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Eventually, all emergency services will be mandated to use the 800 megahertz radio frequency.
Tuesday, the Kosciusko County commissioners unanimously approved a grant application to the Department of Justice for $500,000. The money would help pay for equipment to allow emergency services to better communicate with one another.
Ed Rock, Kosciusko County Emergency Management director, told the commissioners the state is moving towards a statewide 800 megahertz system that will be initiated in three phases. The northern third of the state will begin using the frequency first, followed by the central and southern thirds.
The half-million dollars, he said, will help "jump start" the county's 800 megahertz system.
Part of the problem during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rock said, was the inability of the various emergency services to talk to one another. Some deaths even were attributed to the communication problem.
The 800 megahertz radio frequency is designed to get all emergency services on the same format so they can talk to each other not only within the county but also across jurisdictions.
The grant is 100 percent funded with no matching funds required "so we can get started," Rock said.
The $500,000 won't pay for it all, he said, so if Kosciusko County gets the grant, Rock said they will use the money to update the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, central dispatch and emergency management with the 800 megahertz system. Eventually, he said they hope to get more money to add all county EMS and fire departments, along with the health departments as well as Kosciusko Community Hospital.
Rock did not provide an estimate of the entire cost of the upgrade.
Aaron Rovenstine, Kosciusko County Sheriff, said even with the 800 megahertz system, the county will continue to have the same communication system as they do now.
"Everything we have in place now will stay on," he said. The county just is going to be a "guinea pig" for the state. The 800 megahertz radio system will not have an effect on the other communication systems, he said.
Rock said right now, emergency services sometimes are blasted out by private businesses. The state is trying to get that problem reduced.
Rovenstine said the biggest benefit for the county will be the ability to communicate with other agencies outside of the county.
After the meeting, Rock said the system will allow the county to do mobile data. "That's really what we want in this county," he said.
With mobile data, emergency services can receive mapping information in their vehicles, as well as send messages to one another without the information being broadcast over the radio.
Kosciusko County will end up with two radio towers which will be augmented by towers in other counties.
"It's new technology," said Rock. "It's been around for awhile, but it's gotten better."
The fact that they are building a statewide system is huge, he said.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved the reappointment of Doris Herald to the Kosciusko County Drainage Board.
• Approved the repealing of a stop sign at the railroad crossing at CR 900W, north of CR 500S. The crossing now has lights and gates up.
• Approved for temporary "under construction" signs to be placed on Burket Road until the highway department can put center line markings on the road.
• Tabled a vacation request until Dec. 16 for Gregory P. and Sheila K. Anderson, David S. Kintzel and Elizabeth A. Smith of EMS C 24B Lane, Plain Township.
Kosciusko County commissioners are Brad Jackson, northern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Avis Gunter, southern district. The county commissioners meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday.
