Briefs

Oct 1, 2002 12:00 PM

The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y., reported that Clinton County would spend $600,000 to upgrade E911 dispatch and radio communications with an 800 MHz system that would be compatible with the state's planned Statewide Wireless System.

The Fauquier Citizen, Warrenton, Va., reported that the Fauquier County sheriff, Joe Higgs, said that when Deputy Sean Healy was shot in the neck on Aug. 31 during a routine traffic stop, his VHF hand-held radio did not work as he lay by the roadside and attempted to call for help — lending urgency to the installation of a new 800 MHz system.

Beginning in November, Uniden Corp. of America, Fort Worth, Texas, expects to ship radio scanners that can receive signals that use the Project 25 digital standard, now that the scanners have received FCC certification.

The Durango (Colo.) Herald reported that a state revenue shortfall would delay the completion of a statewide 800 MHz radio system from the end of 2005 to the end of 2006.

Business use of Family Radio Service two-way radios would be barred if the FCC grants a petition filed Aug. 22 by the Industrial Telecommunications Association membership organization, Alexandria, Va. The FCC accepted comments on the petition until Oct. 17.

Citing security concerns, the Department of Defense is barring the use of many types of wireless communications in the Pentagon and in parts of several military branches except for “land mobile, emergency, and tactical radios and one-way receive-only devices.”

The Odessa American reported that the Odessa, Texas, city council has voted to allow the University of Texas of the Permian Basin police department to tie into the city's radio system. UTPB police would purchase 12 radios and pay $10 a month to use the city's 800 MHz radio system “only if there was some emergency in the city or at UTPB so they needed to talk to the Odessa police,” said Odessa Police Chief Chris Pipes. Otherwise, “they'll have their own channels to use in their business,” he said.