Rockingham County officials flag radio coverage issue in new county building that could affect occupancy timeline

Commissioners at the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners meeting on Sept. 4 were told engineering work is under way to resolve radio coverage problems inside the county’s new building that officials said could affect the certificate of occupancy timeline. The issue involves analog radios from some regional fire/EMS partners not transmitting reliably inside the structure; digital signals reportedly are reaching the building.

County staff said the engineers expect to report options in about two weeks. The options under review include technical fixes that could allow existing radios to work inside the facility or other steps that would avoid delaying occupancy. Commissioners were told contingency money is available to address fixes if needed.

Why this matters: inadequate radio coverage inside a public safety facility can affect emergency communications and the county’s ability to obtain final occupancy clearance from the building authority or inspector, officials said during the meeting.

County staff presented the problem as a combination of older analog systems used by some local departments and the building’s internal radio environment. The county’s facilities staff and outside engineers are evaluating costs, timing and practical workarounds. Commissioners were told one of the lead electricians and staff with prior experience on similar systems are helping evaluate solutions. The county also said it is exploring workarounds in coordination with neighboring departments that respond to calls inside the building.

Discussion vs. formal action: staff reported ongoing engineering review and said they would return with options. No formal vote was recorded at the public meeting to approve additional spending; commissioners said they would report back if the issue became “catastrophic” to the construction timeline and could use contingency funds if needed.

Meeting context: the topic came up during facilities updates as departments prepare to move into the new building. County officials emphasized they already have contingency funding and are seeking the least costly, fastest technical remedy. A two‑week timeline for an initial recommendation was given.

Ending: County staff said they will update the board when engineers complete the assessment and present recommended fixes or next steps.