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Public Safety Communications and IT Services Division manages state emergency radio System
MORE THAN JUST COMMUNICATIONS
BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES
03.19.2018
Story by 2nd Lt. Crystal Farris
The Idaho Army National Guard recently signed an agreement with the Idaho Military Division’s Public Safety Communications and Information Technology Division that establishes a maintenance plan for the long-term sustainment of a microwave radio system for its Orchard Combat Training Center. The agreement will go into effect beginning April 1 with the purchasing and installation of multiple microwave radio sites across the training center.
The agreement comes at a perfect time, establishing a new and up-to-date communication system necessary for the training center’s planned growth and increased use during the Idaho Army National Guard’s annual training events over the next several summers. The new system will enhance communications and operations between Gowen Field and the training center.
“The current network has been out there for a while and is at a point in its lifecycle where it needs to be replaced,” said Ben Call, communications and IT services branch chief. “We are providing engineering and analysis for what should be replaced and how we can improve data consistency and reliability for that infrastructure to remain working at an optimal level.”
Using line-of-sight wireless communication and radio waves, the microwaves will provide high speed wireless connections for sending and receiving voice, video and data information from one point to another. Information is passed within a private network, as opposed to a commercial provider, making it more secure and less vulnerable to cyber-attack, said Call.
The Public Safety Communications and IT Services Division, formerly the Bureau of Communication and Microwave Services, is responsible for managing and maintaining the state microwave network and its 130 microwave sites located throughout Idaho.
Previously part of the Idaho Military Division’s emergency management office, the division now falls under and reports to the state’s adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Michael Garshak. It provides a data network for the day-to-day operations of employees working within state components of the Idaho Military Division on Gowen Field that are not part of the Department of Defense network.
The network also provides secondary communication capability between the state emergency operations center and the 44 counties and three tribal emergency centers in Idaho, should regular communication systems fail.
“With our support they have equipment that comes in via the microwave network instead of the public network that would not be affected by an outage,” said Call. “So it is our hope and intent that our system would stay up and be available in an emergency even if the regular system dies.”
Maintenance teams are located in six different regions within Idaho, along with an IT group on Gowen Field to manage all data traffic carried by the microwave network for agencies that they serve. Along with the Idaho Army National Guard, its customers include the Idaho State Police, Idaho Fish and Game and the Idaho State Courts System.
In addition to the microwave network, PSC is responsible for maintaining and operating the Land Mobile Radio networks that serve state agencies, such as Emergency Medical Services, Idaho State Police and the Idaho Transportation Department. Directed by state statute, they are the responsible party for all state of Idaho radio frequency licensing.