Branch County, MI has a new 800 MHz 911 county emergency radio dispatch system boasting several new towers. Local officials and emergency services personnel, to assure their reliability, are traversing the region with handheld units to make sure they work.
According to the Daily Reporter, the county and contractor J&K Communications have divided the service area into half mile grids to test the effectiveness of the communications. The test recommendation was suggested by hired consultant ADC Telecom.
“You don’t do this half-mile and quarter-mile grid checking,” said County Administrator, Bud Norman, of the unprecedented thoroughness of the testing. “I think that this is a good quality assurance you’ve got that communication. It tells the first responders you can talk to those areas.”
“What came through was loud and clear. That was never the way even on our truck radios before,” he continued. “And these were on portables. The quality of this radio system is phenomenal. Without ADC, this project would have never come to the level it has. And so the money we’re spending with them is money well spent.”
Costs to complete the radio upgrade are projected to fall between $8.2 to $9.3 million. Part of the funding comes from voter-approved funds collected from raising the telephone surcharges per household. While the testers reported generally favorable results, some coverage weaknesses were noted in the northwestern section of Branch County.
Once tests are completed, the findings will help determine whether J&K Communications will be asked to construct a sixth tower with a $1 million price tag. According to the source, Assistant 911 Director Jean Ratkowski and Sheriff John Pollack believe that the extra cost would be picked up by J&K under its bid through the Request for Proposal.
County Administrator, Bud Norman, expressed his doubts, noting, “I would have to look back through the contract. I don’t think that’s the case if we have to do a sixth one. But I have to confirm that.”
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