Commissioners OK County Accepting Homeland Security Grant
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Emergency Management Director Ed Rock requested the commissioners accept the $680,000 grant, and explained it is a continuation and second round of a district-wide grant.
Besides Kosciusko County, the grant will allow six other counties including St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshal, Fulton, Stark and Pulaski to upgrade 911 centers.[[In-content Ad]]Rock said Kosciusko County will act as the fiscal unit for the grant, and said the county applied for the grant the end of last year.
It will be used to allow emergency personnel to more effectively communicate with one another by using radios with 800 megahertz capabilities.
The capabilities will be an upgrade and allow signals to be transmitted back to dispatch centers, Rock said.
"The intent of the program was for communication to be across the state of Indiana and what we are doing is helping build that backbone so we have that communication capability," Rock said.
Rock said the system will not replace the current structure, but enhance the system that is currently in place.
"This will allow our radio signals to travel beyond county lines and allow us to upgrade our system," Rock said.
Kosciusko County Sheriff William "Rocky" Goshert asked if the 800 megahertz will have the capability to get back to the dispatch center in Kosciusko County.
Rock said the 800 megahertz system the way it is currently designed is for outside structures, but it will be able to reach inside structures.
"The state's intent was to have the ability to talk literally from one end of the state to the other and there needs to be accessibility," Rock said.
"Upgrading to 800 megahertz is an increase in technology and capabilities."
Goshert asked if the county will be required to rent towers for the 800 megahertz requiring the county to pay additional money.
"As far as the state of Indiana is concerned there has never been discussion that I am aware of that you will have to rent a tower to tie on to the system, but I am not saying that there is not the requirement," Rock said.
"We have been told there are no current thoughts of that down the line."
Commissioner Bob Conley said he supported accepting the grant, but said he felt the council needed to be discretionary.
Conley said he had concerns with some emergency radios not working in buildings currently as well as other parts of the county.
"It's a continuation of what we are doing and I don't think we have a choice, but my point is as we are going down this road that we have a clear cut understanding of what we are getting into," Conley said.
Also during the meeting, Commission President Ron Truex provided an update on the proposed county-wide sewer system.
He presented a request that the commission approved for the county to submit an application to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District board to expand its boundaries to include all areas of the county that are not already in the existing sewer districts or state-owned property.
Truex said if the commissioners accept the plan, the LRSD board would be reassigned to a committee for the Barbee area.
Committees would then be formed for other areas needing a sewer system.
The governing body would consist of elected officials and representatives from the county's health department, Area Plan Commission and Kosciusko Development Inc.
David Rosenberry, Kosciusko Communication Center personnel director, informed the council that National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is April 11-17. Governor Mitch Daniels declared the week to honor the men and women who respond to emergency calls.
Rosenberry also informed the commissioners that the county is upgrading its phone system and residents may experience phone disruption for a 15 second interval Thursday night.
Truex asked if 9-1-1 emergency service phone calls will be interrupted.
Rosenberry said calls to Kosciusko County's dispatch center should not be interrupted, but if residents call during the 15-second interval, 9-1-1 calls will be directed to Elkhart, Allen and Whitley County's dispatch centers.
Commissioners also:
n Approved requests from County Administrator Ron Robinson to appoint Carl Hill to serve on the Kosciusko County Convention Visitors Bureau board representing Holiday Inn Express, Mark Dobson and Max Courtney to serve on the Michiana Area Council On Government board; and Dr. Patrick Silveus to serve on the Kosciusko County Board of Health replacing Michael Williams.
n Approved a request from Syracuse Public Library to apply for a $53,000 energy conservation grant for improvements to the library's heating, air conditioning and ventilation system.
Emergency Management Director Ed Rock requested the commissioners accept the $680,000 grant, and explained it is a continuation and second round of a district-wide grant.
Besides Kosciusko County, the grant will allow six other counties including St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshal, Fulton, Stark and Pulaski to upgrade 911 centers.[[In-content Ad]]Rock said Kosciusko County will act as the fiscal unit for the grant, and said the county applied for the grant the end of last year.
It will be used to allow emergency personnel to more effectively communicate with one another by using radios with 800 megahertz capabilities.
The capabilities will be an upgrade and allow signals to be transmitted back to dispatch centers, Rock said.
"The intent of the program was for communication to be across the state of Indiana and what we are doing is helping build that backbone so we have that communication capability," Rock said.
Rock said the system will not replace the current structure, but enhance the system that is currently in place.
"This will allow our radio signals to travel beyond county lines and allow us to upgrade our system," Rock said.
Kosciusko County Sheriff William "Rocky" Goshert asked if the 800 megahertz will have the capability to get back to the dispatch center in Kosciusko County.
Rock said the 800 megahertz system the way it is currently designed is for outside structures, but it will be able to reach inside structures.
"The state's intent was to have the ability to talk literally from one end of the state to the other and there needs to be accessibility," Rock said.
"Upgrading to 800 megahertz is an increase in technology and capabilities."
Goshert asked if the county will be required to rent towers for the 800 megahertz requiring the county to pay additional money.
"As far as the state of Indiana is concerned there has never been discussion that I am aware of that you will have to rent a tower to tie on to the system, but I am not saying that there is not the requirement," Rock said.
"We have been told there are no current thoughts of that down the line."
Commissioner Bob Conley said he supported accepting the grant, but said he felt the council needed to be discretionary.
Conley said he had concerns with some emergency radios not working in buildings currently as well as other parts of the county.
"It's a continuation of what we are doing and I don't think we have a choice, but my point is as we are going down this road that we have a clear cut understanding of what we are getting into," Conley said.
Also during the meeting, Commission President Ron Truex provided an update on the proposed county-wide sewer system.
He presented a request that the commission approved for the county to submit an application to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District board to expand its boundaries to include all areas of the county that are not already in the existing sewer districts or state-owned property.
Truex said if the commissioners accept the plan, the LRSD board would be reassigned to a committee for the Barbee area.
Committees would then be formed for other areas needing a sewer system.
The governing body would consist of elected officials and representatives from the county's health department, Area Plan Commission and Kosciusko Development Inc.
David Rosenberry, Kosciusko Communication Center personnel director, informed the council that National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is April 11-17. Governor Mitch Daniels declared the week to honor the men and women who respond to emergency calls.
Rosenberry also informed the commissioners that the county is upgrading its phone system and residents may experience phone disruption for a 15 second interval Thursday night.
Truex asked if 9-1-1 emergency service phone calls will be interrupted.
Rosenberry said calls to Kosciusko County's dispatch center should not be interrupted, but if residents call during the 15-second interval, 9-1-1 calls will be directed to Elkhart, Allen and Whitley County's dispatch centers.
Commissioners also:
n Approved requests from County Administrator Ron Robinson to appoint Carl Hill to serve on the Kosciusko County Convention Visitors Bureau board representing Holiday Inn Express, Mark Dobson and Max Courtney to serve on the Michiana Area Council On Government board; and Dr. Patrick Silveus to serve on the Kosciusko County Board of Health replacing Michael Williams.
n Approved a request from Syracuse Public Library to apply for a $53,000 energy conservation grant for improvements to the library's heating, air conditioning and ventilation system.
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