Clermont County approves consultant amendment for public‑safety radio overhaul after multi‑month review

Clermont County commissioners on May 21 approved an amendment to the county’s consulting agreement with Federal Engineering to develop specifications and procurement support for a planned upgrade of the county’s public‑safety microwave backhaul and related communications systems.

The county’s Department of Public Safety Services (DPSS) Director Jessica Wiederholt and Federal Engineering consultants Tommy Thompson and Travis LePage told the board the county’s microwave and networking equipment are at or near end of vendor support and that a recent microwave link failure highlighted the system’s fragility. Wiederholt said the county must plan a replacement now so first responders do not lose radio communications during future outages.

The consultants presented a January 2025 assessment that estimated immediate procurement costs of $4.8 million for microwave and backhaul routers and about $480,000 to replace antennas and multicouplers. The consultants also identified other major items, including prime‑site equipment (estimated $1.5 million) and site alarm equipment (SDM 3000, estimated $350,000). A single interim repair to get a downed microwave link working was listed at $56,679; that work has been delayed by parts backorders, Wiederholt said.

Federal Engineering’s scope under the approved amendment (not to exceed $238,624) will produce the technical procurement documents, support a pre‑bid meeting and site walks, evaluate proposals, and assist during implementation. Commissioners discussed life‑cycle length, spare‑parts requirements, cybersecurity and warranty terms during a lengthy public presentation and follow‑up discussion. Thompson and LePage advised the board to pursue “public‑safety grade” microwave equipment with longer expected lifespans and vendor commitments for spare parts and a defined time‑to‑repair.

Wiederholt also told the board that other facets of the public‑safety system need attention: dispatch radio consoles are supported only through Dec. 21, 2028, and the county’s Motorola Emergency Call Works phone contract and CAD/phone integration planning require upgrades to meet next‑generation 9‑1‑1 (NG9‑1‑1) rules. “We have to be compliant with NG9‑1‑1 by 2030 or we lose our wireless funding from the state of Ohio,” Wiederholt said.

The board first added the amendment to the meeting agenda, tabled it to request a clearer scope, and later — after return from executive session and receipt of the scope document — approved amendment No. 2 to Federal Engineering’s services agreement. The final roll call recorded the measure as approved; Commissioner Bonnie Bachelor was excused from the later votes.

The county and its consultant described this procurement as a multi‑phase program. Federal Engineering said a full implementation project would likely be a design‑build procurement and estimated an overall capital budget in the multimillion‑dollar range. Wiederholt said microwave replacement work, antenna replacements, generator replacements at tower sites, and CAD/phone projects will proceed as separate but coordinated efforts.

Commissioners emphasized warranty and spare‑parts language in the procurement and requested explicit vendor commitments for time‑to‑repair, stock of critical components, and multi‑year support pricing that will be part of the RFP evaluation. The county intends to issue the RFP soon and return to the board with procurement recommendations before award.

For now, DPSS is pursuing immediate repairs to restore the existing downed microwave link and moving forward with Federal Engineering to create the technical documents needed for competitive procurement and implementation.