Emergency Preparedness
Regional Radio Communications System
Erecting the emergency communication system tower in Shelburne.
Project Overview
In December 2006, the Tri-State Fire Mutual Aid came online with a new emergency communications system renamed Franklin County Emergency Communications System (FCECS). The new system is an upgrade from the previous fire and emergency services low-band 3-channel VHF system to a 14-channel full duplex UHF system to serve all Franklin County Fire, Police and Emergency Medical Services. All physical infrastructure upgrades were funded through the Western Regional Homeland Security Advisory Council. The current system is owned by the FRCOG. Users are assessed an annual user’s fee to fund system maintenance and operations. An Oversight Committee, comprised of county representatives from Fire, Police, EMS, Dispatch, FRCOG and Tri-State Mutual Aid oversee the maintenance, continued system build-out and operations of the system. FRCOG staff provides administrative and fiscal support to the Committee.
The FCECS was constructed with the capability to connect to and be compatible with the Western Mass Law Enforcement Council emergency radio communication system. This interoperable capability assures the system will serve the need of the region for a long time and is critical technology for cross-discipline communication in the event of mutual aid needs across regional systems.
Current Activities
Route 202 Project
The Committee has identified an area along the Rt. 202 corridor where communication capabilities are significantly compromised due to terrain. The affected towns include Leverett, Shutesbury, New Salem, Warwick and Orange. The Committee has secured Homeland Security funds to support the addition of a regional/simulcast site and the strategic placement of a remote receiver to enhance communication signal in the area.
Radio Alarm System
The Committee has nearly completed implementation of a remote radio site alarm reporting system within the infrastructure of the FCECS. The alarm reporting system will provide detailed information to FCECS dispatch regarding various types of system failure at any remote site location. This project has also been funded by a grant from the Western Regional Homeland Security Advisory Council.
Future Plans
Next steps for the system include continued operational review to determine areas of low or no coverage and to plan system build-out to address coverage needs for those areas.
Contact: Tracy Rogers
This page was last updated on 2/16/11 .