UPDATE After a unanimous vote of support from the Pittsylvania County Planning Commission last month, a proposed cell tower has also gained the approval of the Pittsylvania County Board of Zoning Appeals. The Virginia community is now one step closer to installing a tower on the grounds of the Mount Hermon Volunteer Fire and Rescue complex.
As the Chatham Star Tribune reports, emergency personnel say they are eager for work to get started on this much needed communications upgrade. Speaking on behalf of Mount Hermon Volunteer Fire and Rescue, H.F. Haymore said that dead spots in the area have been a real problem. He told a story about a motorist who collided with a deer near the fire station but was unable to get a signal to call for help. She “could not get any telephone service at all,” he said. “Some gentleman came by around thirty minutes later and had to drive to [a local restaurant] to make a call.”
“All of you are familiar with what is going on with diversion,” Haymore continued. “We’ve had to carry five patients down to Morehead Hospital in Eden. We need this.”
Parallel Infrastructure will construct and own the tower, which will operate in conjunction with AT&T and facilitate a link to the FirstNet network, according to the Chatham Star Tribune. The completed tower will stand 260 feet tall, with an additional six feet added to accommodate a lightning rod.
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