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Daniels County moves forward on radio trunking cutover; last‑mile dead zones and tower siting remain open issues
Summary
Dispatch and technical staff briefed commissioners on a planned trunked radio cutover with vendors Redtail and Motorola; they discussed installation timelines, dead zones in rural areas, possible microwave or fiber links and options to relocate or add repeaters and shelters to improve coverage.
County dispatch and technical staff updated the board on plans to cut over to a new trunked radio system and integrate with the state. Vendors named in the meeting included Redtail and Motorola; installation and cutover timelines were discussed with tentative dates stretching through December to an April operational target for some components.
Staff identified persistent 'dead zones' in parts of the county and discussed multiple engineering options: move radio gear off a water tower and to a different tower site, add repeaters at targeted locations, pursue microwave hops to a Nemont tower with a clear line of sight, or pursue fiber backhaul where available. The group emphasized that some dead zones are unlikely to be fully resolved without additional infrastructure but that integration with the state trunking system and better tower siting would improve reliability.
Technical staff said remote updates and troubleshooting will reduce travel costs once new equipment is in place, and that a county coordinator will work with state and vendor contacts to pin down site layouts. Commissioners asked staff to check Nemont tower access and potential costs for site space and to verify county‑owned shelters and equipment locations prior to hardware moves.
No formal vote was required; staff described next steps and training plans for dispatch personnel.
