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Daniels County moves forward on radio trunking upgrade; cutover targeted for spring
Summary
Officials said vendor delivery is expected between December and April and a system cutover is anticipated around April; discussions focused on dead zones, tower siting, microwave links, and possible use of Nemont or MDU infrastructure to resolve last-mile gaps.
Daniels County officials and law-enforcement representatives reported progress on a radio trunking upgrade that county staff say should improve emergency communications but will require additional site work to eliminate known dead zones.
Representatives said vendor delivery is expected between December and April and that the project’s target for operational cutover is approximately April. Motorola and Red Tail were identified as vendors involved in installation and integration.
Sheriff and staff described persistent 'dead zones' in remote areas (for example between repeater sites and in Flaxville/White Tail). Options discussed included installing microwave links to existing towers, moving county radio equipment out of a water tower into a county-owned 12x8 shelter, and negotiating space on Nemont or MDU infrastructure to gain line-of-sight coverage.
"We still will be having a lot of cutting in and out on them because we are running on a standalone system up here," a project participant said, calling the trunking system a necessary step to reduce drops but noting additional local links will be needed to fix specific blind spots.
County staff agreed to pursue clearer inventory of present tower and repeater sites, to contact regional providers about site sharing, and to provide a more detailed plan and cost estimate for the board when available. No procurement or contract award was finalized at the meeting.
