Ellis County gets new radio system

WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County is getting a new radio system, and it is expected to be in place by later this year or early 2021.

It is a safety precaution that current Ellis County Sheriff Chuck Edge feels “is a public and first responder safety issue.”

While Edge is up for re-election, he said he feels strongly this new radio system will be imple-mented – whether he is in office or not.

“The completion and transition will take place in the new term, and we will make the transition as smooth as possible regardless of the outcome of the election,” he added.

Costing about $8-million for the upgrade including warranties and all the extras, Edge said “The current system is a VHF system. As parts of that system failed, they were replaced with parts that will be used by the new system, so we didn’t have to replace those again.”

The pros for upgrading the system are many. For example, better coverage overall, better redundancy should a problem arise, a maintenance contract, being able to communicate with neighboring agencies – and that is just to name a few.

Of course, with every new system there are a few kinks as well.

In this case, Edge said while these issues are not technical or operational – since the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office dispatches for so many other agencies – it will force these other agencies to eventually upgrade their mobile and handheld radios.

At the moment, the new radio system will impact not only Waxahachie but also Midlothian, Red Oak and Ovilla – all using the new system.

“This will give us the ability to communicate with them,” Edge added.

Edge said his department has been working on the radio system for over two years.

“We identified the system we felt was the best fit for Ellis County, and the commissioners’ court approved it in late summer of 2019,” Edge concluded.

“We are excited about the new radio system and appreciate the commissioners’ court approving this much needed system.”