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County hears plan for $9M–$16M P25 first-responder radio upgrade; Triumph funding likely for capital, county faces long-term maintenance costs
Summary
Consultants outlined a seven-site P25 Phase II trunked radio system aimed at roughly 97% portable outdoor coverage across Franklin County; estimated list price was $16.3M (vendors may bid $9M–$11M); Triumph Gulf Coast would likely fund capital and subscriber radios while the county would assume ongoing maintenance and refresh costs.
Omnicom Consulting Group presented detailed plans and cost estimates on Jan. 20 for a proposed P25 Phase II trunked, simulcast radio system to replace Franklin County’s aging public-safety communications. The consultant team, led by Chris Monzingo and Tim Barrentine, told the Board the system would include seven tower sites, a geo‑redundant core, a mutual-aid overlay channel and microwave backhaul designed to give portable radios reliable outdoor coverage across most of the county.
“The goal... 97% county wide, portable, only hip outdoor coverage,” Omnicom’s Chris Monzingo said, describing the target for portable radios carried by responders. The design also includes higher building-penetration margins for population centers such as Apalachicola, Eastpoint and the jail.
Why it matters: local agencies rely on consistent radio coverage for dispatch and life‑safety responses. The consultants said mobile (in-vehicle) radios will have near‑total coverage; portable radios carried on personnel are harder to cover, especially inside buildings and in the north-central forest where a small coverage gap remains. Consultants asked the Board to weigh the cost of another site versus the long-term recurring maintenance burden of an additional tower.
Costs and funding: Omnicom listed a capital budget that totaled about $16.3 million on paper but cautioned vendors commonly bid lower; the firm estimated realistic bids likely in the $9 million–$11 million range. Omnicom separated costs into (a) towers, shelters and site infrastructure, (b) the system core and RF equipment, and (c) subscriber radios for county users (an estimated $1.3 million). They stressed that ongoing annual maintenance and three scheduled technology refreshes over a 15‑year life meaningfully add to lifecycle cost. County staff and the consultant said Triumph Gulf Coast is the expected capital funder; county staff would need to plan for the continuing maintenance commitment after cutover.
Timeline and next steps: the procurement document will be refined this year, then routed through Triumph for approval. Omnicom suggested a 60–90 day procurement advertising window; if procurement and permitting proceed smoothly the consultants said a cutover by the end of 2027 or early 2028 is possible. They also recommended the county pursue public land options for tower sites (Triumph prefers sites on public land) to limit leasing costs and ongoing burdens.
Board reaction and resilience: Commissioners pressed consultants on the single coverage gap in the north-central forest and asked about alternatives, including vehicle repeaters, FirstNet/LTE failovers and temporary mobile communications trailers. Resident communications volunteer Dave Snow urged a broader resilience plan that includes portable LTE and trailer options; Omnicom said such options can be integrated but carry separate monthly and capital costs.
What’s next: staff will finalize procurement language and maps (including mobile-coverage maps showing vehicle vs. portable coverage) and return with a Triumph-submittal-ready package. The Board did not take a funding vote at the Jan. 20 meeting, but commissioners and staff discussed maintenance funding obligations the county would inherit under the plan.
