eviewing the situation for Rose Peak safenet – please see below email string.
Lincoln NF and Smokey Bear Ranger District would like CIO to provide radio repeater coverage on Rose Peak for an area on Lincoln NF where since 2005 there has not been any repeater support/coverage. There was a repeater up on the Rose Peak site before that but not since 2005. The proposed Rose Peak repeater location needs road access worked out between Forest Service local Ranger District Office and landowner/caretaker to put Pepro in place and also access to allow Electronic Technician yearly access to maintain repeater and emergency access should site go down. The local land owner / caretaker wants Forest Service to pay money for road access to site but FS doesn’t have a mechanism for that.
If the local Lincoln NF or District unit won’t be able negotiate with landowner/caretaker to find a payment mechanism other possible options could include
· Come up with Lincoln NF or Ranger District local unit funding to provide a helicopter transport of the pepro radio repeater shelter from a local helispot to transport pepro up to Rose Peak repeater site and get it setup; then additionally have local unit Lincoln NF provide / set funds aside for helicopter transport on a year to year electronic tech maintenance visit and emergency maintenance as needed for repeater site to perform repairs. Speaking with District FMO there could possibly be funding for such a helicopter trip for transport. Arrangements would have to be made for a type 1 helicopter from a location in the Region for this task. And then arrangements would have to be made for additional local unit Forest or District funding for the yearly and emergency trips to maintain/repair the repeater when it goes down. I can speak with Communication Site manager for ideas about taking this approach – literature that’s already developed pertaining to weight, etc. that can be used to get the building to the site.
· Come up with alternate repeater site locations that would provide similar adequate coverage – one discussed was Carrizo Peak. Work with local unit and Radio systems designer to develop possible alternate locations and coverage maps for other possibilities. Likewise arrangements would need to be made for RFA’s to be worked out, and authorizations for communication shelter to be put in place from site management (BLM, BIA, State, or DHS) anything new would be paid for by local unit – ie building, tower, power, backup.
· Put in a portable repeater for the season – local unit provide helicopter transport and funding for personnel, travel, perdiem to install and remove portable repeater at end of season. It would take away the portable repeater for other incidents / emergencies but would give us time until permanent solution is worked out. |
