Microwave Links, Backup Approved for County OES Emergency Communication

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published April 27, 2017 4:24 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — In an effort to improve emergency communications, Clarion County Commissioners this week approved the installation of two licensed microwave links between Clarion OES (Office of Emergency Services) and Trinity Towers, and a backup of a backup, along with improving the link between Knox and Trinity.

OES is housed in the old jail in Clarion behind the Clarion County Courthouse and transmits its signals to Trinity Tower in Monroe Township near I-80, Exit 62 — the highest point in Clarion County.

OES Director Ron Wolbert explained the microwave links to the commissioners and what a licensed connection will mean — something that the county has never had.

‘With this type of microwave, one side of it sits on the roof of OES, and it’s what sends our radio signals to the Trinity Tower down by the state police barracks,” said Wolbert. 

“It’s vital for communications, and previously, that was not licensed. What it means not having it licensed is that if somebody between here and there puts a microwave transmitter on top of their building and is interfering with our signal and radio transmissions, we have no leg to stand on with the FCC.  By having that license, we’re guaranteed that sole communication link. A lot of the equipment has reached its life expectancy, and hopefully this is going to enhance communication and allow us more options down the road.”

The first new contract with Mobilcom proves and installs a licensed microwave link as described above at a cost of $20,144.00 with a monthly maintenance fee of $170.00. The second new contract approved with Mobilcom provides a licensed microwave link between the Trinity and Knox sites.

The new connection will allow the county to eliminate its T1 connections in this area and improve communications from Knox.

“Currently in Knox, we use the T1 lines that are basically, for the lack of a better term, old copper phone lines for radio communications,” said Wolbert.  “Windstream has expressed that they’re not going to replace those lines because of the advent of fiber links, microwaves, and different technologies. With those older lines that are getting worn and causing emergency communication issues, by putting in the microwave, we eliminate those. It will not only enhance the communication lines on the western side of the county, but it’s also going to eliminate that monthly fee that we pay for the T1’s in that area.”

Asked by Commissioner Ted Tharan what those costs are, Wolbert estimated between $600.00 and $900.00 per month.  “We like that,” said Tharan.

Tharan described the third item approved as a backup of the backup for emergency communication.  The Mobilcom contract for $6,195.00 covers the installation of a new UHF OTA back-up system.

“This is going to be the backup if that primary dish on top of the roof at OES fails,” explained Wolbert. “We had a situation approximately a month ago where the equipment downstairs had been hit by lightning, and we lost that microwave link between OES and Trinity Towers.  We had a backup system that had been in place, and we attempted to use that backup system we found out that it was also not working.” 

“They’re going to take UHF radios downstairs in the server room, and they’re going to be connected to a completely separate system from that microwave system, so there’s actually an arena on the roof and will communicate basically like CB radio from arena to antenna to allow communications with Trinity Tower, and we can still have radio communications.”

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