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Gratiot County 911 director outlines staffing, new radio tower and plans funded by recent millage
Summary
At a county commission meeting, the county’s 911 presenter described upgrades including a new 310-foot 800 MHz tower that went live March 24, near‑full staffing for the dispatch center, plans for a CAD replacement and community outreach via Rave and Smart911; he said a recent millage helped stabilize funding.
David, the county’s emergency communications presenter, gave a detailed briefing on the Gratiot County 911 system and recent upgrades. He reviewed 911’s history, described how ANI/ALI and Phase II cell rules changed location accuracy, and said the center is moving toward next‑generation 911 capabilities, including text and multimedia. “We can actually dial in, look on the map, and see the addresses that you’re actually in between and pinpoint where you are,” he said, explaining how RapidSOS and other services improve location data.
David told commissioners the dispatch center’s staffing improved after a needs assessment found morale low and only four full‑time employees on staff when he arrived. “As of today, we are at 11 of 12 for staffing full‑time,” he said, adding the office plans to interview for the 12th position later this month so three people will be on every 24‑hour shift.
He described technology needs and a current RFP to replace the county’s CAD, with vendor bids to be opened May 4 and a target of early 2028 for implementation. He also outlined radio coverage problems in the Alma and St. Louis areas and said the county built a new 310‑foot 800 MHz tower, which went live March 24. That tower, sited on privately leased land, is tied into the statewide MPSCS radio system and has improved in‑county coverage, he said.
On finances, David said the county previously relied on a phone‑bill surcharge that has declined as landlines disappeared; a recently approved millage (discussed later in the meeting) provided funding to stabilize operations and invest in equipment and outreach. He highlighted the Rave alert system and Smart911 profiles as outreach tools and pointed to rising call volume—51,649 calls to the center in the last year—as evidence of demand.
Commissioners asked whether neighboring jurisdictions could piggyback on the tower. David replied that other agencies can co‑locate equipment and that carriers may also express interest, subject to terms and state approvals. He also described ongoing work on encryption for police radios ahead of FBI timelines, paging upgrades for fire services and redundancy measures such as cell‑phone alerting apps.
The presentation closed with an invitation for questions and no formal vote; commissioners thanked David for the update. The presentation was heard under the 911 update agenda item.
