The final steps in completing the county-wide emergency communication system are in progress.
Motorola had guaranteed at least 95% coverage in the county. The scored 98.75% on the coverage survey. Emergency Management Director Jo Anne Duckworth said the difference with the new system was remarkable.
“There are areas of the county that we’ve never been able to talk from, like north of Thayer,” she said. “They’re just loud and clear — crystal clear.”
The only major issue with coverage in the county is at East Union School where there is no connectivity in the below-ground-level gym and locker rooms. Duckworth deemed this lack important and said the project manager is looking into a solution.
“If anything were to happen, that’s the most likely place,” Duckworth said. “So I wanted to make sure that coverage was taken care of.”
There are some continuing issues with the local fire departments involving frequencies and protocol for mutual aid that are being worked out.
Duckworth expects the final acceptance and switchover to be completed in two to three weeks.