Residents may see two marked county vehicles pulling into their driveways over the next 4-5 weeks as officials test the new digital radio system that will be used by first responders.
The County has nearing the end of a long process to implement the Motorola P25 digital radio system, moving away from a legacy VHF radio system that is decades old. The new radios will be digitally encrypted and IP-based with better coverage and additional channels for communication.
To support the system, a new telecommunications tower was constructed along Hobbs Road at the West Daviess County Landfill. Daviess County Fiscal Court is also leasing space on two existing tower sites in the southern and eastern portions of the County.
Coverage Acceptance Testing will be conducted over the next few weeks to ensure the system is capable of meeting the coverage guaranteed in the contract with Motorola. Trott Communications will be collecting and verifying all the data with field testing to follow.
At this time, the full transition to the P25 system is expected to occur in October 2022, with the VHF system running as a backup.
First responders in the City of Owensboro have already transitioned to a digital radio system. An ASTRO25 CORE connects the City’s digital radio system with dispatch operations. The County will share the ASTRO25 CORE with the City, making it the most cost-effective way for Fiscal Court to implement their new digital radio system.
