County Board Increases DaneCom Funding
March 09, 2015
County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan, 608.333.2285
County Board
First Responders Will Get Better Radio Coverage in Remote Areas, Indoors
The Dane County Board of Supervisors voted Thursday to allocate an additional $3.75 million to increase radio coverage throughout rural areas and inside large buildings.
The allocation was approved as part of a larger resolution authorizing the issuing of bonds to pay for commitments already approved in the 2015 capital budget. The new funding is in addition to $3 million already dedicated to improvements in the DaneCom radio system.
“Communication is critical in any emergency situation,” said Public Protection and Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Rusk. “We need our first responders to have complete confidence in their radio communications, no matter where they are or what fire or police department they represent. I’m grateful to Emergency Communication Center Director John Dejung for putting in the work to create a plan, and to the County Board for approving it.”
“People in rural and outlying areas of the county shouldn’t be any less safe than anyone living in Madison or Middleton,” said Supervisor Bill Clausius, a member of the Emergency Services Committee. “Communication among and between all first responders has to be a priority, and this resolution tells me that the County has its priorities straight.”
According to Dejung, the new spending will provide:
- New radio towers in Deerfield, Deforest and Stoughton, and the County taking ownership of a tower in Rockdale
- New paging transmitters at all three new tower sites
- New analog tactical transmitters and receivers at all three new tower sites
- A second analog tactical channel
The improvements will be implemented by Harris Corporation as part of an existing contract. Harris will upgrade all hardware and software to the most current versions without additional cost, and will waive its usual fee for a five-year service and maintenance contract.