The state will provide Genesee County with another $3 million to help improve its year-old $11 million emergency radio communications system, built and provisioned by RF Harris, of Rochester.
The grant will be used to fund a seventh microwave tower for the county, most likely somewhere in Le Roy, which reportedly has had some of the biggest communications black holes since the new radio system was put online.
The grant will also be used to complete interoperability connections with Monroe and Orleans counties, said County Manager Jay Gsell.
Interoperability is one of the primary goals of the Department of Homeland Security in pushing local jurisdictions to go to all-digital, Phase II, systems. With all local jurisdictions on the same radio systems, it's expected that agencies will be able to more efficiently and effectively communicate with each other in mutual aid emergencies.
It's also hoped that the upgrade will provide better local communications in a system that has been plagued by emergency responder complaints since its inception, though tweaks and incremental improvements over the past year seems to have resulted in fewer complaints.
The bulk of the $11 million spent on the system so far came from state, federal and communication industry grants, with a municipal bond covering nearly half of the expense.
"This is part of helping us complete the process of putting the best radio system out there for all of our emergency radio system users, whether it's police departments, fire departments, state patrol, highway departments, anybody who is on our radio system," Gsell said. "We're trying to make sure that almost anywhere they go in the county, they're going to have very good, strong consistent communications with our 800-MHz radios."
The $3 million is part of $50 million being awarded to local jurisdictions for emergency communications. Both Monroe and Livingston counties are receiving $3.5 million. Erie County is getting $1.2 million. There was no grant money announced for Wyoming County.
Our news partner WBTA AM/FM conducted the interview with Jay Gsell.
