The DeKalb County Commission wants a little more information before committing to a seven-year lease-to-purchase plan with Motorola for a new E-911 radio system. The commission was informed recently that the current antiquated system is now obsolete and will not be able to be repaired should the system go down. The new digital system, being implemented across the state, will cost the county a $2.3 million under the purchasing plan offered by Motorola, but the deal is only good through January 19, 2024.
During the commission’s regular meeting, held last Thursday evening, the issue was brought up under new business. County Mayor Matt Adcock brought up the issue, citing the January deadline, which would include a few perks should the county accept the offer.
Under the plan, Motorola would provide 160 portable hand-held radios, 75 vehicle repeaters, and 73 mobile vehicle radios. The company would also upgrade equipment on the towers, and provide consoles to the E-911 center at no additional cost. That move would allow the 911 District to allocate $300,000 that it had set aside for the consoles to the county to be used for the purchase of radios used by emergency workers.
The upgrade would also put DeKalb in the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN), which provides first responders the ability to have additional coverage to talk on the radio with surrounding state communication towers during major events. The system would allow emergency communications even if the local system were to be down for some reason, using other area towers to communicate.
E-911 Director Brad Mullinax told the commission, “In our immediate area and around us there are tower sites all over the place, including two on Short Mountain, and one in Cookeville, Mount Defiance near Watertown, and one in Sparta, and we have been roaming off these towers. If we were to take a lightning strike at our own tower on Short Mountain, we would be down for a significant amount of time without the new technology.”
“There is also a great edge to being with TACN as far as maintenance of this new equipment,” Mullinax said. “If we had a tornado come through and take out all of our radio equipment, it would not be our problem. It would be the state of Tennessee’s problem. We wouldn’t have to absorb that cost.”
The new radios would also solve the issue of poor coverage in certain areas of the county. Mullinax said that he had traveled all over the county, testing the new radio system, and that so far, he has had no issues being heard. He said he could not guarantee there are not some dead spots in the county, as he had not been on every square foot of the county, but that he has of yet to have found any.
The main issue with the radios is funding. At a time when the county is grappling with the issue of a new justice center, and a possible new school, the issue of a new emergency radio system is coming at a bad time. But it is one that the county can not put off for long.
Mayor Adcock said a revenue source must be found to fund the annual payments, which are expected to be over $346,000. He pointed out that with the proposed contribution by 911, the first payment would only be $46,000, and that would not be for at least a couple of years, but after that a revenue stream would need to be identified.
Mayor Adcock said he had asked Mullinax if Motorola would be willing to extend the January 19th deadline on the offer to give the county commission more time to consider it. He said that they would but the county might not be able to get the same technology.
“How could we lose technology if we just wait one month” asked Commissioner Glynn Merriman.
Mullinax responded, “Our Motorola representative said he would extend that offer out to February 19 with the understanding that if we make changes to the scope of the project it may change the price a little bit. For example, the scope of the project that we initially included was a certain type of radio, an APX8000 radio, which we thought was going to be fine. We went to the school system and found out that they had just recently upgraded their Wi Fi technology inside the schools. Because of that we are going to have to change that model around to get a little bit different radio.”
Commissioner Tom Chandler reminded the commission that this would not be just a seven-year plan, for eventually those radios would have to be replaced.
“There is a maintenance issue here with these radios that will spread across the departments. I believe the departments are probably going to raise some issues in regard to that. Radios are expensive. My understanding is that the warranty on these radios is seven years. I think the deal Motorola offered was like $346,000 per year for seven years. Guess what? We are going to be paying $346,000 a year forever because in seven years these radios are going to need to be replaced. And by the way, these radios are not going to be priced at $10,000 each then. They may be $12,500 each or some other number,” Chandler said.
Motorola representatives at the meeting said that while they recommend replacing the radios after their seven-year warranty was expired, they admitted that many of the durable units last 10 or more years before being taken out of service.
Commissioner Daniel Cripps asked that Mullinax and Motorola submit a written proposal to the commissioners for them to look at.
He also asked Mayor Adcock if other and possible better financing options, through a local bank, could be explored other than through Motorola.
In the end, the commission decided to address the issue at a special called meeting to be held on January 12, at 6 p.m., at the DeKalb County Courthouse, where all department heads (sheriff, fire chief, EMS director, etc.) could be in attendance and voice any questions or concerns they may have.
The answer to that question may come during a special called meeting of the commission set for Friday, January, 12 at 6 p.m. to be held in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse. The current Motorola offer expired January 19.
Photo:
The County Commission discussed the new E-911 radio system proposal at their regular meeting held last Thursday evening.
