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Technical and municipal voices brief committee on statewide public-safety communications system
Summary
Staff presented a primer on the statewide public-safety communications system; agency technical staff and vendors described system capabilities and procurement issues, and county sheriffs' representatives raised operational questions.
The Local Government Interim Committee received a briefing on House Joint Resolution 57 and the statewide public-safety communications system on Sept. 25.
Maxwell Parson introduced the primer and supporting exhibits. Laura Schultz, manager of the Montana Emergency Communications Program at the Department of Justice, provided program-level public comment about program status and operations. Technical presenters included Jamin Howell, technical manager for the Emergency Communications Program, and Shelby Demars of L3Harris Technologies, who described technical capabilities and procurement considerations. Brian Thompson of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association offered stakeholder observations.
Committee members, including Rep. Shane Klakken and Vice Presiding Officer Alanah Griffith, questioned staff and technical presenters about system interoperability, procurement timelines and local costs. Presenters clarified technical roles and noted that further work would be required to identify funding options and implementation timelines.
There was no vote on HJR 57 at the meeting. Staff introduced the interim timeline and led a work session later in the afternoon; the committee adopted its Work Plan by unanimous voice vote before adjourning.
