Hancock spending $3.2M to upgrade emergency communications

24 OUR REGION

HANCOCK

Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022

Hancock spending $3.2M to upgrade emergency communications

BY DON WILKINS

MESSENGER-INQUIRER

Hancock Fiscal Court and Hancock County Public Schools have partnered on a major communications project that will come at a cost of $3.2 million.

Judge-Executive Johnny Roberts said the upgrade is overdue and that it will dramatically enhance the ability for emergency personnel to communicate throughout the county.

“We have some areas we’re trying to clean up,” Roberts said. “So when you have protective and emergency services, they need to be able to communicate in all areas of our county.”

Hancock Fiscal Court will be using $1.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds along with another $937,000 in general fund money.

The difference — $563,000 — will come from the Hancock County school district.

Both the county and the school district have approved the funding.

The project is now in the hands of B&E Electronics Inc., based out of Jackson, Tennessee.

Michael Badgett, the company’s vice president, said Hancock County has been using an outdated analog radio system consisting of VHF, which peaks at 300 megahertz.

Badgett said a digital 800 megahertz P25 trunk network will be installed at six sites around the county that will give police, fire and ambulance services the interoperable coverage they need.

“It’s basically the premier government P25 public safety platform,” Badgett said. “… The judge’s main thing was that (Hancock County) had been without (good communication) for a long time. Yes, we probably could have found something cheaper that would have fixed the problem but they really wanted to move Hancock County to what everyone is doing — pull them up to 2022 and give them something they can grow on.”

Badgett said the old system will be totally replaced, and the P25

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system is meant to last into the future.

“These particular style platforms are systems that you really keep for decades,” Badgett said. “You just upgrade them or add to them or repair them. But they’re never going to have to start over again, which is nice.”

The system will be installed on buildings, towers and water tanks that will make up the six sites.

One of those will be at Hancock County High School.

Badgett said ensuring communication within all of its schools and with emergency personnel was a priority for HCPS.

“Obviously, school security is pretty paramount right now,” Badgett said. “…It’s going to make it to where any law enforcement officer, first responder, SRO that may be in the building or anywhere on that campus will have 100% communication.”

Badgett added that it will also aid the school buses that travel in more rural areas of the county.

“They will also have countywide coverage,” he said.

B&E Electronics Inc. will be installing equipment made by Tait Communications, based in Houston.

The target completion date for the project is June 30, 2023.

When the system becomes fully operational, Roberts said it will be a game changer.

“When someone makes a call to 911 and dispatch sends an ambulance out, we want to make sure there’s clear and consistent communications the whole time,” he said. “…I feel good about it because there’s nothing more important than when you call 911.”

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