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Board asks staff to study digital radios, dispatch integration and costs
Summary
Highway staff reported a successful test of a shared digital radio channel using repeaters but noted that Burlington Communications (dispatch) is not yet on the system; the board asked staff to cost out radios, installation and monthly service and to explore cost‑sharing with the fire department and neighboring towns.
Highway staff (speaker 6) described a field test of a digital radio network using repeaters, saying the radios offered clearer communications across local terrain and neighboring towns. "It found the right repeater," the staff member said after demonstrating a handheld unit during a test in a trench; staff reported that truck radios are higher‑power and handhelds are lower‑power and that dispatch currently connects via other repeaters (the town's dispatch is Burlington Communications).
The board discussed costs and operational tradeoffs: speaker 6 said radios themselves and installation are a one‑time expense but noted monthly service fees (about "$39 a month per radio") and estimated installation costs. Members discussed the potential to split repeater setup costs with the fire department and other towns, and urged staff to prepare a spreadsheet comparing CBC/digital options, installation costs, monthly fees, and whether dispatch could be integrated. The board prioritized ensuring that emergency services can communicate reliably and asked for a recommendation on whether to pursue the digital repeater option, and whether to procure additional radios for the loader and trucks if retention of the newer black truck is finalized.
