News

Mo. Ambulance District, County Hash Out Radio Issues

Sue Sterling

11/08/2011

Nov. 07--WARRENSBURG -- Johnson County commissioners agreed to a proposal to allow the Johnson County Ambulance District to place a repeater on the communications tower at the new county jail.

District Chief Shane Lockard said the district planned originally to move the repeater from the tower north of Wal-Mart to the new tower as a "buy-in," but found the old repeater would not work at that location.

The repeater is six years old, he said, and lines affect reception.

"We're losing signals like crazy," Lockard said. "We're finding more and more dead spots and signal loss."

The district is paying $30,000 to replace the repeater system, he said, adding only $18,000 is budgeted for the equipment.

He said, in prior discussions, Sheriff Chuck Heiss had quoted a cost of $8,000 to $10,000 for the district to use the tower.

The county and Fire District 2 split the cost of the tower. Lockard said the Emergency Management Agency and district would buy in at a set fee, which will require an agreement with the county.

"We've got everything lined out except the agreement to get space on the tower," he told commissioners Thursday.

He said, if paying only a set fee, the district would not contribute to utility and tower maintenance costs.

The district is "open to rental," Lockard said.

"I just want to make sure it is long-term," he said.

Lockard suggested a $10,000 fee would allow the district to use the tower "forever," with an annual fee of $500 per year to help with maintenance.

Eastern Commissioner Scott Sader said, "I think we would humor that."

Lockard said they would maintain the old repeater at the current location as backup and would install "voting" repeaters" at other locations if they still have dead spots.