County okays immediate emergency services communications tower replacement

At its October 6 work session, Warren County officials dealt with a second emergency services funding issue – this one equipment related, rather than personnel as in the Chester Gap Fire & Rescue discussion. In fact, Chester Gap Chief Brown stayed for this discussion as it impacts his department along with all the County’s emergency service responders.

The equipment at issue are two microwave communications towers, one at Guard Hill Road on the north-central side of the county, the other in Bentonville to the south. The towers are crucial to station to field communications with, not only fire and rescue personnel, but law enforcement officers responding to sometimes life-threatening situations, as well as interdepartmental communications. That details of those emergency response situations are available to first responders on all fronts is crucial to their safety and the public safety, Sheriff Mark Butler explained.

“I told you I wouldn’t come to you (for money) unless it was a need – this is a need,” Butler said.

From left, County Fire Marshal Maiatico, Sheriff Butler and Chester Gap Chief Brown agree that it is important they be able to communicate, not only station to staff, but interdepartmentally. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini – Royal Examiner Video by Mark Williams

“A real serious need,” Chester Gap Chief Brown added. And it appeared the most serious problem is with the Bentonville tower in his neighborhood, which was referenced as being essentially dysfunctional since August 25, to the point where fire and rescue and the sheriff’s office can’t communicate in that part of the county.

As with the earlier Chester Gap and countywide  discussion, short and long-term solutions were on the table. Short-term, a $93,000 cost was cited to replace the two antennas showing current signs of failure. Longer term, to upgrade the entire emergency communications system a $2 million to $2-1/2-million price tag was estimated.

Interim County Administrator Ed Daley told the board that the microwave communications tower replacement costs in the short term would become the number one priority on the CARES Act public safety funding allotment, with courthouse upgrades second.

A consensus was reached to move immediately on the short-term issue to assure the complete restoration of service in the Bentonville-Browntown area and improve the communication gap situation countywide. However, it was stressed that movement on the entire system upgrade was needed to begin in the near future, as the aging system is facing periodic interruptions across the board.

A consensus to move forward immediately on the dysfunctional tower was made with a three-month or less timeframe for replacement.

A two-week turnaround in the order with installation in less than three months was cited on the replacement work.

See the discussion of another vital aspect of countywide emergency services in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: