendations
  identified by Area Command Team
• State reps are Jim Lundsted (Missouri) and Dave
  Dalrymple (Utah)
• Assigned issues that must be addressed prior to
  2006 fire season

14
RNITG Objectives

• Develop training outline to improve community
  knowledge of narrowband
• Develop process for dissemination of information
  and feedback
• Develop 2 tier training program for communication
  techs and users

15
RNITG Objectives

• Determine status of radios used in dispatch to
  ensure correct configuration
• Develop and distribute a convention for the
  creation of frequency plans, ICS-205s, ICS-220s
  and aviation resource orders that designate
  narrowband / wideband status of a frequency

16
Radio Communications Task Group

• October 2005 NWCG and NMAC made decision to
  charter The Radio Communications Task Group under
  the National Fire and Aviation Executive Board
• Address long term wildland fire communication
  issues
• Improve coordination of federal, tribal, state
  and local fire and aviation programs

17

• Advisory role to NFAEB-monthly meetings
• Don Artley represents NASF
• USFS, BIA, BLM, Fish and Wildlife, NPS, NIICD,
  National IC/AC representative

18
National Task Force in D.C.

• National high level task force being assembled
  in Washington D.C. to address interoperability
  issues Fire, LE, Homeland Security
• Result of Office of Inspector General Review of
  federal agency radio communication program,
  Assistant Secretary DOI review of NMAC Wildland
  Fire Communication Review

19
National Task Force in D.C.

• Interoperability issues during 2005 hurricane
  response
• Efforts to implement-plug in wildland fire
  communication issues
• elevate to higher level

20
What does all this mean to state Forestry
agencies?

• Lessons learned as states transition to
  narrowband
• Serious operational issues
• Interoperability-analogue, digital, different
  bands, trunking systems, etc.
• National VHF Interoperability Frequencies
• Mitigation options

21
Funding Support for Transition to Narrowband

• Availability of special federal funds not
  reliable
• State Fire Assistance
• Volunteer Fire Assistance
• National Fire Plan
• Homeland Security
• FEMA All Risk

22
Radio Communication Problems in 2005 Related to
Narrow Banding and Resulting NMAC Strategy

• Short term and long term issues
• Progress being made
• NMAC ensuring recommendations carried out and
  implemented

23

• Task Forces / Work Groups Active
• Information available and under development that
  will be helpful to states
• Questions ????