UPDATE Information Technology Director Alan Slaughenhaupt presented a proposal for overhauling his Georgia community’s 911 emergency radio system over a year ago. The LaGrange Daily News reports that progress is underway, with new equipment expected to arrive early in 2024.
Located along a fairly rural area midway between Atlanta, GA and Montgomery, AL, Hogansville is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of the upgraded 911 radio system. However, there has been concern expressed that the more remote areas of Northwest Troup County may still struggle for a signal. Slaughtenhaupt noted that the topography of the region does create problematic dead zones. The Troup County Board of Commissioners is hopeful that the 911 upgrade will address the spotty coverage issues.
At present, the county utilizes a P25 three-site multicast system. The new 911 system will include five sites operating with a 10-channel simulcast system. Creating additional pathways for routing calls should help with building penetration and terrain challenges, said Slaughtenhaupt. He added that switching to 360-degrees antennas will also help to relay calls more reliably according to the News.
The cost of the upgrade is estimated at approximately $5.3 million. The cost will be shared by SPLOST funds as well as the combined resources of the City of LaGrange and Troup County. Plans are underway to begin preparing the designated radio tower locations in December. The new equipment is expected to arrive by next March.
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