The Kodiak Police Department begins its switch Wednesday to a new digital communications system that provides faster response and tightened security.

The narrowband, encrypted system will disappoint those who are used to monitoring police and fire calls since it blacks out public eavesdropping.

Listening to police calls on wideband, analog radio is no longer possible, police chief T.C Kamai said.

For those who want to continue such monitoring, “There is no alternative,” he said.

“Technically, eavesdropping on another frequency was not allowed, although people have been able to do it,” Kamai said.

He said the encrypted system will also aid in investigations by preventing, for example, drug dealers from scanning police radios to avoid a bust.

Kamai said a lot of the tightening up is the result of passage of the national Homeland Security Act which requires the police department to comply with new standards and regulations.

The new communications system is funded from four grants totaling $1.6 million. The Department of Homeland Security awarded three of the grants and one grant was awarded by the Department of Justice.

Kamai said he has been working on the system since 2001.

“We are in a time of major transition with a vast improvement in efficiency,” he said.

“Wednesday, we turn off the old system and turn on the new,” he said. “We are attempting to make this seamless.”

Kamai said it may take a few weeks to get the kinks out of the system.

The new system is computerized so telephone calls are answered on the computer through headsets, freeing hands and eliminating a lot of button pushing.

Two dispatchers in KPD central control look at computer screens, sending signals for dispatching and recording information.

The KPD system operates two 911 call stations to receive calls throughout the city and borough and dispatches not only police calls but also calls for the fire department, the Coast Guard, state troopers and borough fire departments.

Under the new system, the police and fire departments each have two main channels with two secondary channels. In addition, there is a channel for the Harbormaster’s Office, public works department and for the tsunami warning system.

Under the old system, the fire department received calls on a paging system after the calls came to the police department. The second channel for the fire department will still use a paging system for calls to borough fire departments.

Response for an ambulance or fire call is about 60 seconds, with a unit en route within one to two minutes, Kamai said.

Kamai said a significant advantage of the new system is statewide communications available both for first responders in case of a disaster and for other uses, such as investigations.

Kodiak links to the Alaska Land Mobile Radio System so that if a need arises in Fairbanks for emergency support, Kodiak can deploy units, or vice-versa.

Kamai said major interference also is eliminated. Previously, police officers could not hear calls when they needed to.

Down the road, Kamai said he would like to see formal contracts drawn up between other agencies, such as the Coast Guard and borough fire stations.

“Right now there is nothing in place to share the costs, although Alaska State Troopers do fund a portion of their use of the city system.”

Other agencies also use the system, including the National Marine Fisheries, Alaska Department of Transportation, State Park rangers and Military Police.

Kamai also hopes the police department will eventually have more space for its communications system if a proposed new police facility is constructed.

The City Council has set a bond measure for a new public safety building to go on the October ballot. The building would be 24,000 square feet compared to the present 7,000 square feet.

Kamai, who has been a KPD officer since 1988 and became chief in 2001, has watched communications develop from a primitive system to its now state- of-the-art system.

“Our mission evolved, but up until now our communications system did not,” he said.

Kamai said the end result of the new system adds strength to the safety of Kodiak’s citizens.

Mirror writer Bryan Martin can be reached via e-mail at bmartin@kodiakdailymirror.com.