Florida County Puts Wireless Data System in Place on Time, on Budget, and Above Expectations

Implementing a wireless data system is a critical decision for any municipal or local government agency. Most technologies require a significant funding commitment, and the organization, whether public safety or public works, must live with the results for years to come. In late 2003, officials in Sumter County, Florida considered a difficult choice. Public safety officials and county commissioners had to weigh the need for a wireless data solution against budget realities and the absolute necessity of a smooth, predictable deployment.

"We were working with our supplier, Communications International, and they suggested a private wireless data solution from Dataradio," says Sumter County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jack Jordan. "We explored the option in December, and by January we had the approval we needed, along with a detailed deployment schedule." What followed was an implementation process that has proven to be highly effective in a field where many pieces of the puzzle must work together perfectly.

Need for Reliability and Budgetary Independence Drives Private Wireless Decision

For Jordan, ownership was one of the most important factors in the wireless design decision. "I don't want to be paying a monthly bill to a carrier for the life of my system," he explains. "With a public network carrier, I would be looking at continuous costs, and those costs would increase every time I needed to add a car to the system."

In addition to costs, Jordon cites the risk of changing technologies, a situation that recently occurred when users of public network CDPD technologies were forced to adopt new systems. "A lot of people got burned when the public carriers forced them off their old CDPD systems," he says. "There's no way of knowing whether something like that could happen again in the next 10 years. Even if it's only a slim possibility, I don't want it to be a concern. I want the control of having my own system."

As with any publicly funded procurement project, costs and financing were crucial to the Sumter County wireless decision. "In many places, the decision-makers are drawn in by the lower up-front costs of public carrier services," Jordan explains. "But one thing they need to consider is that the equipment lasts a long time. With a private wireless solution, you can pay off your implementation costs and be free of the major recurring carrier fees. That monthly outlay can then go toward other things. We are fortunate to have county commissioners who understand that."

Vendor-Manufacturer Cooperation Drives Smooth Implementation Process

Sumter began exploring wireless data options in late 2003 with the intention of using funding from Florida's "1250 Law." This law allocates $12.50 from every citation issued to fund communications projects. With a tight budget, Sumter had little room for error in deployment or functionality. "We decided on a solution in December, and by January we had a deployment timeline," said Jordan. "All the pieces were scheduled to be in place by April 26, 2004."

Sumter's wireless solutions provider, Communications International, worked with the county and with Dataradio to assess communications needs. They identified required software and equipment as well as an ideal tower location. The system would cover 88 units for sheriff's and fire services in a 575 square mile service area approximately one hour's drive north of Tampa. The geography consists of one urban area with the balance of coverage in an area of moderate to rural population density.

Because of the cooperative relationship between Sumter County, Dataradio, and Communications International, everyone involved was able to address any technical challenges immediately. As a result, the system was ready for deployment on schedule. On April 26, the system was installed and operational.

"There was a zero failure rate," says Jordan. "Everything worked perfectly. When you're dealing with law enforcement management, saying something's going to work is one thing. Actually seeing it work is another story. In our case, implementation proceeded exactly as planned. That's an achievement."

Feature-rich Wireless Data System Provides Mission-critical Reliability and Ease of Use

Sumter County's wireless data system provides a wide range of crucial features for effective law enforcement operation. For example, the system is designed to accommodate built-in GPS for all cars-a feature that provides coordinators and dispatchers with unprecedented field command ability and shows them where all resources are at all times.

Once software integration is complete (a process also on schedule and slated for completion by June 15) the system will accommodate tag lookup, full-service dispatch, field reporting, wants and warrants, and email. "The system is also easy to maintain," says Jordan. "The Dataradio equipment can be programmed from the field without actually touching it. This is an important feature for keeping on top of all the components of our wireless data system."

Finally, Jordan points out that continuous connectivity is a must-have feature that can only be delivered through a private wireless solution. "Not only is the bandwidth under our control," says Jordan, "but the strength of the equipment is amazing. As a result, our people in the field get the functionality, reliability and speed they need. One tower covers our entire service area, and using the system I can do a tag lookup in three seconds. In a public safety service, the information delivered in that three seconds can be a life-saver."

Private Wireless System Attracts Interest from Municipal Organizations Across Florida

The successful implementation and impressive performance of Sumter's wireless data system has attracted the attention of organizations across the state. "People are seeing that it works for us, and that it can be put in place on schedule and on budget," says Jordan. "The whole experience, including the coordination between Communications International and Dataradio, shows how a committed, knowledgeable and honest partner can give you the result you need."