Marin Emergency Radio Authority MERA

1
Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA)

• A partnership of Marins Cities, Towns,
  County, Water and Fire Protection Districts
  established in 1998 to build a replacement for
  the obsolete emergency radio systems.
• www.meraonline.org

2
Agenda

• 645pm Pre-meeting conversation.
• 700 Welcome Don Hunter, Chair of the
  Southern Marin Site
• Committee and Mill Valley City Manager.
• 705 Project background.
• 720 Ground rules.
• 725 Agenda review.
• 730 Concerns and feedback from participants
  organized into
• categories.
• 815 Provide answers and clarification to as
  many issues as
• possible.
• 845 Review timeline and process.
• 855 Meeting evaluation.
• 900 Adjourn.

3
MERA

• 1. Southern Marin Fire Prot. Dist. 14. City
  of Belvedere
• 2. Bolinas Fire Protection District 15.
  Town of Corte Madera
• 3. Town of Fairfax 16. Inverness Public
  Utility Dist.
• 4. Kentfield Fire Protection District 17.
  City of Larkspur
• 5. County of Marin 18. Marin County
  Transit District
• 6. Marin Community College District 19.
  Marin Municipal Water District
• 7. Marin Community Services District 20.
  Twin Cities Police Department
• 8. City of Mill Valley 21. City of Novato
• 9. Novato Fire Protection District 22.
  Town of Ross
• 10. Ross Valley Fire Service 23. Town of
  Tiburon
• 11. Town of San Anselmo 24. City of San
  Rafael
• 12. City of Sausalito 25. Stinson Beach
  Fire Prot. Dist.
• 13. Tiburon Fire Protection Dist.

4
MERA Network
5
Site Status

• San Pedro San Rafael Area Complete
• Big Rock Novato Area Complete
• Forbes Hill San Rafael Area Complete
• Pt. Reyes Inverness/West Marin Area Complete
• Mt. Burdell San Geronimo Valley Area Complete
• Mt. Barnabe Novato Area Complete
• Dollar Hill San Rafael Area Complete
• Mill Valley City Hall - Mill Valley Area Complete
• Mill Valley PSB Mill Valley Area Complete
• Civic Center Prime Site San Rafael
  Area Complete
• Mt. Tam South Central Marin Complete
• Sonoma Mt. Petaluma, Sonoma County 12/01/2003
• Bay Hill Road Western Sonoma County 02/01/2004
• Bolinas Bolinas Area 05/15/2004
• Mt. Tiburon Tank Tiburon Area Unknown- In
• litigation

6
Mt. Tiburon MERA Site

• Mt. Tiburon site selected in final MERA EIR
  December 1999
• Tiburon denies permit for Mt. Tiburon site July
  2001
• MERA denied site on Angel Island January 2002
• Tiburon approves site at Sugarloaf July 2002
• Court sets aside Tiburons approval of Sugarloaf
  September 2002
• MERA sued by neighbors over Mt. Tiburon October
  2002
• Court decides against MERA on use of Mt. Tiburon
  January 2003
• Superior Court decision is appealed by MERA
  April 2003
• Appeals Court decision - Spring 2004

7
MERA Board Policy

• MERA Board policy is to construct the Mt. Tiburon
  site if authorized to do so by the Court of
  Appeals.
• As a back-up plan, MERA Board of Directors is
  considering alternative sites.

8
Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA)

• A partnership of Marins Cities, Towns,
  County, Water and Fire Protection Districts
  established in 1998 to build a replacement for
  the obsolete emergency radio systems.
• www.meraonline.org

9
MERA

• Some of the difficulties with our current system
  include
• Emergency radio coverage is spotty at best.
• Current systems are quickly overwhelmed in an
  emergency.

10
MERA

• Repairs are becoming more difficult.
• Daily coverage issues.

11
MERA

• Because of these problems we need a new system
  for medical, police and fire personnel.
• The one factor that has remained unchanged over
  the years is our obsolete radio system.

12
Southern Marin Coverage Area
13
MERA

• Communication problems during emergencies
• Sausalito Police Officer shot.
• Southern Marin House Collapse.
• Sausalito Fire- Sausalito Blvd.
• Tiburon Fire- Leeward Rd.

14
Polly Klaas Legacy Looms LargeHer Kidnapping
Led to New Laws, Changed Lives

• Hours after the family alerted Petaluma police
  at 1103 p.m. Oct. 1, Davis's white Ford Pinto
  became stuck in a ditch on rural Pythian Road. He
  was spotted by a homeowner, who called the
  sheriff's office. But Sonoma County deputies who
  arrived at the scene simply helped Davis dislodge
  his car and pushed him on his way. Their
  antiquated communications technology did not
  alert them to his parole violation.
• September 28, 2003 - San Francisco Chronicle

15
Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA)

• A partnership of Marins Cities, Towns,
  County, Water and Fire Protection Districts
  established in 1998 to build a replacement for
  the obsolete emergency radio systems.
• www.meraonline.org

16
Alternate to Mt. TiburonSite Selection Process

• 36 sites considered as alternates to Mt. Tiburon
• Criteria for review
• Coverage feasibility
• Environmental impacts and land use issues
• Leasing and improvement costs
• Owner interest in leasing the site
• Three feasible remaining sites (2 of 3 needed)
• Public information meetings
• Site committee recommendation to MERA Board of
  Directors
• Supplemental EIR prepared (6 months)
• MERA Board of Directors decision
• Town of Tiburon and/or County of Marin
  authorization

17
Typical Radio Site

• 1 - Receive Antenna
• No Transmit
• 2 - Transmit Antennas
• approximately 1/2 of the system on each antenna
• Microwave Dishes
• Highly Directional
• Narrow Beam
• Generator and Propane Tank
• Equipment Shelter

18
Richardson Bay Sewerage Agency
19
Richardson Bay Sewerage Agency
20
Richardson Bay Photo Simulation
21
MMWD Tank Site
22
MMWD Tank Photo Simulation
23
Wolfback Ridge Site
24
Agenda

• 645pm Pre-meeting conversation.
• 700 Welcome Don Hunter, Chair of the
  Southern Marin Site
• Committee."
• 705 Project background.
• 720 Ground rules.
• 725 Agenda review.
• 730 Concerns and feedback from participants
  organized into
• categories.
• 815 Provide answers and clarification to as
  many issues as
• possible.
• 845 Review timeline and process.
• 855 Meeting evaluation.
• 900 Adjourn.

25
Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA)

• A partnership of Marins Cities, Towns,
  County, Water and Fire Protection Districts
  established in 1998 to build a replacement for
  the obsolete emergency radio systems.
• www.meraonline.org