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Minnesota Department of Public Safety Briefing Sheet — November 2003 �� Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency � � � � � � � Res onse ARMER p � �� Funding In June 2003, the Legislature approved the statewide plan and appropriated $27 million for Phase 3. Another $17 million is required to complete Phase 3. The Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security Emergency Management provided an additional $6 million in federal funding for communities in Greater Minnesota to acquire interoperable equipment to operate on the shared radio system. Statewide System History 1998 and 1999 — Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Electronic Communications begins to share information about communication inter- operability with sheriffs, chiefs of police, city and coun- ty officials, and members of League of Cities and Association of Counties July 2000 — Legislature directs department of Transportation, Public Safety, and Administrationto sub- mit report on scope of problem for review in 2001 session. September 2000 — Communications survey is mailed to 700 local units of government with oversight of 1,500 affected agencies. October through December 2000 — Department of Public Safety, Department ofAdministration and Department of Transportation meet with representatives ftom local governments to discuss the survey results. February 2001— Final report is distributed to mem- bers of the Legislature. No formal action is talcen. July through December 2001— Department of Transportationrequests $37 million to implement interoperable radio communication system in the Rochester and St. Cloud State Patrol districts. June 2002 — Legislation calls for committee to develop plan for statewide shared radio system. Por more information, contact Assistant Public Safety Commissioner T'nn Leslie at 651-296-6642. Minnesota Stories: The Difference Communication Can Make Rocori High School On September 24, a student at Rocori High School in Cold Spring allegedly gunned down two schoolmates with a handgun he brought to school in a bag. When Cold Spring Police Chief Phil Jones arrived at the scene minutes later, the 15-year-old freshman had already turned in his weapon and no longer presented a t h a t. If the situation had not been quickly resolved, the responding agencies-which also included the �s�arns County Sheriffs Office and the Minnesota State Patrol- would lilcely ha�e opted to communicate through a local, shared emergency channel. An incident of greater magnitude, however, would have brought additional responding agencies, which would not have had access to this channel. Hennepin County Government Center On September 29, a woman brought a gun into the Hennepin County Government Center and fatally shot her cousin. She also shot and wounded her cousin's attorney. The Minneapolis Police and Fire departments and the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office responded and were able to coordinate efforts, communicatingon a shared, ARMER-prototype channel. Minnesota State University, Mankato When riots brolce out near Minnesota State University, Manlcato, on the evening of October 4, public safety' agencies from all over the region responded. Incident command was severely handicapped, however, by tfrc lacic of a common communications platform. Response team deployment had to be based on available commu- nication linl�.s rather than capabilities. This incident demonstrateshow communications systems can create a problem rather than serving as a tool to help resolve a situation.