https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Firefighters’ union claims of RF dangers jeopardizes LA-RICS public-safety LTE project

Firefighters’ union claims of RF dangers jeopardizes LA-RICS public-safety LTE project

  • Written by raidee
  • 1st October 2018

LAS VEGAS–Complaints from a firefighters union that radio-frequency (RF) emissions from LTE sites being installed at several Los Angeles-area fire stations are a health hazard could derail the regional public-safety LTE system, according to an official with the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS), which is building the network.

LA-RICS has reduced the number of LTE sites in its planned deployment from 232 to 177, according to LA-RICS Executive Director Pat Mallon.

“We've had some of our independent cities drop out,” Mallon said during an IWCE session focused on early builders of public-safety LTE systems. “They just couldn’t feel that more cell towers in their cities were consistent with their plan.”

Mallon expressed concern that delays could result in the LA-RICS public-safety LTE project—the largest public-safety LTE project in the U.S.—not being completed by the Sept. 30 deadline associated with the federal-grant funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Some politicians have indicated that the NTIA deadline could be extended, but Mallon said “there’s not a chance in hell” of that happening.

While speaking before the Senate Commerce Committee on March 11, FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson noted the fact that the LA-RICS project revealed that leveraging government-owned assets would not be as simple as expected, but she did not provide any details about the matter.

One key reason for the cities’ unwillingness to approve LTE sites is that local chapters of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union are opposing the installation of LTE cell towers for the LA-RICS system at fire stations and lifeguard facilities—government-owned locations chosen in an attempt to streamline the deployment process. The unions claim that having LTE sites so close to fire stations is a health risk to the firefighters that spend much of their time in those stations.

“Being exposed to the risk of cancer, infertility, headaches, sleep disorders, reduced memory function, and anxiety for the rest of your career—sound acceptable to you?” is a question asked about the LA-RICS installation on the IAFF Local 1014 web site. Just below this question is a radio advertisement that refers to the new LTE sites as “toxic towers.”

This sentiment is reiterated elsewhere on the web site, where the union expresses doubt whether firefighters will use the new LTE broadband data network, noting that firefighters depend on land mobile radio (LMR) technology for mission-critical communications .

“Firefighters will get no better emergency communications from this project—you get the impacts but none of the benefits,” the IAFF Local 1014 web site states. “You'll be relying on your LMR for decades while you're being saturated with toxic radio frequency radiation from cell towers.”

IAFF Local 1014 is encouraging its members to participate in a protest of the LA-RICS cell towers tomorrow at a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors hearing, according to the union chapter’s web site.

Last fall, an IAFF official expressed dismay that the union was not informed of the LA-RICS plan to locate LTE towers close to fire stations and lifeguard facilities. Mallon said he wanted to conduct outreach about the LTE project with the union, but he was informed that such communication would not be appropriate.

“We did extensive outreach to the cities, to the supervisors in each of the five districts—we did over 175 outreach sessions,” Mallon said. “Once, I got my wrists slapped for reaching out to the unions directly [and was told] that I needed to deal through the agencies and let them do that–and they didn't.

“So, as we were moving forward and we started installing some of the towers at the fire stations, the fire unions said, ‘Holy (expletive), there are RF emissions, folks. They're going to fry our brains.’”

Mallon said the LA-RICS LTE towers are expected to emit “about 6” microwatts of RF energy into the fire station, which is less than 2% of the emissions allowed by the FCC. But the technical consultant hired by the firefighter unions has noted that the FCC does not have qualified medical experts on its staff and claims that people should not be exposed to more than “0.01 microwatts per square centimeter–50,000 times lower than the FCC requires,” Mallon said.

Tags:

Related Content

  • Public-safety drone usage takes flight in 2022
  • 7 steps to take right now to prepare for cyberattacks by Russia
  • Fight over facial-recognition ban set to delay AI regulation in EU
  • Cybersecurity leaders urge digital defense awareness, preparation in light of Russia invasion

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient dlvr.it/ShVS1h

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

MCPTT interworking for critical communications dlvr.it/ShTm3P

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

Self-driving cars present terrorism risk, FBI director says dlvr.it/ShTTHx

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

UK Home Office officially will cut ESN ties with Motorola Solutions in December dlvr.it/ShNjfN

24th January 2023
UrgentComm

Newscan: Police software vendor breach exposes personal data, raid plans dlvr.it/ShN0q2

24th January 2023
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: We're so excited about our awesome list of speakers! Today we highlight Budge Currier, a 9-1-1 Branch Manager at CAL OES, res…

24th January 2023
UrgentComm

Ransomware profits decline as victims dig in, refuse to pay dlvr.it/ShLS15

24th January 2023
UrgentComm

Critical manufacturing sector in the bullseye dlvr.it/ShKrSS

23rd January 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.