Waseca, MN - Waseca County may catch a break on new radio system costs

[Thunderbolt]

WASECA, Minn. — Waseca County may have caught a financial break in its quest for a new 800 megahertz radio system for first responder agencies.

Waseca County may catch a break on new radio system costs - Waseca MN: News

 

[rapidcharger]

Why is the D.O.T. telling all of the law enforcement agencies they need to get on 800?

And better yet, why are they complying with the D.O.T's orders?

 

[n0elb]

MNDOT

MNDOT is the department that maintains the statewide radio system (even before ARMER).

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the radio techs have always worked for MNDOT.

 

[ScanWI]

yes DOT told them, I was never happy with the ARMER system MN got screwed over by Moto, and the state is more or less forcing the counties on the system. A system that has cost way more than it needed too and was projected.

 

[rapidcharger]

I guess all the roads and bridges are in tip top shape now, then?

Why else would they assume the maintenance of a statewide radio system? They must've run out of roads and bridges to fix.

 

[ofd8001]

Well . . .

There are good things that can be said about having a state-wide communications strategy, particularly when you have the rare, but horrendous, public safety emergency. In my course of 39 years as a first responder, I've been on probably half a dozen or so ultra major incidents where agencies from two or three counties away coming in to help. Communications issues are consistently bones of contention when the critiques are done.

If a situation becomes untenable and responders have to act quickly for their own safety, getting the message to act can't be delayed because it has to be relayed through several different systems.

While the people doing the actual system maintenance may be state employees working for the department of transportation, the Minnesota's system has a governance board of some 21 members. These folks, I understand, are the policy setters and they represent a variety if interests from EMS, law enforcement, fire service and so on. I imagine, if anything, the DOT was merely the messengers from the state radio board.