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Howard County to meet with Martin County after mutual-aid radio failures left responders unable to hear dispatch
Summary
Commissioners heard that Martin County crews have been unable to hear Howard County dispatch on the new radio system during mutual-aid responses; county radio staff were asked to meet with Martin County and other stakeholders to diagnose and consider shared upgrades or cost-sharing.
A commissioner reported that Martin County emergency responders were unable to communicate with Howard County dispatch on the new radio system during mutual-aid responses, forcing responders to use phone calls rather than radio to relay information. "They are unable to communicate with us with our new radio system," the commissioner said, describing incidents in which a responding crew could only hear a single person and could not reach dispatch over the radio.
Commissioners directed county radio staff (Dean, Otis, Tron) to set up a meeting with Martin County radio personnel, and possibly with additional regional partners and vendors, to diagnose whether tower adjustments, programming, or a cost-share arrangement could resolve the communication gap. One commissioner suggested involving county leaders in the meeting to determine technical options and potential joint investments.
