Copyright 2006 Journal Sentinel Inc.
By DON BEHM
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
WEST BEND, Wis. — Washington County would spend up to $13.3 million in the next two years replacing aging radios and dispatch communications equipment used by the Sheriff’s Department, local police and fire departments and emergency medical units, under a recommendation by the County Board’s radio communications systems committee.
“The county is covering the cost of the overall project, rather than asking individual municipalities to pay for radios,” Sheriff Brian Rahn said.
Washington County also would pay costs of installing new communications consoles and computers for three communities — West Bend, Hartford and Village of Germantown — with independent dispatch centers, as part of the proposal.
Preparing for project
The board’s executive committee will consider the request in June as it prepares a capital budget for major building projects and equipment purchases in 2007, said Doug Johnson, county administrative coordinator.
County officials were aware this project was looming on the horizon at an earlier estimated cost of more than $9 million.
They had planned to pay for it with a combination of short-term borrowing and revenue from the half-cent sales tax collections in 2007 and 2008.
If the final price tag is $13 million, however, the county could consider financing the project with a combination of a long-term bond and sales tax collections from a third year, Johnson said.
Rahn said the county’s investment would include additional towers and antennas needed to boost the capability of emergency responders to communicate with each other, even from distant corners of the 432-square-mile county.
The extra signal strength also would enable officers and firefighters deep inside buildings to maintain contact with others on the outside, according to Dominick Arcuri, a senior vice president with RCC Consultants Inc.
Four towers
The Woodbridge, N.J.-based firm was hired by the county to recommend a new integrated communications system.
When the current county radio system began operating more than 18 years ago, few officers carried portable radios, Arcuri said.
Emergency communications at that time were based on mobile radios in vehicles.
The county and its local partners rely on just four towers.
Today, nearly all emergency responders carry portables and at least four additional towers are needed “to provide better coverage for portable radios than the county has today,” Arcuri said.
The county might be able to lease antenna space from two other tower owners, requiring it to build just two new towers.
Poor signal strength today limits use of portable radios in many areas of the county, Rahn and other law enforcement officials have said.
RCC’s study found that use of portables inside buildings is nearly impossible in most of the county.
Signals are unavailable inside many public buildings, including schools, the main pavilion at Fair Park and the new St. Joseph’s Hospital in Polk.