New Luzerne County 911 emergency radio system advancing

Luzerne County’s new 911 emergency communications system should be operational or near ready this time next year, according to the agency’s Executive Director Fred Rosencrans.

“It’s going to be night and day compared to our current system,” he said. “I think it’s a major step forward for our communication system and first responders.”

The new $25 million system promises to improve emergency radio communication throughout the 906-square-mile county by boosting coverage that is spotty or nonexistent in some areas, ending radio interference and opening up more channels.

It includes added communication towers, updated microwaves and the replacement of a 20-year-old analog radio system with a new digital one for emergency responders to exchange messages. Motorola Solutions Inc. was awarded the radio system contract.

Although significant planning was completed during the coronavirus pandemic, the lockdown delayed some sitework by about three months, Rosencrans said. Instead of the late first quarter or early second quarter of 2021, the project should be finished the end of the second quarter or early third quarter next year, he said.

Rosencrans said he and his staff have been working with project managers throughout the pandemic on permits, tower work and analysis to so “many different moving pieces come together” a year from now.

“We are working our butts off to get this implemented. The amount of work being done is unprecedented,” he said. “I’m really fortunate to have the staff I do to work through a lot of this.”

Towers

The county currently has 14 tower sites, including a newer one improving Hazleton area coverage constructed on land provided by the Hazleton City Authority along the Arthur Gardner Highway.

These towers hold equipment that allow radio communication in the county’s largely forested and mountainous terrain, Rosencrans said.

Three more towers will be added to the county system as part of the new project, Rosencrans said.

Some details about these three:

• A tower will be constructed off Harris Pond Road in Ross Township on land the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has agreed to lease to the county at no cost for 25 years, followed by another automatic 25-year renewal, records show. This tower would increase emergency radio coverage in the Back Mountain, Rosencrans said.

• The county is working on leasing an existing tower in Evans Falls, Wyoming County, to help with coverage in Dallas Township and the Kunkle area.

• The Pennsylvania Game Commission has agreed to give the county a tower it is vacating in the Suscon section of Pittston Township.

“All three are filling in gaps, so eventually it will be a 17-site system,” Rosencrans said.

As part of the project, the county also is replacing its entire microwave system — the devices resembling satellite dishes that connect the 911 center to all remote tower sites, eliminating the need for phone lines.

The current microwave system is more than 15 years old and unlicensed, he said.

“While it served its purpose, it’s definitely time to upgrade,” Rosencrans said.

Radio equipment

When the new system is live, police, fire and emergency medical responders will be using new mobile radios in their vehicles and portable radios that they carry.

With the recent completion of an inventory, the county will be ordering the equipment within months, Rosencrans said.

The county is spending more than $8 million on the mobile and portable equipment for these responders instead of expecting municipalities or the response units to come up with their own funding, he said. Municipalities could seek grants, donations or other funding if they want to purchase additional equipment beyond what is supplied through the county formula, county officials said.

Public school districts also will receive mobile radios with a panic button as part of the county upgrade, he said.

“If they push this button, it automatically sends us a message that there’s an emergency at that facility,” Rosencrans said. “In a lot of the active shooter scenarios, one of the most talked about needs is direct communication with emergency responders and 911.”