Rock Rapids, Iowa — Normally, when a public safety entity considers switching radio systems, there is a big cost involved, and the question is “Where is the money for all of this going to come from?” But in this case, that doesn’t appear to be a problem.
Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep says his office is getting ready to become the first one in our part of northwest Iowa to switch to a new system. While the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System or “ISICS” System, which was completed in 2020, does not require departments to switch, Vander Stoep says it was time to replace some equipment anyway.
By that, Vander Stoep means that the other departments that their emergency center dispatches, such as fire departments and EMS, will not be required to switch. The other radio systems will still work through the new dispatch console at the emergency center.
Vander Stoep says one of the reasons they’re not switching all departments is the cost.
He says in addition to not being able to get updates for the old dispatch console, the radios in the patrol cars are also 15 to 18 years old. He says when they upgrade those, they will now include a vehicular repeater so their handhelds will have the same coverage as their mobile radios.
The main benefit of the new system is interoperability with other agencies and departments. Also, encryption will be an option, but Vander Stoep says they don’t plan to use that very much. He says for sensitive information they almost always use their cell phones. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office should see increased coverage as well, as the main ISICS tower for the area is on the Iowa PBS tower south of Rock Rapids, which is much higher than their current antenna.
The good news is, the taxpayers won’t be seeing a tax hike for the expenditure, says Vander Stoep. He says, coincidentally, they needed the upgrades at the same time that there was funding available.
Vander Stoep says the dispatchers are already using the new console, but the new radios are not in their patrol cars yet, due to a delay in getting the vehicular repeater part of those packages. He says he hopes to be switched over to the new system by the end of May 2023.
More info on ISICS system:
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/new-statewide-public-safety-radio-system-almost-ready/
