The Office of Public Safety Communications Services (OSPSC) assigns a client representative to work with each agency. This provides a single point of contact for all agencies served by the OPSCS. Description of all major Public Safety Communications Services are given below.
Communications service for client agencies is normally directly coordinated with our Public Safety Communications Shops.
RadioCal
These same services are now available to other government agencies. For more information see the RadioCal hompage.
Services Available
Click a topic for more information
Requesting Services
Engineering Services: Contact your client representative (link)
Repair and Radio Maintenance: Contact a communications shop representative (link)
Client representatives work closely with each agency to understand the agency's communication needs and expectations. Once an understanding of a particular need is obtained, an agreement is made that details the scope, cost, and timeframe of the related project. Implementation of the work then begins under project management. At this stage, all aspects of the project are closely monitored for accuracy and timeliness. From start to finish, the combination of client representation and project management ensures the agency's needs and expectations are understood and satisfied.
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TD's engineering team is adept at system design and is intimately familiar with existing agency communication systems. This combination not only ensures quality system performance but compatible system expansion and integration as well. TD engineers also work closely with client representatives to satisfy the customer's needs and expectations. To meet these needs, TD specializes in the following system types and integrations thereof:
- Conventional
- Trunked
- Simulcast
- Microwave
- Ground Based Satellite
- Mobile Communication Vans
- Dispatch Centers (Specializing in state-of-the-art touch screen consoles)
TD engineering also provides special services such as:
- Feasibility Studies
- Radio Surveying
- Radio Interference Investigations
- Electromagnetic Interference investigation (Human Exposure to EM Fields)
This highly skilled group of professionals is adept at solving unique and unusual engineering problems.
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TD ensures that each agency's communications system(s) complies with federal regulations by submitting license applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This also includes submitting license information to regulatory committees (frequency coordinators) for review and concurrence. Furthermore, TD will automatically modify and renew licenses as necessary. To aid in regulatory pursuits, TD has become a member of the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD), the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), and the Forestry-Conservation Communications Association (FCCA). Through these and other organizations, TD Lobbies regulatory committees and the FCC to promote and defend the needs of State agencies. As a member of APCO, TD is assigned as a local advisor for Northern California (the area north of San Luis Obispo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties). In this capacity, TD provides assistance and guidance to State, county and local agencies on the use of radio spectrum.
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To complement the placement of agency system equipment throughout the state, TD installs agency owned equipment vaults and antenna towers. These facilities can be installed on State, Federal or private property. Once installed, TD can also provide facility management services with respect to tenant leasing and technical standards. Additionally, TD processes interagency vault-lease agreements and provides information for Office of Real-Estate and Design Services (OREDS) applications.
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TD also assists in the purchasing of new equipment. Once an equipment need is defined with the client agency, TD will provide the necessary information to the Department of General Services Procurement Division. Requests for Bid (RFB) will then be issued and the associated equipment purchased. The equipment is then received at TD for compliance testing and warehouse storage. To further assist in the procurement process, TD can develop a customized equipment specification which meets the agency's unique needs. This technical specification is included in the RFB and all bidders must adhere to it. Likewise, once the equipment is received, it is tested in TD's state-of-the-art automated testing facility to ensure compliance with the specification.
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In response to agency system requirements, TD designs and manufacturers products to meet unique applications for which there is no commercially available solution.. Having this service available is a valuable asset to TD engineers, allowing them the flexibility to design complex communications systems without being restricted by the limitations of commercially available products. The nature of these products includes audio and logic interface units, power distribution panels and special hardware such as antenna mounting brackets. Other work has included fitting out special communications vehicles, and the design and fabrication of special data stations.
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TD owns and operates the statewide Public Safety Microwave Network (PSMN). Consisting of over 260 physical sites and 300 microwave paths, the PSMN carries over 1,300 circuits serving State, Federal, and County agencies. The PSMN is an integrated network consisting of both analog and digital transmission systems, and is capable of both voice and data communications. (NOTE: As the primary purpose of the PSMN is for voice and video communications, clients who desire data transmission services must first receive approval of the appropriate control agencies for Information Technology services before they can become PSMN subscribers.) Having access to this extensive resource gives TD engineers the advantage of being able to connect remote regions of the state or to complement communication systems. A typical application would be to connect a dispatch center to remote mountain top repeaters for communication with mobile radios. The PSMN also serves as an emergency telephone system and provides the transfer of control information between remote field sites and centralized network monitoring equipment to facilitate service restoration and preventive maintenance efforts.
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TD not only designs and engineers communication systems but installs them as well. TD maintains six installation crews that perform major installations throughout the state. To foster a timely installation and to minimize troubleshooting, equipment is first preassembled for mock testing. Once testing is complete, the equipment is approved for installation. This level of quality control ensures the installation of a reliable communications system. Once a system is installed, the associated equipment is routinely serviced under TD's maintenance program. Should equipment fail, TD's around the clock repair service is just a phone call away. To accomplish this, TD has forty seven radio communications shops strategically located throughout the state. This enables highly skilled and well equipped telecommunications technicians to quickly respond to calls for repair service. This combination of routine maintenance and quick response time to equipment failure means minimum down time for agency equipment.
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Once a system is installed, the associated equipment is routinely serviced under TD's maintenance program. Should equipment fail, TD's around the clock repair service is just a phone call away. To accomplish this, TD has forty seven radio communications shops strategically located throughout the state. This enables highly skilled and well equipped telecommunications technicians to quickly respond to calls for repair service. This combination of routine maintenance and quick response time to equipment failure means minimum down time for agency equipment.
Although much equipment is repaired in the field by TD technicians, most higher technology equipment requires specialized instrumentation and skills. To meet this repair need, TD has developed two high technology repair centers. One located in Southern California and the other in Northern California. These repair centers have the equipment and personnel to repair advanced communication equipment. Another added benefit of these centers is that they also repair aged equipment that the manufacturer will no longer service. Of course, if damaged equipment is still under factory warranty, TD will have it repaired accordingly.
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