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Local News

Eaton County telephone surcharge proposal to be on Nov. 7 ballot

The radio system used by first responders in Eaton County is obsolete and at the end of its useful life resulting in limited coverage, inability to communicate with nearby agencies and equipment no longer serviceable after April 2018, according to emergency services providers who serve Eaton County.

 

For more than two years, a working group of law enforcement, fire, and EMS officials reviewed options and visited other counties. They recommended the Michigan Public Safety Communications System to make upgrades to the county system.

 

A proposal for a telephone surcharge of up to $1.75 a month to pay for the upgrades to Eaton County emergency services will be on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election.  It will appear as a 911 surcharge and is worded specifically to solely fund the project to be paid off in 10 years.

 

The proposal includes additional radio towers, upgrading the system from a 400 MHz simulcast to a 700/800 MHz digital trunked system and providing all first responder agencies in the county new radios and pagers to improve coverage and allow first responders to communicate with surrounding agencies. officials said.

 

Two community forums in October will provide information and answer questions about the project and ballot question. They are:

 Delta Township District Library

Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m.

5130 Davenport Drive, Lansing.

 

Charlotte Performing Arts Center

Monday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

378 State Street, Charlotte.

 

“Radio communication is the lifeline for all public safety first responders.  Our current system has served us well but it is now obsolete. The aging equipment is no longer serviceable and we are starting to see system failures,” Charlotte Police Chief Lisa Sherman said. //

 

“Currently Fire/EMS personnel in my agency have to carry multiple radios to communicate with our neighboring departments on emergency incidents,” according to Chief John Clark of Delta Township Fire/EMS.  “The proposed radio system would put all agencies on a common platform, providing for direct communication on the same channel/frequency.”

 

Cost efficiency was also considered in making the recommendation, 911 Director Michael Armitage said.

 “Joining MPSCS will allow Eaton County to use some of their existing towers for our coverage, which reduces the amount of towers Eaton County would need to provide coverage. The MPSCS also maintains key components of the system and provides work on county equipment at cost,” Armitage said.

 

For the first 10 years of use, the proposal includes a comprehensive warranty and battery replacement program and, “by including the warranty and battery replacements program, the liability of unforeseen costs would be reduced while the project is being paid off,” he added.

 

If approved, the Eaton County Board of Commissioners would be authorized to levy up to $1.75 a month on phone devices in Eaton County, with the exception of pre-paid wireless plans.

Currently, 69 counties in Michigan access a county 911 surcharge. The MPSCS is, or is in the process of being, the primary communications system for first responders in 62 counties in the state.

 

For more information visit facebook.com/EatonCounty911, e-mail radios@eatoncounty.org or call Armitage at 517-525-0313. Information is also on the county website, including the full recommendation and Frequently Asked Questions, at www.eatoncounty.org/departments/central-dispatch. 

 

 

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