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Local responders raise concerns about radio and dispatch reliability
Summary
Fire and EMS representatives told commissioners they experienced intermittent radio failures and slow dispatch responses; officials asked the vendor to demonstrate the system and promised follow-up. The concerns focused on trunking behavior, unanswered pages, and unclear operator procedures.
Local emergency responders described intermittent failures and slow responses in the county radio/dispatch system and asked county leaders to bring vendors and fire chiefs together for a demonstration.
A responder (speaker 8) summarized operational problems: "So on the report it has from at the at the scene, Kate, I mentioned it to him and he said, oh that's because they're on trunking and then they have to switch back over... 1st page 18 40, no sound went through. 2nd page 18 41, sound went through." The speaker said pages sometimes produce "no voice" and that on scene units have had to wait for dispatch to answer.
Commissioners and other attendees agreed a vendor demonstration would help clarify whether problems stem from network trunking, operator procedure or equipment. Participants asked Redtail, Nemat and dispatch staff to show how calls are routed so the fire chiefs "understand it too," and to supply quotes and antenna updates. Officials also noted that some radios removed from sheriff vehicles may have been incompatible with the new trunked system.
County staff said they would follow up and invite the vendor and fire chiefs for a technical demonstration. The discussion did not produce a formal action beyond the request for a demonstration and vendor follow-up.
