Md. gov. makes 1st call on new responder network

1st phase of statewide conversion will be finished this year with entire project slated for completion in 2016

June 07, 2012 06:31 AM

Tendersinfo News

BALTIMORE, Md. — From the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Gov. Martin O’Malley made the first call on the Maryland First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team, or Maryland FiRST. The new system was designed and installed by Motorola Solutions, Inc..

Maryland FiRST will provide state agencies and local jurisdictions access to a digital and secure radio system for emergency communications. Most existing public safety radio systems in the state will be compatible with Maryland FiRST, which will help establish a seamless, interoperable communications system to connect Maryland’s first responders.

The initial phase of Maryland FiRST, serving central Maryland and the I-95 corridor, will be fully operational by the end of the year when testing and user training are completed. The system will serve all parts of Maryland within four years.

Maryland FiRST, is the first interoperable statewide 700 MHz radio communications system in Maryland for state and local public safety agencies. The Maryland FiRST system features P25 Phase 2 TDMA that will enable the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Kent County to meet the narrowbanding requirements established by the Federal Communications Commission before the Jan. 1, 2013, deadline.

The Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and Kent County will be the first users of Maryland FiRST. Motorola Solutions was awarded a contract from the state of Maryland to begin the design and installation of a statewide interoperable emergency communications network on Nov. 17, 2010.

The first phase will provide coverage to one-third of Maryland’s estimated population of nearly 6 million and two-thirds of the state’s critical infrastructure. Maryland FiRST will provide a high level of interoperability to state and local agencies, as well as connectivity to federal agencies through national shared frequencies.

The next phase will build-out the system on the Eastern Shore and be completed by the end of 2013. Maryland FiRST will be completed by 2016, allowing the capability for all Maryland police, firefighters, emergency medical services, emergency management personnel and other first responders to communicate on the same system.