Radio Conversion Team - Texas parks and wildlife [official]

[electronic beeps] [electronic alarm] [Narrator] Good morning Mr. Snyder. The Federal Communications Commission has issued a mandate to convert all US two-way radio systems to narrowband frequencies. If the department fails to comply by January 31, 2013, its licenses and available frequencies could be wiped out... forever. And here's the kicker... there's no money budgeted for this job, which would cost $5 million dollars if handled by an outside vendor. Plus you only have 11 months to pull it off with a handful of people. Remember, if you fail, we'll all be using carrier pigeons from here on. [Scott Snyder] Well, guess we'll just have to get'er done. [music] [Narrator] Planning began immediately for the daunting task of reprogramming or replacing 6,000 pieces of equipment scattered across the state. But nothing was going to happen unless someone found some money. Fortunately, the crack team included a seasoned grant writer. [Gary Teeler] Just a few phone calls, and the process was underway. [Narrator] As soon as the checks arrived, procurement staff had to work fast to make sure the team had what it needed on time. [Deani Smith] So there was urgency in getting it ordered, getting it here, and then getting it to them. [Narrator] Simultaneously, team members were slogging through the mind-numbing job of creating software programs to reprogram every transmitting device. [Kevin Jacob] That's ten screens, so that's like almost 500 entries, for just one particular program for one radio in one district. [Narrator] As replacement equipment arrived, trucks rolled, traveling to a designated site in each park. Team technicians rendezvoused with area staff to program everything from hand-held radios to airboat radios . Two-man teams made their way to often remote areas to replace the bulky repeater units that relay radio signals across the state. Because there was no money for lodging, the team stayed in park cabins or any other state housing their trip planner could scrounge up. Spending every other week on the road, they made 16 trips to 139 work locations across the state. [Scott Snyder] It was eight months of pure hell. [Narrator] Despite the monotonous grind, the team remained totally professional throughout, only pausing to celebrate the arrival of the team's newest member, and... enjoy the scenery. [John Wyatt] This has been the most incredible part of my job. [music] [John Wyatt] I have seen the state of Texas boundary-to-boundary, state line to state line. Quite an experience. [Narrator] Amazingly, the team not only converted all radios on time, but saved millions of dollars in the process. [Steve Schroeter] It was truly a heroic effort, that took an enormous amount of devotion and the absolute dedication to making it work and gettin' it done. [music] [electronic beeps]