Project Grant 15JCOPS23GG04842SCAX

MUSTANG PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS APPLYING FOR THE COPS SVPP TO CREATE A DISTRICT WIDE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS HAVE PURCHASED RADIOS, BUT THOSE RADIOS DONT ALLOW FOR BUILDING-TO-BUILDING COMMUNICATION AND NONE OF THEM CAN COMMUNICATE WITH OUR BUSES. WE USE CELL PHONES, BUT OUR CELLULAR COVERAGE IS VERY POOR IN MANY PLACES OUTSIDE OUR BUILDINGS AND ALMOST NIL INSIDE. BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN A TIMELY MANNER ACROSS THE DISTRICT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS. OUR DISTRICT WORKS WITH THREE DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DUE TO JURISDICTION COVERAGE. TWO OF THOSE AGENCIES, MUSTANG POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CANADIAN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, PROVIDE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS FOR OUR STUDENTS. CURRENTLY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO USE THEIR UNIT RADIOS TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH EACH OTHER. THEIR HANDHELD RADIOS DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY CHANNEL. CREATING OUR DISTRICT WIDE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW THEM TO CARRY A RADIO ALLOWING DIRECT ACCESS TO EACH OTHER. OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS FULLY SUPPORT THIS GRANT. THROUGH THIS GRANT, WE INTEND TO PURCHASE A REPEATER WHICH WILL COVER THE NORTH SIDE OF OUR DISTRICT. WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING OUR BUSES AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL RADIOS FROM ONE REPEATER LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF OUR DISTRICT. AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, OUR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS GAP IS BUILDING TO BUILDING. WE WILL PURCHASE ONE RADIO FOR EACH SCHOOL OFFICE, FOR EACH BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR, FOR OUR UPPER-LEVEL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS AND OUR SEVEN SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THE GRANT BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND LICENSES TO ENSURE THE RADIOS WILL OPERATE CORRECTLY. OUR FINAL GOAL FOR THIS GRANT IS TO UPGRADE THE TRANSPORTATION RADIOS FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL. DUE TO THE AGE OF OUR RADIOS, OUR DRIVERS EXPERIENCE INTERFERENCE IN DIFFERENT AREAS IN OUR DISTRICT, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR RADIO TRAFFIC AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH DISPATCH. IN SOME CASES, OUR RADIOS ARE PICKING UP RADIO TRAFFIC FROM EASTERN OKLAHOMA. WE DO HAVE SOME HANDHELD RADIOS, BUT THEY CANNOT BE USED WITHIN OR NEAR OUR TRANSPORTATION BUILDING DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF SIGNAL OF THE ANALOG SYSTEM. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BUILDING A DISTRICT-WIDE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. WE BELIEVE THE STUDENTS AND STAFF OF MUSTANG PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL FEEL SAFER KNOWING WE CAN COMMUNICATE IN A TIMELY MANNER IN NORMAL TIMES AND DURING AN EMERGENCY.