Commissioners approve order 4 and critical spares for county P25 radio system; cutover targeted for May 2025

Van Zandt County commissioners approved Order Number 4 with L3Harris on Wednesday, consolidating prior equipment orders and authorizing purchase of radios, speaker microphones, chargers, batteries and critical spares as part of the county’s new P25 radio system.

Barry Black of Choct Communications Group, the county’s radio consultant, told the court the project has advanced to tower completion and microwave backhaul installation, site acceptance testing and user programming. “After the backhaul system is in place, then you can start optimizing the system,” Black said. He said acceptance testing includes countywide coverage drives and required building interior coverage testing for 14 mandatory buildings; L3Harris is contractually obligated to remedy coverage shortfalls.

Black said mobile radios are being installed in sheriff’s and fire apparatus and that the county is finalizing a radio-user database (to control authorized units) and developing talk groups and an encryption plan. He confirmed ambulances and hospital systems (CHRISTUS) are in coordination plans and that interoperability with neighboring agencies and state partners is a priority. The county judge and Black said those interop plans and radio programming work will continue in coming weeks.

The order approved by the court consolidates previously approved items that were not shipped and adds specific high-temperature-rated speaker microphones, intrinsically safe portables for firefighters and tri-band radios for project staff and emergency management. The total of the consolidated order was presented in the meeting as $104,001.66, described as largely funded through ARPA and grant sources; commissioners said the maintenance contract with L3Harris will begin three years after final acceptance and runs for 15 years.

Court members asked for clarity on warranty and acceptance timing; Black advised the court to withhold final acceptance until all as-built documentation and punch-list items are complete to preserve warranty time. Commissioners and the judge discussed using ARPA grant funding to “buy down” future maintenance costs and noted other agencies (schools, volunteer fire departments) had procured radios separately, which reduced the county’s contract volume.

The court approved a voice motion adopting Order Number 4 and the critical spares order with L3Harris. Commissioners said they expect extensive testing and training before a final cutover to the new system, with an approximate target of May 2025 for full rollout if testing proceeds on schedule.