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County advances radio upgrade, training center and 911 staffing discussions
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Summary
Officials reported ongoing public-safety radio upgrades including additional tower moves and antenna replacements, progress on the regional fire and tactical training centers, and staff described the cost and staffing implications if Peachtree City establishes its own 911 center.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The Fayette County retreat on May 9 included several public-safety briefings: a multi-year radio-system upgrade, the completion of a regional training center, and discussions about 911 funding and service models.
911 Director Katye Vogt summarized the radio contract (a not-to-exceed figure that included contingency) and the work completed to date: additional towers, microwave links, P25 system upgrades and preventive maintenance on more than 270 radios. Vogt said twelve antenna issues were identified and corrected and that upcoming changes include moving a tower site from Willowbend to Huddleston Road and adding a new tower site to improve Peachtree City coverage. Coverage acceptance testing and system-failure mitigation testing are planned with consultants and the County.
Sheriff Barry Babb and consultant Tim Symonds updated the Board on the tactical driving course and the regional Public Safety Training Facility; Symonds reported Phase I and Phase II costs totaling about $5.14 million and said construction was scheduled to complete in June 2025 for the driving course elements. Fire Chief Jeffrey Hill reported a May 22 ribbon-cutting for the Fire and Emergency Services Regional Training Center and said the site and burn tower are complete.
County Administrator Steve Rapson explained that if Peachtree City were to create its own PSAP it would retain its property-tax share and 911 user fees but would need consoles, radios, systems and roughly 15–17 staff to operate, which would be a substantial additional cost and could lead to different service levels. Rapson said the County is standing up a new Emergency Operations Center and is implementing radio and backup enhancements financed in part by SPLOST.
Why it matters: Upgrades to the county radio system and regional training facilities affect first-responder readiness and interoperability among local jurisdictions. The Board noted the tradeoffs if a municipality takes over its own 911 answering point and asked staff to quantify financial and service-level impacts.
Next steps: Staff will continue weekly project oversight for the radio system, perform coverage-acceptance testing, and return with specific cost and timeline updates for remaining tower moves and testing.