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County evaluates antenna and cable damage after communications outages; tower crew expected this week
Summary
County staff reported recent communications outages affecting fire and tactical channels, described temporary fixes, and said a tower crew and replacement antenna are being secured; staff estimated parts and climb charges but did not provide a firm total.
Mills County officials reported intermittent failures of radio antennas and cables that disrupted some fire and tactical radio communications and outlined next steps to restore full service.
County staff said two antennas used for emergency communications experienced problems; technicians temporarily reassigned channels so the county’s fire channel is working while the tactical channel remains impaired. A county technician credited in the meeting for troubleshooting transferred the TAC antenna to the fire channel as a stopgap to restore one channel’s coverage.
County staff said a tower crew from the county’s service provider is scheduled to inspect the tower this week to locate the damaged antenna and cable. Staff said they have identified a candidate antenna in a supplier warehouse in either Fort Worth or Houston. The meeting record included references to an anticipated charge to get an antenna and have it installed, but no definitive total was recorded.
Commissioners urged rapid work to restore dependable radio coverage; county staff said they expect a clearer report once the tower crew inspects the site and that they hope to resolve the issue by the end of the week if the inspection confirms the location and condition of the antenna.
No formal vote or contract award for antenna replacement was recorded in the meeting; staff said they will return with cost estimates and next steps.
