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Ambulance radios intermittent; local tech recommends antenna and cable fixes, commissioners weigh fiber vs. tower
Summary
Local ambulance staff reported miswired cables and failing antennas that produce intermittent dispatch coverage; a local technician recommended shorter higher-gain antennas and cable repair, while commissioners discussed pursuing fiber to the hill as a more resilient backup for dispatch communications.
Ambulance staff briefed Daniels County commissioners on repeated radio failures affecting ambulance dispatch and handheld coverage at the airport. A local technician who inspected the rigs found misconnected antenna cabling and at least one bad cable on a newer ambulance; the tech said shorter, higher-gain antennas and retuning could resolve several problems.
"They unhooked the antenna and then hooked up the wrong one," the ambulance representative (speaker 4) said, describing the problem found on an older rig. Commissioners discussed whether fiber optics to the tower might be a better long-term solution than relying on tower trunking, and staff agreed to explore costs and options including asking Nemont or local providers about fiber runs up the hill.
Why it matters: reliable ambulance radio coverage is critical to 911 dispatch and first-responder coordination. Commissioners asked staff to pursue quotes for antenna fixes and for a fiber-optic option that could serve as a more resilient primary or backup link.
Provenance: topicintro: SEG 3536 ("Commissioners, Christy and Lee are present. Lee Hinkley present.") — topfinish: SEG 3739 (commissioners agreed to pursue follow-up and possible fiber options).
