Ky. department seeks grants to improve radio systems, bomb squad

By Joanie Baker
Messenger-Inquirer

OWENSBORO, Ky. — The Owensboro Police Department is seeking more than $8 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to enhance technology for the anticipated converged 911 center and other departmental improvements.

Commissioners today will look to authorize the application for grants that, if awarded, would provide additional equipment to OPD's Bomb Squad and complete the installation of mobile data terminals in police cruisers.

A $5.5 million grant makes up the majority of the four requests. It was written to secure funding for a "voice interoperability system" for an multi-county region that will also allow the city and Daviess County's radio systems to communicate.

The goal of the funding is to start a three-phase project that will ultimately create real-time incident information and communication among first responders in Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster counties.

Currently, the city and county radio communication systems are not interchangeable.

OPD operates on an 800 Mhz radio system purchased and installed in 1994. Daviess County uses a smaller frequency that must ultimately be replaced by 2013 to meet FCC mandates.

With the funding, the city would create a three-site topology and subscription to the new frequency for Daviess County.

Another grant for $292,364 is being requested to upgrade the telephone system at OPD to allow dispatchers to essentially communicate between neighboring counties.

Ron Jackson, radio network technician with the city of Owensboro, said the system will operate much like a Voice Over Internet Protocol -- like Vonage -- but is "much smarter."

Essentially, officers traveling in other counties will be able to contact their own dispatch or another counties' directly.

Chief Glenn Skeens said there has been a significant decrease in the amount of Homeland Security funding passed out in Kentucky, but said he is hopeful that the agency's needs will be seen.

"Our grants are weighed and graded with all the other agencies in the Commonwealth," he said. "It is a very competitive process."

The department is also seeking nearly $70,000 to purchase three new bomb suits and helmets for the bomb squad. Skeens said the squad has responded regionally to incidents regarding explosive devices and the new suits will replace the two current ones that can be used for training and backup.

The remaining $57,800 would be used to enhance the bomb squad's robot to make it wireless. The robot, which allows officials to scope a building using video capabilities, also contains bomb detecting sensors that can scan a scene without risk to officials.

The robot also allows police to communicate with possible hostages or barricaded individuals using a radio system.

Currently, the robot uses a "1,200-foot fiber optic system with a cable that trails behind the robot, causing dangerous entanglements for the robot and personnel," according to the grant request.

A new wireless system would lengthen the separation distance up to 3,000 feet and would improve the image quality of the scene because of the stronger digital signal allowed by the wireless software.

"Everything is related to officer safety and allowing them to handle situations more effectively," Skeens said.

Copyright 2008 The Messenger-Inquirer