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Jefferson County begins RapidSOS rollout and celebrates ENP certifications; volunteer firefighters warn of paging gaps
Summary
County dispatch staff began implementing RapidSOS and noted two employees earned Emergency Number Professional certification; a public commenter, president of the county fire association, told the board that about 90% of volunteer members may not receive nighttime pager alerts because of repeater/paging system issues and urged the county to address coverage and equipment needs.
County emergency communications staff marked National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week and told commissioners they have begun training on RapidSOS, a device‑sourced location and data service that can share precise location, optional medical data and images with dispatch centers. Staff also said two local employees completed the Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification, enabling the center to pursue peer accreditation.
During public comment the president of the Jefferson County Fire Association reported progress on standard operating procedures for fire dispatch and raised an operational concern: the speaker said roughly 90% of volunteer members are not receiving nighttime pager alerts because of how pages are configured or because remote repeater sites are not properly activating. The commenter outlined coverage gaps in Brooksburg/Mel Township and noted some departments have full 800‑MHz radios but disable them at times because of volume; the speaker estimated a new remote repeater site can cost about $50,000.
Commissioners and staff acknowledged the problem, discussed options (adding remote repeater sites, leveraging water‑tower sites or the 800‑MHz second phase) and said they would begin documenting the issue and seek vendor checks. No immediate funding decision was made during the meeting.
Why it matters: Pager and repeater failures can delay volunteer responses to emergency calls. RapidSOS and staff certification may improve call‑locating accuracy, while the paging gaps raised by volunteers point to a needed capital or technical fix.
What happens next: Staff will investigate the paging/repeater failures, consult radio vendors, and the board may consider budgeting for remote repeater sites or other technical remedies.
