BY RITA COOK / News Editor
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WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County’s new communications network was recently put to the test during the May 3 tornado incident near Forreston.
The communications system helped facilitate a rapid emergency response leading to a coordinated and efficient effort, allowing for first responders from multiple agencies to communicate directly with one another via a county-wide network rather than waiting for messages to be relayed across different sub-channels and uncoordinated radio towers.
Due to the new network, Ellis County Judge Todd Little’s office stated, “The potential for miscommunication and delay of vital information was greatly diminished, and the task-delegation process for emergency services was streamlined.”
The county recently invested in the new communications tower, a new dispatch system, and improved mobile radios, which therefore enabled various volunteer, municipal, and county-level emergency service organizations to communicate with one another in real-time for a unified response operation.
“Without a doubt, the new public safety communications system enabled our first responders to reach those in danger much more quickly,” stated Little.
“For what it cost, the network is saving our citizens that much more in damage – and lives.”
The new network located near Forreston went live less than two weeks before the tornado, and on the night of May 3 it was put through its first major emergency situation when the F2 tornado crossed over Interstate 35E and damaged vehicles, injured drivers, and destroyed several mobile homes near the highway.
A county-wide alert was issued over the emergency network, and within minutes, every available emergency responder in the county knew his or her role. Damage control, search & rescue, and recovery efforts were carried out with a high degree of efficiency through the next morning.
The network’s new radio tower operates in the 700 MHz spectrum, so its signals can penetrate thick foliage, concrete barriers, and most man-made structures with ease.
“As Ellis County’s population expands into growing suburban communities, the 700 MHz signal will ensure that emergency responders continue to receive clear messages even in areas with dense development,” the press release explained.
The integrated radio system also conforms to the FCC’s Project 25 program, which established digital standards for public safety communications that include the latest encryption and data-transfer protocols.
The entire system is backwards-compatible with existing radio infrastructure, so there is no one point of failure for the county’s emergency communications.
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