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San Jacinto County ESD delays signing of proposed communications contract after technical, cost and approval concerns
Summary
District leaders heard a detailed presentation from Daniel Communications on a radio system upgrade — including new antenna heights, engineering and lease costs — but decided to delay executing the communications system agreement until FCC frequencies, structural analyses and county approvals are resolved.
The San Jacinto County Emergency Services District board on a motion delayed signing a proposed communications system agreement with Daniel Communications after months of community complaints about radio coverage and a lengthy technical presentation from the vendor.
Michael, representing Daniel Communications, told the board the engineered plan would add a second antenna slot above the existing antenna and separate transmit and receive sites to reduce coverage gaps. "I'm Michael. I'm with Daniel Communications," he said while explaining the upgrade would use a higher slot offered at roughly 348 feet versus the existing 169-foot placement and would separate transmit and receive equipment to improve two‑way coverage.
Michael and company engineers outlined anticipated upfront engineering costs "in the neighborhood of $6,000 to $7,000" and said some vendors had committed to cover a portion of initial costs, with an estimated $10,000 in waived fees or reduced charges cited by the vendor. He also described potential lease costs: the district currently pays about $470 per month for the lower antenna and the vendor estimated an additional roughly $900 per month in new lease charges under one scenario, with alternative approaches to start a fresh county lease that could push monthly costs higher.
Board members pressed the vendor on implementation details and contingencies, including frequency selection, FCC coordination, structural analysis, site inspections and whether the county commission would sign necessary interlocal agreements. The vendor said it would monitor several candidate frequencies and return to the FCC for a final assignment but cautioned that federal processing and vendor lead times could be slow.
One board member urged caution about executing the Communications System Agreement (CSA) before external approvals and complete technical verification. "Just don't sign it yet, guys," the member said, and the board agreed to delay final approval and return to the item after the county lease, FCC frequency choice and structural reviews are complete.
Why it matters: the district's radio coverage affects fire, EMS and sheriff communications. Board members said the lack of reliable two‑way coverage in parts of the county has been a persistent safety concern and that the proposed system — if properly configured and coordinated with county and tower owners — could materially improve response communications.
What happens next: the board directed staff to continue negotiations with the tower owner and county commissioners and to obtain structural analyses, site inspection requirements and frequency-monitoring reports before considering execution of the CSA.
Provenance: Topic introduced at SEG 235; related discussion continues through SEG 1240.
