I. Purpose

Land Mobile Radio (“LMR”) usage enhances campus safety and security. LMR usage also supports the ability of individuals and authorized campus departments  to affect campus operations and to protect people and property by enabling quicker and more reliable campus communication. The LMR Systems Procedures Manual (“Procedures”) provides direction for individuals, departments, and units at the University of Colorado Boulder (“CU Boulder”) seeking to use LMR systems.

II. Procedures 

A. Procedures Scope, Exclusions, and Definitions 

  1. Application. These Procedures apply to all LMR Systems in use at CU Boulder, including the Main LMR System, Unit-Based LMR Systems, and Third-Party LMR Systems. These Procedures also apply to all individuals who use any of these CU Boulder-Affiliated LMR Systems.
  2. Exclusions. These Procedures do not apply to non-LMR Systems, non-LMR radios, or personal communications devices, including those used for private use by persons not acting pursuant to their employment or agency relationship with CU Boulder, or under CU Boulder’s direction and control. Approved use and policies for non-LMR wireless technologies are managed by the CU Boulder Wireless Governance Group.
  3. Definitions For purposes of these Procedures, the following definitions apply:
  • Certified User: Any individual authorized by an LMR System Administrator to use an LMR System.
  • CU Boulder-Affiliated LMR Systems: LMR Systems in use at CU Boulder including the Main LMR System, all Unit-Based Systems, and all Third-Party Systems.
  • CU Boulder Unit: Any college, department, program, office, research center, business service center, institute, or other operating unit of CU Boulder.
  • Emergency Services Department: Any campus, city, county, or state-based department or agency with Police, Fire, or Medical First Responders.
  • Hazardous Environments: Buildings, rooms, or areas that contain hazardous materials, electrical shock risk, or pose other similar Life Safety concerns.
  • Land Mobile Radio (“LMR”) System (“LMR System”): A two-way radio communications system including the transmitting and receiving equipment, FCC-approved radio frequencies, and push-to-talk portable (hand-held) and mobile (vehicle-installed) radios.
  • LMR System Committee: The committee appointed by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer to review requests for approval of existing LMR Systems, review requests for approval of Third-Party LMR Systems, review lists of Certified Users, and to make recommendations to the Associate Vice Chancellor or the Associate Vice Chancellor’s designee about those issues.
  • LMR System Administrator means any CU Boulder staff, faculty, or employee responsible for purchasing, management, operation, maintenance, or use approval of LMR Systems for a specific CU Boulder Unit designated pursuant to Section [__] of these Procedures. 
  • Life Safety: The welfare of persons that are at risk due to specific environments or individual circumstances.
  • Main LMR System: The LMR System implemented and managed by CU Boulder Office of Information Technology (“OIT”).
  • Public Safety: The welfare and protection of the general public. For the purposes of this policy, “public” includes CU Boulder, students, employees, and visitors.
  • Public Safety or Life Safety Responsible Individuals: Any individual with authority to direct and coordinate their Unit’s, or a portion of their Unit’s, activities in support of Emergency Services Department management and resolution of a Life Safety or Public Safety incident.
  • Talk Group: A virtual radio channel that provides a communications “space” for radio users to communicate about a particular purpose or function.
  • Third-Party LMR Systems: Any LMR System used at CU Boulder by a third-party entity that is approved by CU Boulder to operate within the campus footprint.
  • Unit-Based LMR Systems: Any LMR System used by a CU Boulder Unit that is not the Main LMR System.
  • Zone: A collection of Talk Groups on a radio that is programmed based on LMR System user needs.

B. Formation of the LMR System Committee ("LMR" Committee)

  1. Membership. By [date], the Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (“Associate Vice Chancellor”) shall appoint the members of the LMR Committee. The LMR Committee shall include four (4) members, in addition to the Associate Vice Chancellor or the Associate Vice Chancellor’s designee, comprised of one representative each from University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (“CUPD”), University of Colorado Wireless Governance Group, University of Colorado Boulder Emergency Management, and University of Colorado Boulder Office of Information Technology (“OIT”). University Counsel shall advise the LMR Committee.  
  2. Chair. The Associate Vice Chancellor, or other person designated by the Associate Vice Chancellor to serve in the Associate Vice Chancellor’s place (“designee”), shall serve as Chair of the LMR Committee.
  3. Committee Procedures. The LMR Committee members shall determine the LMR Committee operating procedures and rules.

C. Appointment of LMR System Adminstrators 

Within 30 days of the Effective Date of the LMR System Policy and these Procedures, the supervising authority for each CU Boulder Unit using a CU Boulder-Affiliated LMR System must designate an LMR System Administrator for their Unit. The appropriate representative of any third-parties using Third-Party LMR Systems shall also designate an LMR System Administrator. The LMR System Administrator for the Unit is responsible for the purchase, management, operation, maintenance, and use of the LMR System.

D. New LMR Systems 

All Units seeking to implement new LMR Systems after the Effective Date of the LMR System Policy and these Procedures must adopt the Main LMR System. Before purchasing or implementing any new LMR Systems, LMR System Administrators must coordinate with the LMR System Administrator for the Main LMR System to purchase the appropriate radios and other equipment.

E. Requests for Approval of Existing LMR Systems 

  1. Approval Process – Existing LMR Systems and Transition Period. Within one (1) year of the Effective Date of the LMR System Policy and these Procedures (the “Transition Period”), all CU Boulder affiliates who own and operate existing LMR Systems must adhere to the following process. By the end of the Transition Period, the CU Boulder affiliates must either: (1) bring their existing LMR Systems into compliance with these Procedures; or (2) remove noncompliant LMR Systems and acquire or adopt the Main LMR System.
    1. The applicant must submit a completed Existing LMR System Approval Request (“Approval Request”) to the LMR Committee Chair. A complete Approval Request shall include: 
  • CU Boulder Unit:
  • LMR System name:
  • Vendor providing LMR System:
  • Purpose of the LMR System (check all that are applicable):
    • Life Safety Support: Y/N
    • Public Safety Support: Y/N
    • Operations: Y/N
  • LMR System is used for (check all that are applicable):
    • Communications: Y/N
    • Dispatch – CUPD: Y/N
    • Dispatch - Operational: Y/N
    • Monitoring: Y/N
    • Other:
  • Number of LMR System users:
  • LMR System Hardware:
    • Location:
    • System Manufacturer:
    • System Model #:
    • Analog or digital:
    • Year manufactured:
    • Year installed at CU Boulder:
    • Able to communicate with CUPD Dispatch, by receiving general messages and conducting two-way communications?: Y/N
    • System redundancy: Y/N
    • Contact Information for CU Boulder or Third party providing support:
    • Portable radios used:
      • Type/model:
      • Quantity:
      • Programming and support provided by:
    • Wireless devices (cell phone, tablet) used:
      • Type supported:
      • Quantity supported:
      • Programming and support provided by:
      • Applications used on the device:
  • System Frequencies and Talk Groups
    • Type of frequency bands used: Simplex, VHF, UHF, 7/800
      • Transmit power settings for infrastructure:
      • Transmit power settings for the end points:
    • Specific frequencies used:
    • Number of talk groups supported:
  • 5-Year Costs & Support
    • Year 1:
      • Initial Implementation (if applicable):
      • Hardware annual maintenance and support:
      • Service annual fees:
      • Radio replacements and warranty/maintenance:
    • Year 2:
      • Hardware annual maintenance and support:
      • Service annual fees:
      • Radio replacements and warranty/maintenance:
      •  
    • Year 3:
      • Hardware annual maintenance and support:
      • Service annual fees:
      • Radio replacements and warranty/maintenance:
    • Year 4:
      • Hardware annual maintenance and support:
      • Service annual fees:
      • Radio replacements and warranty/maintenance:
    • Year 5:
      • Hardware annual maintenance and support:
      • Service annual fees:
      • Radio replacements and warranty/maintenance:
    • Radio programming:
    • Support Contract in Place: Yes/No
    • Dedicated radio support technician: On campus/Off campus
    • Current response time to fix an LMR outage:  4hr/8hr/Unknown
  • Other considerations:
  1. After receipt of a completed Approval Request, the LMR Committee Chair will present the Approval Request to the LMR Committee for review. The LMR Committee will review each Approval Request in accordance with these Procedures. To be approved, an existing LMR System must meet the following criteria:
  • The proposed LMR System must allow Public Safety or Life Safety Responsible Individuals to communicate effectively with University of Colorado Boulder Police Department via the Main LMR System.
  • The proposed LMR System must not interfere with the operation or support of the Main LMR System, the City of Boulder and Boulder County emergency services LMR Systems, or other State and local response entity LMR Systems who might be called in to assist during planned or unplanned events.
  • The proposed LMR System must provide day-to-day operational functionality (non-Public or Life Safety related) that cannot be provided by the official Main LMR System.
  • The proposed LMR System must have a 5-year lower cost for implementation, maintenance and support than the adoption of the Main LMR system by the Unit. Costs for adoption of the Main LMR System will be provided by the CU Boulder OIT to support the comparison.
  1. The LMR Committee will recommend approval, denial, or approval with modification of the Approval Request to the LMR Committee Chair. The LMR Committee Chair has the authority to approve or deny the Approval Request based on the recommendation of the LMR Committee, but the LMR Committee Chair shall make the ultimate decision whether to approve or deny the Approval Request.
  2. The LMR Committee Chair will inform the applicant who submitted the Approval Request of the determination in writing within four (4) weeks of submittal.
  1. Denied Existing LMR System Approval Request. If the LMR Committee Chair denies an Approval Request, within 30 days of the LMR Committee Chair’s written notice of denial the applicant or LMR System Administrator who submitted the Approval Request must submit a request to the LMR System Administrator for the Main LMR System to adopt the Main LMR System in place of the denied existing LMR System. Within 90 days of the LMR Committee Chair’s written notice of denial, the applicant or LMR System Administrator for the Unit must remove the LMR Systems listed in the Approval Request.
  2. Approved Existing LMR System Approval Request. After the LMR Committee Chair notifies the applicant that the Approval Request is approved, the LMR Systems listed in the Approval Request may remain in use and the applicant does not need to take further action. The applicant, in conjunction with the relevant LMR System Administrator for the building or program, is responsible for the purchase, management, operation, maintenance, and use of the LMR Systems. If at any time after the Approval Request is approved the LMR System no longer complies with the criteria for approval outlined in SectionII(E)(1)(ii) of these Procedures, the LMR Committee Chair may withdraw approval by written notice to the respective LMR System Administrator. Within 30 days of receiving the LMR Committee Chair’s written notice of approval withdrawal, the LMR Administrator must resubmit an Approval Request pursuant to these Procedures.
  3. Approved Existing LMR System Approval Request with Modifications. The LMR System Committee may recommend approval of a Request with specified Modifications to ensure that the existing LMR System is capable of communicating properly with CUPD via the Main LMR System. Modifications may include, but are not limited to, a requirement for the Unit to purchase a specified number of additional radios that can communicate properly with the Main LMR System. The number of additional radios shall be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the number of Public Safety and Life Safety Responsible Individuals in the respective Unit. After the LMR Committee Chair notifies the applicant that the Request is approved with Modifications, the applicant, together with the LMR System Administrator for the Unit, may proceed with making the approved modifications to the LMR System.

F. Requests for Approval Third-Party LMR Systems 

  1. Approval Process – Third-Party LMR Systems. Within 90 days of the Effective Date of the LMR Systems Policy and these Procedures, all third-parties who own and operate LMR Systems in use at CU Boulder, or provide rental radios using the Main LMR System, must adhere to the following process. After the Effective Date of the LMR Systems Policy and these Procedures, any third-parties seeking to use new LMR Systems at CU Boulder must also adhere to the following process before using the LMR Systems.

    1. The third-party applicant must submit a completed Third-Party LMR System Approval Request (“Approval Request”) to the LMR Committee Chair. A complete Approval Request shall include:

  • Third-Party Entity:
  • LMR System name:
  • Vendor providing LMR System:
  • Number of LMR System users:
  • LMR System Hardware:
    • Location:
    • System Manufacturer:
    • System Model #:
    • Analog or digital:
    • Year manufactured:
    • Year installed at CU Boulder:
    • Able to communicate with CUPD Dispatch, by receiving general messages and conducting two-way communications?: Y/N
    • System redundancy: Y/N
    • Contact Information for CU Boulder or Third party providing support:
    • Portable radios used:
      • Type/model:
      • Quantity:
      • Programming and support provided by:
    • Wireless devices (cell phone, tablet) used:
      • Type supported:
      • Quantity supported:
      • Programming and support provided by:
      • Applications used on the device:
  • System Frequencies and Talk Groups
    • Type of frequency bands used: Simplex, VHF, UHF, 7/800
      • Transmit power settings for infrastructure:
      • Transmit power settings for the end points:
    • Specific frequencies used:
    • Number of talk groups supported:
  • Other considerations:
  1. After receipt of a completed Third-Party Approval Request, the LMR Committee Chair will present the Approval Request to the LMR Committee for review. The LMR Committee will review each Approval Request in accordance with these Procedures. To be approved, an existing LMR System must meet the following criteria:
  • The proposed LMR System must allow Public Safety or Life Safety Responsible Individuals to communicate effectively with University of Colorado Boulder Police Department via the Main LMR System.
  • The proposed LMR System must not interfere with the operation or support of the Main LMR System, the City of Boulder and Boulder County emergency services LMR Systems, or other State and local response entity LMR Systems who might be called in to assist during planned or unplanned events.
  1. The LMR Committee will recommend approval, denial, or approval with modification of the Approval Request to the LMR Committee Chair. The LMR Committee Chair has the authority to approve or deny the Approval Request based on the recommendation of the LMR Committee, but the LMR Committee Chair shall make the ultimate decision whether to approve or deny the Approval Request.
  2. The LMR Committee Chair will inform the applicant who submitted the Approval Request of the determination in writing.

 

  1. Denied Third-Party LMR System Approval Request. If the LMR Committee Chair denies a Third-Party Approval Request, the applicant who submitted the Approval Request must, within 30 days of the LMR Committee Chair’s written notice of denial, remove the LMR Systems listed in the Approval Request. If the Third-Party Approval Request is for a new LMR System, the third-party will not be allowed to use the LMR System at CU Boulder.
  2. Approved Third-Party LMR System Approval Request. After the LMR Committee Chair notifies the applicant that the Approval Request is approved, the LMR Systems listed in the Approval Request may remain in use and the applicant does not need to take further action. If the Third-Party Approval Request is for a new LMR System, the third-party will be allowed to use the LMR System at CU Boulder consistent with these Procedures. The applicant, in conjunction with the relevant LMR System Administrator for the third-party, is responsible for the purchase, management, operation, maintenance, and use of the LMR Systems.

G. Identifiation of Public Safety and Life Safety Responsible Individiduals 

  1. Identification of Potential Responsible Individuals by LMR Committee. At any time, the LMR Committee may identify, pursuant to the Committee’s operating standards and procedures, Public Safety and Life Safety Responsible Individuals.

  2. Request to Adopt Main LMR System. If the LMR Committee identifies a Potential LMR System Responsible Individual that does not otherwise use a CU Boulder-Affiliated LMR System, the LMR Committee Chair, on recommendation from the Committee, may request in writing that the Public Safety and Life Safety Responsible Individuals adopt the Main LMR System. Within 60 days of receiving the LMR Committee Chair’s request, the Potential LMR System Administrator must coordinate with the LMR System Administrator for the Main LMR System to purchase the appropriate radios and other equipment.

H. LMR System User Certification

  1. System Access Management. LMR System Administrators, including the Main LMR System Administrator, are responsible for managing access to their LMR Systems.

  2. Certification for System Users. LMR System Administrators may grant access to any CU Boulder-affiliated individual who is a Certified User. Certified Users must complete all required training reflected in the LMR User Training Guide included as Appendix 1 to these Procedures. Certified Users must complete and sign the LMR User Certification Form included as Appendix 2 to these Procedures.

  3. List of Certified Users. Each LMR System Administrator must maintain a current list of the Certified Users with access to the Administrator’s respective LMR System using the form shown at Appendix 3 to these Procedures. LMR System Administrators must submit the list of Certified Users to the LMR Committee Chair on a quarterly basis consistent with the following process:
    1. The LMR Committee Chair will present the Certified Users list to the LMR System Committee for review.
    2. The LMR System Committee will review each list for adherence to these Procedures.
    3. The LMR System Committee will recommend approval or modifications to the Authorized Certified Users list. The LMR Committee Chair has the authority to approve or modify the Certified Users list based on the recommendation of the LMR System Committee, but the LMR Committee Chair shall make the ultimate decision whether to approve or modify the list.
    4. The LMR Committee Chair will inform the LMR System Administrator who submitted the Certified Users list of the determination in writing.
    5. If the LMR Committee Chair requires any modifications to the Certified Users list, the respective LMR System Administrators shall grant or revoke certification to those Users consistent with the LMR Committee Chair’s determination.

I. Radio Usage Policies

LMR Users and Radio Programming Form. The LMR Committee is responsible for maintaining the LMR Users and Radio Programming Form (“Form”) included as Appendix 4 to these Procedures. The LMR Committee shall submit the Form to the LMR Committee Chair on a quarterly basis or upon request by the LMR Committee Chair. The Form shall include the following information:

  • Roles

    •  Public Safety/Life Safety.
    •  Business Operations.
    •  Interoperability with other CU Boulder unit.
  •  Talk Groups
    •  Public Safety/Life Safety
      •  Includes CUPD dispatch talk group.
      •  Talk groups for University leadership.
    • Business Operations
      • Each business unit under the Department can have up to 2 talk groups (1 for Command and 1 for operations).
      • In special conditions, more than 2 talk groups can be configured per business unit per department if proper business justification is provided.
    • Interoperability
      • Each University department radio can be programmed with the talk groups from other University Department radios for efficient and streamlined communications.
      • OIT will require an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between University Departments that would like to share their LMR talk groups between each other.
  • Zones
    • LMR System Committee can configure zones for University departments that need the LMR user/radio to have:
      • A multifunctional role across public/life safety and operations.
      • Access to many talk groups across its multiple business units.
      • Access to interoperability talk groups across multiple University departments.

J. Compliance

Any violation of the LMR System Policy, these Procedures, or accompanying documents (such as the Radio Usage Best Practices as outlined in the LMR System Training Guide) may be considered misconduct resulting in cessation of system use and, if applicable, corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

K. Review

The LMR Committee will review the LMR System Policy, these Procedures, and the LMR Committee operating procedures on an annual basis.

III. Resources

https://www.colorado.edu/policies/land-mobile-radio-systems-policy

Effective Date

January 12, 2021

Approved By

Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor

Procedure Owner

Associate Vice Chancellor, CIO