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County agencies use borrowed radios until state expands addresses
Corey Hoilman, News-Journal Staff
Mitchell County has purchased $163,000 worth of new radios for law enforcement that will provide better coverage and more reliable communication between deputies and communications.
But rather than being immediately put into service, the devices will remain unused until the state legislature expands the number of available radio IDs, a process that could take months.
County manager Charles Vines said the county received 50 portable VIPER radios and 16 mobile units back in July, ready to distribute them to sheriff's deputies, police officers in Spruce Pine and Bakersville, county employees and the state forest service.
Problems arose when it was discovered the state had issued a limited number of the radio IDs for the devices, and no more were available for use. As an example, imagine purchasing a cell phone only to be told there are no more phone numbers that can be issued.
"We did our homework to save us money, then we were told the legislature pulled money from the system," Vines said.
In the meantime, law enforcement personnel across the county are using VIPER radios that belong to emergency management and county fire departments. Eric Wiseman, fire chief at Parkway Fire and Rescue and a planner with N.C. Emergency Management, said the radios were purchased through Department of Homeland Security grants, and received before all of the original allotment of 65,000 IDs were assigned.
The radios are being shared among shifts until more IDs are released and the county can finally use their own equipment. Vines said he was notified by now-former Rep. Mitchel Gillespie that it would be the end of January or early Februar before more ID numbers would become available.
It isn't an ideal solution, but it will have to do in the meantime.
"Everybody's got some capability, but no one has 100 percent capability," Eric Wiseman said. "It's a work in progress and the issue, as always, is funding."
It's doubly frustrating because the new 800 mHz system will offer a host of advantages over the old VHF system used previously. Stephanie Wiseman, Mitchell County Communications director, said coverage will improve dramatically with the new radios, both in range and in clarity.
"In places along Hwy. 19E toward Avery County, coverage was very, very limited. Now it's like you're standing there next to them," she said. "In Buladean we're able to reach them now. In Bradshaw we have coverage where we didn't have coverage before."
"The benefit is the coverage from the 800 system is tremendously better than the conventional system. They're able to talk to each other in places and hear from communications in places they haven't been able to before."
Eric Wiseman said the eventual move of all police and emergency personnel to VIPER radios will relieve problems with the older technology. On the older 150 mHz VHF band, narrow-banding was an issue. The number of users, combined with the radio frequencies separated by just 12.5 kHz, caused overcrowding on Mitchell's two available towers. aThe only solution would be constructing more in-county radio towers, because VHF can't access towers in neighboring counties. Those restrictions don't apply to the 800 mHz system.
"That band was full. To overcome that narrow-banding on VHF, you'd have to build tower sites. The problem is if Mitchell County wanted to build towers, it would be an expense, and building a tower site on a mountain top is an expensive proposition these days," Eric Wiseman said.
"The 800 system doesn't typically have as good coverage as the VHF, but we have more towers. The 800 system relies on every tower it can, and not just those in Mitchell County. There's lots of towers we have access to, and that's what improves the coverage. With the 800 system we're utilizing state towers that Mitchell County isn't directly having to pay for. We're piggy-backing off the state system."
Given the county's topography, Stephanie Wiseman said the VIPER radios will offer the best communication possible for those who rely on them during critical situations, at least once the states funds the creation of the additional IDs.
"With our terrain there's probably never going to be a system with 100 percent coverage, but with this system it should be at least 95," she said.
"It's a lot easier to sleep now knowing there's more of a safety blanket there. The ultimate thing is those emergency workers get to go home at night and we protect the public, and this system is a great asset in taking care of the people we need to take care of."
Corey Hoilman, News-Journal Staff
Mitchell County has purchased $163,000 worth of new radios for law enforcement that will provide better coverage and more reliable communication between deputies and communications.
But rather than being immediately put into service, the devices will remain unused until the state legislature expands the number of available radio IDs, a process that could take months.
County manager Charles Vines said the county received 50 portable VIPER radios and 16 mobile units back in July, ready to distribute them to sheriff's deputies, police officers in Spruce Pine and Bakersville, county employees and the state forest service.
Problems arose when it was discovered the state had issued a limited number of the radio IDs for the devices, and no more were available for use. As an example, imagine purchasing a cell phone only to be told there are no more phone numbers that can be issued.
"We did our homework to save us money, then we were told the legislature pulled money from the system," Vines said.
In the meantime, law enforcement personnel across the county are using VIPER radios that belong to emergency management and county fire departments. Eric Wiseman, fire chief at Parkway Fire and Rescue and a planner with N.C. Emergency Management, said the radios were purchased through Department of Homeland Security grants, and received before all of the original allotment of 65,000 IDs were assigned.
The radios are being shared among shifts until more IDs are released and the county can finally use their own equipment. Vines said he was notified by now-former Rep. Mitchel Gillespie that it would be the end of January or early Februar before more ID numbers would become available.
It isn't an ideal solution, but it will have to do in the meantime.
"Everybody's got some capability, but no one has 100 percent capability," Eric Wiseman said. "It's a work in progress and the issue, as always, is funding."
It's doubly frustrating because the new 800 mHz system will offer a host of advantages over the old VHF system used previously. Stephanie Wiseman, Mitchell County Communications director, said coverage will improve dramatically with the new radios, both in range and in clarity.
"In places along Hwy. 19E toward Avery County, coverage was very, very limited. Now it's like you're standing there next to them," she said. "In Buladean we're able to reach them now. In Bradshaw we have coverage where we didn't have coverage before."
"The benefit is the coverage from the 800 system is tremendously better than the conventional system. They're able to talk to each other in places and hear from communications in places they haven't been able to before."
Eric Wiseman said the eventual move of all police and emergency personnel to VIPER radios will relieve problems with the older technology. On the older 150 mHz VHF band, narrow-banding was an issue. The number of users, combined with the radio frequencies separated by just 12.5 kHz, caused overcrowding on Mitchell's two available towers. aThe only solution would be constructing more in-county radio towers, because VHF can't access towers in neighboring counties. Those restrictions don't apply to the 800 mHz system.
"That band was full. To overcome that narrow-banding on VHF, you'd have to build tower sites. The problem is if Mitchell County wanted to build towers, it would be an expense, and building a tower site on a mountain top is an expensive proposition these days," Eric Wiseman said.
"The 800 system doesn't typically have as good coverage as the VHF, but we have more towers. The 800 system relies on every tower it can, and not just those in Mitchell County. There's lots of towers we have access to, and that's what improves the coverage. With the 800 system we're utilizing state towers that Mitchell County isn't directly having to pay for. We're piggy-backing off the state system."
Given the county's topography, Stephanie Wiseman said the VIPER radios will offer the best communication possible for those who rely on them during critical situations, at least once the states funds the creation of the additional IDs.
"With our terrain there's probably never going to be a system with 100 percent coverage, but with this system it should be at least 95," she said.
"It's a lot easier to sleep now knowing there's more of a safety blanket there. The ultimate thing is those emergency workers get to go home at night and we protect the public, and this system is a great asset in taking care of the people we need to take care of."
