OTTAWA — Because of a federal rule, Franklin County emergency agencies must switch to narrow-band radio frequencies by the end of the year. All of the radios of law agencies, county fire departments, ambulance service, public works and noxious weed departments will be switched to new VHF radios, said Alan Radcliffe, county emergency management director. He told county commissioners Monday afternoon during a budgeting session that the switchover will come in mid-October and will follow a time-tabled worked among the agencies to prevent a minimum of disruption to emergency radio communications and cut the cost and time needed for technicians to make the change. Despite the $10,000 cost to the county, the switchover will be useful because county agencies will have the same radios and group of frequencies, he said. Because of different radios, ambulance crews often have some difficulty in talking directly to rural firefighters, and often have to relay messages through the 911 dispatch center, he said. The switch will eliminate those problems, he said.
Tuesday, June 7, 2:30 p.m.
