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NextGen public safety radio project: staff says core system first, tower sites can be expedited if board desires
Summary
County public-safety staff briefed commissioners on the NextGen radio upgrade, saying phase 1 (radios and back-end infrastructure) addresses immediate rebanding and lifecycle needs; phase 2 and 3 add towers to improve coverage, and staff said preliminary work could allow moving some tower sites earlier, with community outreach planned
St. Mary's County public-safety officials updated the Board of County Commissioners on the NextGen radio replacement and phasing during the Feb. 27 budget session, saying the project’s first phase — replacing handheld and vehicle radios and upgrading the backend infrastructure — addresses urgent rebanding deadlines and lifecycle expiration of the current EDAC system.
Bob Kelly, the technical lead on the project, told commissioners phase 1 handles the bulk of the technical work and that phases 2 and 3 primarily add tower sites that incrementally improve countywide coverage. Kelly and staff said phase 2 work could remain targeted to FY2015 but noted that, where local landowner cooperation and permitting permit, some tower site work could be advanced sooner.
Commissioners asked staff to weigh the debt-service impact of moving tower construction earlier and to conduct outreach to affected property owners. Kelly said staff would reach out to the Stache family regarding a potential Valley Lee site and that a community meeting was scheduled for March 5 at the Valley Lee Fire Department to explain the project.
Why it matters: Upgrading the county’s public-safety radio system affects police, fire and EMS communications and interoperability; near-term lifecycle and rebanding deadlines make phase 1 time‑sensitive.
Outlook: Staff will continue to plan a FY2015 timeline for tower construction, but will report back if any sites can be accelerated, with fiscal impact analysis and landowner/permitting work completed first.
