Case Study:

MCP Assessment Leads to Upgrade of Shenandoah County's Aging LMR System

Shenandoah County Upgrades Aging LMR System after MCP Assessment

The Shenandoah County (Virginia) Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) was operating an aging, county-owned, conventional analog land mobile radio (LMR) system. The system featured three tower sites, operated in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band, and consisted of components that, in some cases, were at least 20 years old. The DEC provides emergency-response dispatching services for five law enforcement and 12 fire/rescue/emergency medical services (EMS) departments. It hired Mission Critical Partners to assess its legacy LMR system, which had started to experience significant performance issues.

Challenge

Shenandoah County DEC faced a legacy LMR system plagued by coverage gaps, limited capacity, aging components, and a lack of modern features. This led to the need for procuring a new P25-compliant system.

 

Solution

Shenandoah County DEC replaced its aging, unreliable LMR system with a state-of-the-art P25 Phase 2 digital trunked system that features more tower sites, as well as more channels and talkpaths, to enhance voice quality, coverage, capacity, reliability, and interoperability for emergency responders.

Results

The system delivered immediate, eye-opening improvements in communications quality that earned praise from emergency responders in the county as well as regional mutual-aid departments.

LMR-Replacement

 

Assessment Highlights Urgent Need for LMR System Replacement

MCP‘s assessment revealed that the system no longer was public-safety grade and required replacement. Key issues identified include:

  • Insufficient coverage and unreliable performance in various county areas, hindering emergency responders' communication.
  • Limited capacity due to the system's conventional design.
  • Susceptibility to failure due to aging components, posing risks to emergency response and communication.
  • Lack of modern radio features like emergency buttons and encryption and interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions.

MCP's Essential Contribution and Impact

MCP subject-matter experts revamped the county's communication system, in part by facilitating procurement, implementation, and testing of the new system. Specific expertise provided includes the following:

  • Ensured proper grounding of the LMR system to mitigate disaster risks, following industry standards.
  • Managed COVID-19 supply-chain challenges to keep the project on track.
  • Aided DEC in implementing a robust system using microwave and fiber-optic technology.
  • Addressed preservation challenges at a historic battlefield tower site through innovative approaches and stakeholder collaboration.
  • Improved DEC's paging capability by replacing the expensive legacy system with expertise in paging technology.

Download The Full Case Study

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“We have been amazed by the crystal-clear communication and flawless transmission of our radios, even in the deep woods,” Shipe said. “Shenandoah County is proud of the hard work that went into this project.”

Mellanie Shipe, Director of the DEC’s Emergency Communications Center

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A: 690 Grays Woods Blvd., Port Matilda, PA 16870
P: 888.862.7911

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