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State radio officials brief Walsh County on transition, staffing and equipment
Summary
State Radio representatives described billing changes, staffing, CAD and radio-system transition steps; commissioners asked about coverage, redundancy and impacts on local dispatch and mutual aid.
Darren Peters (State Radio representative) and colleagues briefed the Walsh County Commission on the state radio system transition, current billing, staffing and what a migration would mean for local dispatch.
The presenter said the county’s line-count fee rose from $1.39 to $1.59 per line in the most recent biennium; billing is done quarterly in arrears and is based on aggregated line counts. Peters described the regional computer-aided dispatch (Hexagon) system provided as part of that fee, interoperability work with the county’s CentralSquare records system, mobile-CAD availability for fire and EMS, and redundancy plans that include alternate circuits and contingency connectivity (including potential commercial-satellite solutions).
Why it matters: Commissioners asked whether moving to state radio would change local paging, how nonemergency calls would be handled, whether deputies and responders would need to duplicate data entry in the county CAD, and how the transition might affect response times in remote areas. State Radio staff said the center typically meets national call-answer time standards and that the project team plans staged transitions and “burn-in” periods to limit interoperability problems.
Key details presented
- Billing and services: Peters said the state’s rate increased and that billing is a quarter in arrears because carrier and line-count reporting can lag. The Hexagon CAD is provided as part of the fee and there is no per-user charge; CentralSquare (the county’s RMS) would remain a separate system until an interoperability hub is ready.
- Staffing and operations: State Radio reported 22 fully trained call takers plus trainees and a training academy; the staffing study recommends adding a “power shift” (9 a.m.–9 p.m.) to match call volume. Peters said 90% of 911 calls are answered within 10 seconds and that current performance exceeds the applicable standards.
- Transition and coverage: The radio transition will be staged around tower readiness. Peters said some neighboring counties have already transitioned; others require tower builds or lease adjustments. He stressed the need for joint testing for mutual-aid scenarios and warned that “burn-in” testing periods (60–120 days) are important to identify and fix issues before full cutovers.
Commissioner questions and local concerns
Commissioners and local chiefs raised concerns about: whether local nonemergency lines would still reach local deputies (State Radio recommends call-tree or voicemail arrangements rather than blind transfers); duplication of data entry between regional CAD and local RMS; potential delays near county borders or in tower-poor areas; and the impact on county employees if some local dispatch functions move to the regional center. Peters and his team said those operational details are part of transition planning and recommended local pilot tests.
Ending
Commissioners asked State Radio staff for a cost comparison of current county spending and projected post-transition costs; staff agreed to provide detailed cost models. No vote was taken at the meeting; commissioners requested the pricing and additional information to inform a later decision.
