From 'The Hot Seat' with MPSCS Director Brad Stoddard Pt. 1

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 Michigan. With a distinguished career in public safety communications, Brad brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has served as an engineer with the U.S. Department of Defense at the Joint National Test Facility and currently holds the position of Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) and National Chair, leading Michigan’s efforts in emergency response interoperability. Brad has also chaired the FEMA Region V Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group and the APCO Broadband Committee, and so much more. Tune in to gain insights from Brad’s extensive expertise and discover the critical role of public safety communications in serving all first responders and protecting communities. Transcript: https://cms.michigan.gov/mpscs/-/media/Project/Websites/MPSCS/Social_Media/Transcripts/Brad-Podcast-Transcript-Draft-Pt-1-Final.pdf

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Welcome to our podcast. Tune in with MPSCS. My name is Chris Kool, member Outreach and Communications, and with me today from the H is Brad Stoddard, the Director of Michigan's Public Safety Communications System, or MPSCS as we know it. Under Director Stoddard's guidance, MPSCS has become an internationally recognized statewide P25 700-800 megahertz digital-trunked radio network that ensures interoperable communications between local, state, federal, tribal, and all private first responders in Michigan. Thank you for being with us today.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Thank you, Chris. It's it's great to be on the podcast today. I know it's been an opportunity for uh quite some time, as from the idea and the concept uh create the podcast today. It's uh a great opportunity to be here. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Your background is uh very wide-ranging and and all-encompassing. Uh, you've been the director of MPSCS for how long?

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Uh this year would be uh uh sixteen and a half years back in the role.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

And I see some of the other accomplishments or roles that you serve. Uh you've been the statewide uh interoperability coordinator or SWIC for the past 15 years. You're involved in countless work groups uh with the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators, uh, as well as the vice chair for the nationwide organization. You serve on six state FEMA five regional emergency communications coordination working group uh for the past 11 years, and you've been fulfilling the role as the chair for the past 13 years. You had previously chaired the ABCO Broadband Committee, you've served on the Federal Communications Commission's past emergency response interoperability center. Uh you've been recognized in uh 2016 by Radio Resource Commission Critical Communications as a most influential thought leader in the area of land mobile radio communications. Prior to this position at the state of Michigan, you had served as the director of information and technology for the Michigan State Police, uh, the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. Prior to joining the State of Michigan, you held roles with the U.S. Department of Defense at the Joint National Test Facility, aiding in the development of technologies utilized by the armed forces and federal agencies around the globe in areas of missile defense, war gaming, and joint theater planning. That is a very wide-ranging, uh very impressive resume.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Well, thank you, Chris. Um probably as uh I hear you say that I realize I probably need to update uh my bio a little bit. Been a member of Nips uh Nixwick since um oh man, as far back as that organization was created. Um, you know, I held vice chair actually back prior to COVID and then uh around the COVID time frame, um I was nominated and voted in as my peers as the chair, and I've been uh through two elections and still continue to be the chair. So uh fortunately uh my vice uh have a new vice chair of that, uh retiring vice chair, Carla Jurens out of Texas. Uh she'll be retiring uh this year, and and uh new vice chair uh for next week will be coming in, Greg out of North Carolina. So uh that organization is is not only helped us as a state, but our peers around the the nation uh help one another uh multifacets of interoperability from the challenges we all face to the challenges that that some might face. So it's it's been um a great opportunity to be part of that organization. Um uh same can be said with our FEMA Region 5 RecWIG. Uh been involved with that since uh its inception, and we've watched it grow from a mere 20, maybe 24 individuals to now it's uh upwards of uh almost 500 uh personnel, uh many of those as associate members, but uh watching the growth across our six states has been uh great to to see. And you know, uh, you know, fortunately, uh with what we've been accomplishing in in Michigan with Michigan's public safety communications system, uh since 1995, we've been recognized as uh the nation's leader in this space, and you know, with that comes a lot of these other opportunities as uh other organizations want uh want to get our insight and input. And um as many of those you identified, uh some of those seemingly were were a long time ago. Um a lot a lot of technology um has happened, you know, since then. But I look back uh at my career as a young engineer out of college, uh some opportunities with uh space and defense and and subsequently uh with state of Michigan uh through the Michigan State Police. I'd say it's been uh uh wonderful uh uh almost uh 27 years uh with state of Michigan. I think next February will be 27 years. So uh a lot I've been able to do with state and even uh with um uh my space and defense partners. At that time, uh oddly, I worked for a company, uh two different companies. Uh one was Allied Signal. I don't think they exist anymore. I think they were acquired by other defense companies, and TRW uh also was acquired by other defense companies. So um a lot has changed in the probably past 30 years of of my career, but it's been very enlightening uh here with uh the state of Michigan and uh learning uh not only how the technology works and people works, but also how how to play the chess game and state government as well.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

I know that you touched on it a little bit, but for maybe the casual listener out there, could you maybe summarize what your role as as the SWIC and probably by extension uh Nick SWIC would involve?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Sure, yeah, thanks, Chris. Um you know my role as the statewide interoperability coordinator, um, it was actually a role that uh the Department of Homeland Security had identified, I think it was back in 2007 uh timeframe as part of some uh significant grant dollars that would be rolling out to the states uh for interoperable communications or creating interoperability that was believed didn't exist in the early part of the 2000s and prior. Um Department of Homeland Security uh uh essentially identified every state to define a SWIC. Uh and then uh the the role has changed as the SWIC from that day to what we see today. And much as what we've seen with our own um you know interoperable governing board for the state of Michigan, uh we've we've had uh really adopted those changes as part of that is the changing role of the SWIC. Um, you know, today in the space back then, I mean I started as a deputy SWIC and then subsequently uh moved to the SWIC as uh the primary SWIC had had moved to a different role, and uh there was a better belief at the time that you know what we were focused on here at the MPSCS was a greater part of interoperability. Um and it was uh a much uh better alignment as the SWIC and that of the MPSCS. Uh but at that time we were focused on really landmobile radio interoperability uh back in 2007, 2008, you know, for a probably and still still do, but that was a primary focus. Since then, you know, we're focused on you know amateur radio, you know, uh public alerting, um some of the other you know aspects that we've adopted has been you know part of a greater collaboration uh with our non-11 partners, and we've watched that change the years as well. It's uh definitely a greater partnership that we have today than what we had probably a better part of 20 years ago. So what we we know is interoperability uh not only within our state, but what was defined uh creating the SWIC continues to evolve. Even in some of those discussions that we've had as the Nixwick organization have focused on those challenges that we see today around encryption or cybersecurity or um even succession planning has been uh uh a regular conversation we've had within the Nixwick community. Uh but there's other areas that we've we've brought our expertise to different communities of uh Nixwick, and that you know has been around uh funding and sustainment, you know, how we've been able to do things here in Michigan and how that may have helped other states around uh the funding and sustainment of either constructing a statewide radio system or uh finding solutions to uh financially maintaining those other statewide systems around the nation. So there's a a lot of expertise that we have as an organization is that we have as a state uh that is helping you know our peers and the other states and territories around you know the umbrella of interoperability and all the facets that you know uh play uh uh whether it be a light or heavy hand in uh greater collaboration with our state, local, federal, tribal, and private partners.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

We talked a little bit earlier when we were running through your your backgrounds. Uh you held a position uh with APCO on the broadband committee, and some of our listeners may be questioning how that space relates to communications or interoperable communications. Uh could you touch on that a little bit about your roles with with APCO and and what the uh crossover to this uh current space of MPSCS or uh land mobile radio systems is?

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Yeah, sure. Thanks, Chris. So this goes back to a time that uh predated what we know as FirstNet today. Um the APCO broadband committee, uh probably back uh uh later part of the early 2000s, uh was created to help uh identify uh, you know, what might be some requirements and work efforts of what we would know is, you know, a nationwide broadband type of solution for public safety. And you know, at that time I was pretty fortunate to be, you know, uh just a member of APCO Broadband Committee because it was uh a who's who in this space around the country uh from you know government standpoint as well as private sector partners, a lot of very smart people were uh involved in those efforts. And you know, fortunately I was lucky enough to be part of that. And then as the uh chair at the time um uh was leaving his role and in uh local government. Um his suggestion, I was his vice chair for most of that, and his suggestion was was to uh APCO that I would you know take over in his absence, and that was supported by the APCO uh leadership, uh the president APCO at the time and uh the the supporting committee and the APCO organization to take that on. And it was interesting because many, many of the efforts that we were taking on that at that time weren't really discussions that were occurring in our normal space. So it was it was a lot of learning and a lot of learning fast, and much of that was really thinking out of the box and identifying, you know, ways that what we would know as, you know, broadband capabilities of public safety, we we were creating uh much of the foundation of the discussions that would occur and and many of those efforts uh ultimately would you know fall into or play into what we know as that of FirstNet today. Interesting thing to share that I don't think I've shared a lot of is even prior to the the development of the API Broadband Committee, uh there was an effort that um the Department of Homeland Security had invited and it was maybe 20-ish people uh from public safety to have a discussion with um uh the National Institutes uh Standards Technology, their Public Safety Communications Research Arm or PSCR, um in a joint meeting in uh Washington, D.C. And at that time there was a lot of discussions, uh obviously some different leadership that was in place in uh the federal government and and many areas. Uh some of those uh again predated uh many of these other efforts, but we were tasked with some discussions, the the day-long meeting we had of thinking out of the box how communications uh that would be utilized by public safety would be used. And at that point, it was probably the the early discussions that were had on uh some use cases on how public safety might use something other than voice uh to communicate uh amongst themselves. And there was uh many use cases we had. Uh, we were split off into small groups, and even looking back to an ad hoc group of first responders and the discussions we had, and at that time uh Greg Riddle was uh the president of APCO, and I'd gotten uh uh the opportunity to meet him, spent some time with him that day we were there, and I think that's what created some opportunities down the road uh with with our efforts with APCO on a much larger scale than just that of our local APCO chapter. Uh but m many of of those opportunities that we've had uh that we've been able to be involved with, even predated, you know, me and and the efforts that the leadership of the Michigan State Police uh that had been in play. There was you know a a prior group referred to as PISWIN or Public Safety Wireless Networks, and that was this earlier group, if you will, um of a brain trust of uh how to increase interoperability. And at that time uh much of the discussion was around land mobile radio. So watching it shift from the late 90s, uh early 2000s of of PISWIN and and that also of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council or NEP NIPSTIC uh really laid the the groundwork over the past 20, almost 25 years of the the work efforts we have today. So, you know, as you asked the question, you know, how how did the APCO Broadband Committee play into this? There was actually a lot of other facets that had really grown to what we know here with the MPSCS, and a lot of credit to you know my predecessors that were in this role, um and even the the prior colonels of the state police that had you know a hand in you know the national discussions around interoperability and how to you know really affect some positive change for interoperability within the states as well as um collaboration with our our uh other state partners uh of adjoining states. So we've watched the technology truly change, uh not only from the technology standpoint, um, but the people's use of the technology, and no doubt it will continue to see change over the next 25 years of how we use it, how it's used, and you know, with the advent of you know uh artificial intelligence, how that will make you know response and technology even adapt and change uh in our future as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

We're going to take a quick break and we will be right back.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Open calendar. What's my schedule looking like?

SPEAKER_04 16:22

Next Thursday, you will be caught in an emergency flash flood between Park and First Street. What? No, that doesn't work. I'm I'm busy then decline, decline.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

Floods don't exactly work around your schedule. Disasters don't plan ahead, but you can. It starts with talking to your loved ones about making an emergency plan. Communicate. Visit Michigan.com slash MIRADY. Brought to you by the Michigan State Police, feeling in the cell phone.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

We've got listening what you have seen or heard, and I'm cannot locate you immediately when calling from a cell phone. Knowing your location is very important when calling. This is as simple as knowing the address you're calling from, teaching address information to children, and knowing what street you are on while traveling, know your location.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Since this is a uh meet the director uh type of conversation here, I think we'd be remiss if we didn't visit um some more personal things about you. So is there anything that you can tell us about uh your family, your hobbies, um you know, anything personally related?

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Yeah, well, um fortunately I'm I grew up in in Michigan uh until uh my parents decided it was time to split the sheets. So my mom wanted a little bit warmer. So we ended up um you know for a hot second in Nashville, Tennessee. So uh had my experience as a teenage boy and how to pick up the southern dialect for a little bit there, and you know, picked up some of uh those key words as a teenager of shooting y'all was a regular part of my uh teenage years until uh we then moved on to Florida and and then I think picked up a little bit of the Florida accent and enjoyed that time down there. But I I missed Michigan, or more importantly, I missed skiing in Michigan. Um so as I graduated, you know, high school and spent a little bit of time in community college, I I always wanted to be an engineer. So I uh made the decision uh that in order for me to be an engineer, I probably need to work a little bit harder than what I was. So I uh moved west uh with a scholarship uh to Colorado Tech and uh with the thoughts of I'd be able to ski a lot more than I was in Florida, and uh as part of that decision, I thought it's it's time to get my engineering degree, and probably I'd say, is I actually finished my electrical engineering degree in three years. So I had uh you know a passionate pursuit of uh not starving anymore, so I figured it was best to just plow my way through college and uh be the engineer I always wanted to be. Um you know, fortunately I was you know probably somewhat of an oddball as um I I knew what my you know college career choice was gonna be at um a young age of fourth grade. Um uh fortunately I was smart enough to be an engineer, but um my uncle was uh an engineer, and yeah, for the most part I always looked up to and actually still do look up to my uncle. I always wanted to be just like my uncle Mike, and uh, you know, he was an engineer, although he's a mechanical engineer. I don't think he cut his electrical engineer, so he had to choose a different path. So uh but fortunately, again, I was smart enough to be an engineer. If he'd have been a veterinarian, um, I probably would not have had a fun career choice because I'm not sure that was a career choice I would have would have made. But um as I uh finished up college, um I met my uh Soon-abe wife, and uh we met in Colorado. I worked um then in space and defense for a few years and uh kind of made the the cycle back to Michigan as I you know was home for uh a funeral of my stepmother who had passed away, and you know that was yeah, I I'd say the introduction of what would soon to be known as you know Michigan's public safety communications system. Is there was uh a lady that worked with uh state police, she worked with the communications division, and she was best friends with my stepmother who had passed away. And as we were talking at the funeral, I said, you know, it was events like this that really make you uh miss your family, you know, more, even though I I love Colorado and everything that was out there and all the things to do. Really, really miss my family that was here in Michigan. And, you know, oddly, as she and I finished our conversation, she said, Well, you know, the the you know, the state police is is hiring, you know, uh engineers. And I was slightly dumbfounded why the state police would be hiring engineers. And uh she sent me um, you know, at that time it was a little bit before what we know is the World Wide Web, so things weren't easy to find, but she told me where I could find the uh the postings for the jobs uh for uh Michigan, and I filled out an application the old school way. It was on paper. Uh and actually I filled it out on a plane flight to another job interview um in the um in the defense sector. Uh at that time had something to do with uh some of the nation's um uh submarines and some of the opportunities that that would have played out in a whole different role for defense. But It all worked out. I interviewed uh w while I was home for Christmas, and they pretty much hired me right on the spot. But that was at a time before cell phones and before email, and had to wait until I got all the way back home to Colorado to uh see an offer letter in the um the mailbox and and the rest brought me back to Michigan. But and with that, um as uh my um girlfriend and I and then became my wife, uh had two kids that have now both uh graduated high school. One is uh junior at at uh Michigan State, and the other is uh making his way uh most likely to a community college and uh maybe be um a pilot one day on uh commercial airlines if his dreams come out to reality. And you know, fortunately I've always loved um you know the high five state of the nation um and you know speak highly of the great state that I knew as a a kid and then as an adult. Um you know, much like uh everyone else. Uh grew up a college football fan. Um although there's um probably a little more division in my house now than there ever was. My uh daughter is a proud Spartan. And um, you know, even though she attended her her fair share of uh Michigan Wolverine games, um we definitely have a a little split when it comes that one game day in in the fall every year. I love the outdoors, uh hunting, fishing, uh just anything, you know, probably outside in the woods. Spending time with uh huge family. Um and I I love spending time with them. We usually uh get together uh quite a few times through the years. Uh my grandmother is uh referred to as uh by my kids as uh party uh grandma. So she um she has her fair share of family events uh throughout the year. On each holiday we have a get together of all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. So it's uh as you know, many families you know are lucky to have you know one family reunion a year. I think we have uh family reunion around every every major holiday. Thanksgiving, Christmas, um, Easter, and then of course there's you know the Cherry Festival on the Fourth of July that always brings everyone together. Love hot rods, uh motorcycles. Um I wouldn't necessarily say I'm an adrenaline junkie, but you love the um uh the lure of uh some good old school hot rods and car shows and um but even um you know I'd uh separate that, love the peace of the woods and walking on the beach. So definitely a mix of you know gunfire and gasoline and you know the peace and tranquility of you know the wind through the trees or the ocean breeze.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

That's all for today, and we want to thank Brad for being here to tell us about himself and as the director of Michigan's Public Safety Communications System.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

And thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

We hope you all enjoyed the show, and we will be back soon from the hot seat to talk with Brad Stoddard about other matters related to MPSTS. You have been listening to Tune In with MPSTS. Be sure to look us up at www.michigan.gov slash mpsts, YouTube, soundcloud, linkedin, and on Twitter at MPSTS. You can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes so you never miss an episode. We will see you next time.