According to plans, Ball will assume leadership of the Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network (OWIN) on Nov. 26. The deputy director of the Department of Administrative Services, Kris Kautz, will serve as interim director of the department while the governor seeks a permanent replacement for Ball.
"I've asked Lindsay to guide this critical effort, because he has proved himself to be an able, honest and creative government leader," Kulongoski said. "We need a manager with his stature, skills and credibility to help bring Oregon's emergency communications system into the twenty-first century. Our success or failure is literally a life-or-death issue for those who may someday become the victims of crime or major public emergencies. I'm confident that Lindsay Ball's leadership will ensure our success."
The governor praised Ball's record as director of DAS, crediting him with strengthening the department's management procedures and policies while promoting a culture of excellence in service.
Ball said he is excited over the challenge of leading OWIN.
"Oregon's citizens need to know that their emergency-response agencies can communicate quickly and effectively," Ball said. "Our present radio communications system is old and broken. We need to upgrade it and enable fire fighters, police, medical responders and other critical agencies to coordinate their efforts whenever an emergency strikes."
The 2005 Legislature enacted HB 2101, which directed state government to design a replacement for the fragmented, outdated, and unreliable emergency radio communications systems now in place throughout Oregon. That bill addressed the need to provide reliable, instantaneous communication among separate agencies, enabling police, firefighters and other responders from all jurisdictions to coordinate their efforts during emergencies.
The need becomes more urgent in light of a recent mandate from the Federal Communications Commission, which requires all users of land mobile radios to convert from wideband to narrowband before January 1, 2013. Failure to comply would mean heavy federal fines and possible loss of several hundred FCC licenses by the State of Oregon.
Because the cost of the upgrade may be substantial, Ball said his first priority is getting the most for every tax dollar spent in the planning, design and construction of the facilities and software that OWIN will require.
"We must prove to taxpayers that we are keeping costs to a minimum," Ball said. "We also need to work closely with local agencies and all other users of the system to make sure it meets their special needs and concerns."
Before becoming DAS director in 2006, Ball served as director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for five years. He is a former Oregon State Police officer, having risen to the rank of captain in the Fish and Wildlife Division. Since 1995, he has served on the Governor's Natural Resource Cabinet, and on the board of directors of the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
