After decades of using the same radio system, Daviess County Fiscal Court is planning to send in a consultant to determine whether first responders across the county could use an upgrade. County fire departments, the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and Daviess County Animal Control have used different versions of a VHF analog radio system since the early 1970s, and Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch Director Paul Nave said a switch to digital would come with pros and cons, but mostly pros.
“With any technology, things change over the years,” Nave said. “You want to do your due diligence. What’s best for the first responders? What’s best for the community?”
In the last Fiscal Court meeting, the county commission approved a $33,955 contract with Trott Communications to perform a county radio system needs assessment. Judge-Executive Al Mattingly estimated that a new radio system would cost $5 to $7 million.
Nave said a consultant will check to see whether the analog radio system is in complete need of an overhaul, or whether it just needs some tweaking in order to work more efficiently. The biggest issue with the current system is interference with other frequencies, Nave said.
“With VHF, the spectrum was broken in half a few years back, so there’s more frequencies to be utilized. The same frequencies are being used in a 150-mile radius. Only so much spectrum is available,” Nave said. “Our analog system has been in existence for many years.”
Nave said there are a lot of positives in switching to digital, such as a higher quality of clarity and no skips coming through over the frequency. With digital, however, frequencies aren’t able to travel as far as with analog, so new towers would have to be placed throughout the county in order to extend the frequency’s length.
Owensboro Police Department made the switch to digital somewhere between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nave estimated.
“The [Motorola p25] 800 system works better inside buildings in metropolitan areas,” Nave said. “We’re excited a consultant is coming in. They can see things we can’t see. They’ll make sure our monies are utilized wisely.”
The switch to digital would be a significant change for first responders, Nave said. A consultant will make observations fairly soon to determine whether the county should make the switch or not.
“I am excited,” Nave said of the potential switch to digital. “Anytime you can look at infrastructure and make a difference for first responders and the community, that’s a good thing. The coverage is going to be better than now. You won’t have to worry as much about dead spots being there. The new system would eradicate that.”
