[Dispatch] *NOTICE* GATRRS Scheduled Maintenance, Wednesday, 9/10/14, 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.

[Vires, Rob]

From: Poole, Calvin
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2014 6:38 AM
To: Vires, Rob
Subject: FW: *NOTICE* GATRRS Scheduled Maintenance, Wednesday, 9/10/14, 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.
Importance: High

Could you forward this to Operations and the ESD group today?

Captain Calvin Poole

Austin Fire Department Dispatch


NOTICE OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: GREATER AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY REGIONAL RADIO SYSTEM (GATRRS).

WHAT'S HAPPENING - NEXT WEEK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014, 12:01 A.M. TO 4:00 A.M.: MICROWAVE CUTOVER.

IMPACT:

1.       AUSTIN-TRAVIS-BLANCO-BURNET-LLANO: SITE TRUNKING, BELL SPRINGS TOWER, southwest Travis County, 30-45 minutes: Radios in the area near Bell Springs may lose radio contact with dispatch. This work will occur between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

2.       WESTERN REGION SYSTEM: Microwave link to GATRRS off-line for Western Region System (Blanco, Burnet, Llano Counties). NO USER IMPACT; REDUNDANT TELCO LINK IS NOT AFFECTED AND SHOULD ALLOW UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION ON THE WESTERN REGION SYSTEM. (TELCO LINKS WILL BE CHECKED AND VERIFIED PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS MAINTENANCE.)

3.       BASTROP COUNTY SYSTEM: Microwave link to GATRRS briefly off-line while a jumper is changed. NO USER IMPACT; REDUNDANT TELCO LINK IS NOT AFFECTED AND SHOULD ALLOW UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION ON THE BASTROP SYSTEM. (TELCO LINKS WILL BE CHECKED AND VERIFIED PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS MAINTENANCE.)

4.       AUSTIN-TRAVIS "COUNTYWIDE" SIMULCAST LAYER AT HALF-CAPACITY: Austin-Travis public safety customers may experience more radio busies for up to one hour of this four-hour period. Impact should be minimal due to the overnight maintenance schedule.

5.       CELL PHONES, MDC'S, AND PAGERS ARE UNAFFECTED.

6.       Radios displaying "SITE TRUNKING" after 1:00 a.m., or otherwise experiencing problems after maintenance is completed, should be power-cycled (off/on) to reestablish normal operations.

WHO IS AFFECTED?

1.       AUSTIN-TRAVIS AND WESTERN REGION SYSTEM CUSTOMERS MAY SEE "SITE TRUNKING" DISPLAYED ON THEIR RADIOS.

a.       Radios in SW Travis County near the Bell Springs tower may lose contact with dispatch for up to 45 minutes in the midnight-to-1:00 a.m. hour.

b.      Radios in NE Blanco County and SE Burnet County, near the Bell Springs tower, may lose contact with dispatch for up to 45 minutes in the midnight-to-1:00 a.m. hour.

2.       Austin-Travis County public safety radios (including Austin Energy) may experience more radio busies during this maintenance period.

3.       A radio displaying "SITE TRUNKING" after 1:00 a.m. should be turned off, then back on to force the radio back to normal operation.

4.       For safety, all customers should be aware of this maintenance and all dispatchers should be prepared to use backup radios should unforeseen problems occur.

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU?

1.       Austin-Travis field users in southwestern Travis County should be prepared to rely on MDC's, cell phones, and pagers between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

2.       Blanco-Burnet-Llano County field users near the Bell Springs tower should be prepared to rely on MDC's, cell phones, and pagers between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

3.       For safety, all customers should be aware of this maintenance and all dispatchers should be prepared to use backup radios should unforeseen problems occur.

PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS MAINTENANCE:

*         GATRRS Dispatch Operators, including Western Region System operators, will be contacted by the City of Austin Wireless Communication Services technician assigned to oversee the work. He will determine if there is a reason to postpone or suspend the scheduled maintenance.

*         EXAMPLES of justification for calling off scheduled maintenance: Major inclement weather moving into the affected area, a multi-alarm fire in progress, or a law enforcement agency vehicle pursuit in progress. If the scheduled maintenance procedure is called off, all affected dispatch centers (if available) will be notified of the cancellation.

CONTACTS:

*         City of Austin Wireless Communication Services Division Master Site Engineer: Mike Pena, cell (512) 698-6575, desk (512) 974-0976, e-mail mike.pena at austintexas.gov<mailto:mike.pena at austintexas.gov>.

*         City of Austin Wireless Main # (512) 927-3200, answered 24/7/365.

If you have questions about the planned maintenance or problems during the maintenance, please use either of the contacts listed above. If you need further assistance, please contact Gary Wilks or Chuck Brotherton at the telephone numbers below, or by email.

*         Gary Wilks, desk (512) 927-3229, cell (512) 848-4421, pager (512) 802-9330, email gary.wilks at austintexas.gov<mailto:gary.wilks at austintexas.gov>.

*         Chuck Brotherton, desk (512) 927-3209, cell (512) 636-6825, pager (512) 802-9328, email charles.brotherton at austintexas.gov<mailto:charles.brotherton at austintexas.gov>.

Thank you.

Chuck Brotherton
Manager, Wireless Communication Services Division
Communications and Technology Management
City of Austin
1006 Smith Road
Austin, TX 78721
desk: (512) 927-3209
cell: (512) 636-6825
pager: (512) 802-9328
charles.brotherton at austintexas.gov<mailto:charles.brotherton at austintexas.gov>

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