Tune In with Michigan's Public Safety Communications System

A derailment in a farm field. A 53-vehicle pileup in brutal winter weather. A hazmat tanker carrying oleum, a vaporizing form of sulfuric acid. These are the moments when a community learns whether its plans and partnerships are real. We sit down with Therese Crementi, Livingston County Emergency Manager, to talk through what emergency management actually looks like when the stakes are high and in...

In September 1995, Michigan broke ground on Phase I of the MPSCS system. To help us reflect on this journey from those early days to where we are now - and where we are heading - we are thrilled to welcome two MPSCS Pioneers for Part II:First, Jeff Steffel, retired trooper and Captain and commanding officer of the communication system when the MPSCS system was originally contracted and constructed...

In September 1995, Michigan broke ground on Phase I of the MPSCS system. To help us reflect on this journey from those early days to where we are now - and where we are heading - we are thrilled to welcome two MPSCS Pioneers:First, Jeff Steffel, retired trooper and Captain and commanding officer of the communication system when the MPSCS system was originally contracted and constructed. And second...

Join retired MSP Trooper David Service and host, retired MSP Trooper and MPSCS Manager Tim Lee, as they explore the evolution of public safety radio communications - from the early days of patrol work to the advanced systems in use today. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the MPSCS, David shares firsthand stories from the origins of public safety communications and reflects on the pivotal tr...

In September 1995, Michigan broke ground on Phase I of the MPSCS system. To help us reflect on this journey from those early days to where we are now - and where we are heading - we are thrilled to welcome two MPSCS Pioneers: Theron Shinew, who served MPSCS from 1981 to 2019. He started out as a steeplejack and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Director before retiring after an incredible 37...

In September 1995, Michigan broke ground on Phase I of the MPSCS system. To help us reflect on this journey from those early days to where we are now - and where we are heading - we are thrilled to welcome two MPSCS Pioneers: Theron Shinew, who served MPSCS from 1981 to 2019. He started out as a steeplejack and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Director before retiring after an incredible 37...

In September 1995, Michigan broke ground on Phase I of the MPSCS system. To help us reflect on this journey from those early days to where we are now - and where we are heading - we are thrilled to welcome two MPSCS Pioneers: Theron Shinew, who served MPSCS from 1981 to 2019. He started out as a steeplejack and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Director before retiring after an incredible 37...

What was it like before Michigan built a unified communication system for its first responders? In this episode, we take a step back in time to explore the challenges emergency personnel faced when every agency had its own radio system—and none of them talked to each other. Join Tim Lee, Deputy Director at Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) and former Michigan State Police troope...

Join us for a special 30th Anniversary Edition of the Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) podcast as we honor one of our most dedicated pioneers, Del Rajala, Superior Region Radio Network Technician. From the rugged terrain of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to high-tech innovation and community leadership, Del’s journey with MPSCS is nothing short of extraordinary. A foundational fo...

🎉 30th Anniversary Edition podcast with Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) and Gray Page, Bay City Supervisor! 🎉 As we mark this milestone, we're proud to highlight one of our dedicated team members, Gray Page - Bay Region Supervisor and a longtime MPSCS employee whose commitment continues to shape our success. At our October Division Meeting, Gray was honored with the Dir...

Join Danielle Stewart, MPSCS Business Unit Manager, as she sits down with Adam Philpott from the Indiana Integrated Public Safety Commission (IPSC) to explore his critical role in public safety communications during the Total Eclipse of April 2024. Adam was a featured presenter at the 15th Annual Michigan's Statewide Interoperable Communications Conference in where he delivered a compelling t...

Join us for a special podcast from 'The Hot Seat' with Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) Director, Brad Stoddard. Under Brad’s leadership, the MPSCS has become an internationally acclaimed P25 700/800 MHz digital trunked radio network, ensuring seamless communication and interoperability among local, state, federal, tribal, and private first responders across Michiga...

Do you have legacy radios approaching end of life? Why is replacement necessary and how do you navigate that change? Where do you turn if you have questions and need answers? RPU/TDU – we’re bigger, better, and more efficient. Tune In to learn what our Radio Programming, Template Design, Console, and Fire Paging Unit do, and the big improvements we have made. Discover the Radio Management tool and...

Join us as we go Behind the Console with Michael Armitage, Executive Director of the Calhoun Co. Dispatch Authority to discuss the important work 911 Dispatchers and PSAP’s do to ensure seamless public safety communications for our first responders. For the month of April during National 911 Education Month, we would like to take the opportunity to thank our Public Safety Telecommunicators for the...

Do you have what it takes to become a 911 Dispatcher? Join us as we go Behind the Console with Ray Hasil, Executive Director of the Mason/Oceana Dispatch Authority to discuss the important work 911 Dispatchers and PSAP’s do to ensure seamless public safety communications for our first responders. For the month of April during National 911 Education Month, and for National Public Safety Telecommuni...

Did you know that Engineers play a critical role in public safety? At MPSCS, we rely on our Engineers to ensure MPSCS public safety users have the best possible coverage and connectivity. They are integral to the planning and design of the MPSCS's 800 MHz radio system and the MPLS Backbone Network. Today we talk with Greg Farrer, the Engineering Manager at MPSCS, to discuss the valuable work...

We would like to thank all of our veterans, active, and reservist military for their service. Did you know that over 40% of our MPSCS staff have served in the military? We have members who have served in every branch, and today on “Tune In with MPSCS”, we talk with one of our Radio Techs David Peck who served with the Michigan Army National Guard and spent some time at Gitmo. Why do veterans make...

In this podcast we talk with Kasey Mlujeak from the Michigan Department of Corrections(MDOC) at the Jackson Prison. Kasey is the Radio Communications Coordinator and Radio Shop Manager. We discuss what all she does to keep over 5,000 radios running, operating, repaired and replaced as necessary at all 27 Michigan prisons. We discuss all of this and more! Transcript here: https://www.michigan.gov//...

In this show we talk with Kevin Sehlmeyer, State of MI Fire Marshal and MI Public Safety Communications Interoperability Board member to discuss radios, fire fighting, interoperability, MI Prevention and Community Risk Reduction. What does the Fire Marshal do, and what is the Public Safety Communications Interoperability Board? What is Interoperability? What technologies have improved fire fightin...

In this episode we chat with Jason Simmons, a subscriber radio tech from Michigan's Public Safety Communications System. He covers the Lansing Radio shop in 11 Michigan counties, stretching from Gratiot down to Barry County, across to Livingston. Subscriber radio techs maintain and repair the radio network and communications equipment for various first responder State of Michigan agencies, su...

The NCC or Network Communications Center is available 24 hours a day to assist public safety members with issues regarding system problems and maintenance. They are a lifeline to dispatchers and agencies that rely on the system that supports first responders. Public safety members include state agencies, local, federal, tribal, county and private public safety first responders. What is the day lik...

In this episode we chat with Nate Salziger. He's a steeplejack and Tower Tech from Michigan's Public Safety Communications System who covers the west side of Michigan. Steeplejacks scale the MPSCS towers up to 485’ tall to do installation and maintenance work on the towers, such as repairing or installing lights or other components such as antennas, microwave dishes or cabling mounted on...