County agrees to proceed on radio upgrades

After several years of discussion, county officials are putting ink to paper for radio upgrades.

Jay County Commissioners agreed to sign a notice to proceed Monday with Motorola for purchasing new radios and shifting to the statewide public safety system, a nearly $7 million project.

The decision is pending Jay County Council’s approval as it relates to financing. Council meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Plans are to install a new radio tower and provide other radio equipment countywide to emergency responders as well as Jay County Highway Department and municipal utilities.

Ritter Strategic Services facilitated a radio study on Jay County’s equipment in 2024. It showed the majority of their coverage is available only if users take their radios outdoors to use them, with significant coverage gaps in the northeast and south areas of the county. Ritter suggested joining the Integrated Public Safety Commission radio system and upgrading the county’s equipment. The company also facilitated the request for proposals process for the project over the last few months.

Commissioners started contract negotiations July 30 with Motorola for the new system, which also includes radios for highway personnel. 

A proposal shared in August with commissioners estimates costs for installing a new tower at Jay County Sheriff’s Office in Portland, approximately 161 portable radios and 178 mobile (in-car) radios, pagers, warranties and long-term maintenance. The estimate at that time came to a total of $6.7 million.

Ritter Strategic Services co-founder Barry Ritter explained a few items have changed on the list, pointing to Portland Police Department’s request for more radios as well as removing an unneeded additional console for the department’s dispatch center.

Ritter said Portland’s share is about $1.4 million, though the county has yet to determine how much it will ask municipalities to contribute.

The portable radios include Long-Term Evolution (LTE), which Motorola says will improve coverage even before a new tower is built.

Commissioners president Chad Aker asked if there are cheaper options without Long-Term Evolution capabilities. 

A Motorola representative said removing LTE wouldn’t significantly reduce costs.

Proposed upgrades should give Jay County emergency responders 95% radio coverage across the county.

Answering another question from Aker, he added that the county may choose at any point to turn off the Long-Term Evolution service, which comes at an additional fee, for some or all departments. It can also be turned back on when desired.

The county’s deadline to lock in costs for the proposal is Sept. 18. Ritter noted prices will go up if no action is taken.

He asked commissioners to take action on the project, tentatively awarding it to Motorola subject to council’s financial approval.

“With a favorable vote from commissioners to move this forward and then council’s action on Wednesday will determine if the county’s able to meet that income deadline for executing this purchase,” said Ritter.

He reminded commissioners the agreement obligates Jay County for 100% of the cost. How it negotiates agreements with other municipalities or entities, he noted, has no bearing on its obligation to Motorola.

A Motorola representative noted a few different paperwork options the county could choose to sign, with county attorney Wes Schemenaur suggesting commissioners and council presidents sign a notice to proceed with Motorola subject to financing approval.

Commissioners then agreed to a motion to that effect.

Also Monday, Aker asked Ritter to share information about what goes into a centralized dispatch center.

Ritter noted the issue is separate from the ongoing radio upgrade discussion, expressing concern that Portland City Council’s recent meeting muddied the two projects together. The priority, he added, is the radio project.

He’s been involved with what he called consolidation among 911 centers since Indiana legislators began mandating it in 2014, having served in a state role overseeing the requirement at that time.

Jay County’s situation is a bit different, he explained. The county has one 911 center, which operates out of Jay County Sheriff’s Office and takes all 911 calls. It dispatches EMS, fire departments and other law enforcement across the county.

Portland Police Department’s dispatch center sends out its officers only.

“Portland can choose to maintain their dispatch center in the letter of the law because it wasn’t a 911 center,” he explained.

Ritter said the operational methodology in Jay County has involved the sheriff’s office transferring a 911 call to Portland police if the call requires law enforcement dispatch in Portland.

“What you’re doing in that instance is, phone calls, communication with 911 centers from any type of device, is full of data, and that data is important on dispatching of services,” he said. “So when the sheriff’s office transfers that call or hands that call off to Portland Police Department, they’re stripping all of that rich data off of that call stream.”

He said it delays emergency response and advocated for consolidation. Ritter noted since conversations on the topic have started, he believes Sheriff Ray Newton has adjusted policy so that 911 dispatchers are no longer transferring those calls to Portland Police Department.

Ritter talked about Newton and Portland Police Chief Dustin Mock having policy discussions to ensure that those calls are handled so Portland police are properly dispatched.

Aker said if there’s a time to look into centralizing 911 dispatch, he believes it’s now while radio upgrades are being implemented. He thanked Ritter for sharing information on the subject.