Tama County emergency radio communications set for change
April 25, 2012
, Toledo Chronicle, Tama News-Herald
Will a federal change ordered for radio communications affect Tama County emergency and law enforcement systems?
According to Federal Communications Commission information, "narrowbanding" of radio frequencies was ordered in 2004 by the end of 2012.
What that means is changes need to be made to most two-way radios currently used by fire departments, ambulance services and law officers by the end of this year to comply.
Ryan Currens, Tama County Emergency Management coordinator and E911 Communications director, said last week they will find out this summer.
"There's no firm information, yet," Currens said, because the changes await actually being done.
That's not to say officials are not on top of it.
The Tama County E911 Board recently approved a $108,000 contract with RC Systems, Waterloo. It will pay for re-programming much of the radio equipment. Currens said. Fortunately a lot of the radios are new enough to be adapted to the requirements he said.
Unanswered is whether the change will provide "the punch," Currens said.
"We all know 99.9 percent of our fire (department) and ambulance service members are volunteers," Currens said. Will the new signals reach through to activate radio pagers "without a loss of signal" is the question, he said. There are 12 volunteer fire departments, seven ambulance services and two first responder units serving the county.
Out-of-doors, the pagers likely will work well according to Currens. Indoors, will the signals carry the strength to penetrate walls is yet to be fully determined.
Currens said it is known a paging link for Dysart is needed. That has been provided for already at a cost of about $7,000.
The rest of the existing transmission system, which includes towers at the Courthouse in Toledo, Tama County Shop north of Toledo and at Gladbrook, Traer, Vining and Montour, will continue to provide the basis for the radios as it does now.
Once the narrowbanding is done, the system can actually be put to the test, Currens said. Then, if more links are needed, they can be added, he said.
It is now planned to make the changes in August, work which will take at least a couple of days. Currens said the initial plan was to make the switch in July.
However, with RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) crossing the Tama County in late July with up to 20,000 bicyclists and support people, it was decided to delay the change in case the system proved unreliable, Currens said.
In addition to the fire and ambulance services, the Tama County Sheriff's Office and police in Toledo, Tama, Meskwaki Settlement and Dysart, the Tama County Highway Department and Conservation Service and city radios systems are among those affected by the change, Currens said.
According to Federal Communications Commission information, "narrowbanding" of radio frequencies was ordered in 2004 by the end of 2012.
What that means is changes need to be made to most two-way radios currently used by fire departments, ambulance services and law officers by the end of this year to comply.
Ryan Currens, Tama County Emergency Management coordinator and E911 Communications director, said last week they will find out this summer.
"There's no firm information, yet," Currens said, because the changes await actually being done.
That's not to say officials are not on top of it.
The Tama County E911 Board recently approved a $108,000 contract with RC Systems, Waterloo. It will pay for re-programming much of the radio equipment. Currens said. Fortunately a lot of the radios are new enough to be adapted to the requirements he said.
Unanswered is whether the change will provide "the punch," Currens said.
"We all know 99.9 percent of our fire (department) and ambulance service members are volunteers," Currens said. Will the new signals reach through to activate radio pagers "without a loss of signal" is the question, he said. There are 12 volunteer fire departments, seven ambulance services and two first responder units serving the county.
Out-of-doors, the pagers likely will work well according to Currens. Indoors, will the signals carry the strength to penetrate walls is yet to be fully determined.
Currens said it is known a paging link for Dysart is needed. That has been provided for already at a cost of about $7,000.
The rest of the existing transmission system, which includes towers at the Courthouse in Toledo, Tama County Shop north of Toledo and at Gladbrook, Traer, Vining and Montour, will continue to provide the basis for the radios as it does now.
Once the narrowbanding is done, the system can actually be put to the test, Currens said. Then, if more links are needed, they can be added, he said.
It is now planned to make the changes in August, work which will take at least a couple of days. Currens said the initial plan was to make the switch in July.
However, with RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) crossing the Tama County in late July with up to 20,000 bicyclists and support people, it was decided to delay the change in case the system proved unreliable, Currens said.
In addition to the fire and ambulance services, the Tama County Sheriff's Office and police in Toledo, Tama, Meskwaki Settlement and Dysart, the Tama County Highway Department and Conservation Service and city radios systems are among those affected by the change, Currens said.
