PRINTER'S NO. 1314
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
237
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY MENSCH, VULAKOVICH, AUMENT, EICHELBERGER, BAKER
AND BLAKE, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Urging counties of this Commonwealth and local law enforcement,
public safety and emergency services to work with the
Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Public Safety
Radio to explore and execute shared services arrangements in
relation to the new P25 PA-STARNet rollout.
WHEREAS, On July 1, 2012, the Office of Administration
announced the transfer of responsibility of PA-STARNet, the
Statewide public safety radio system, to the Pennsylvania State
Police; and
WHEREAS, On September 18, 2013, the Pennsylvania State Police
testified before the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
Committee of the House of Representatives that weaknesses in
reliability and coverage prevented PA-STARNet from being a true
public safety grade system and that they were working through a
selection process with two vendors to chose one to develop a
solution that would transition the system from the current
platform to a P25 public safety grade platform; and
WHEREAS, On October 20, 2016, the Pennsylvania State Police,
on behalf of this Commonwealth, completed the competitive
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procurement process and contracted for a P25 upgrade to PA-
STARNet; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of
Public Safety Radio Services will manage and deploy the P25
upgrade across this Commonwealth beginning in the northwest
corner of the State in 2017 and ending in the northcentral
portion of the State in 2021; and
WHEREAS, The upgrade will consist of new P25 infrastructure,
hardened microwave backhaul, improved coverage, a long-term
maintenance program and site hardening; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police and local law
enforcement, public safety and emergency services all require
P25 emergency communications to successfully manage the
responsibilities of their public services mandates to their
respective agencies and the citizenry in both daily operations
and emergency operations; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of
Public Safety Radio Services seek to share services, capital
investment and infrastructure among State agencies and local
municipalities in an effort to maximize capital investment,
minimize public investment and drive taxpayer efficiencies; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police and local law
enforcement, public safety and emergency services require
seamless emergency communications interoperability; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has
encouraged regional consolidation among public safety answering
points and radio systems to be eligible for 911 State funding;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate urge counties of this Commonwealth
and local law enforcement, public safety and emergency services
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to work with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of
Public Safety Radio Services to explore and execute shared
services arrangements in relation to the new P25 PA-STARNet
rollout.
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