|
By GALEN HOLLEY
Staff Writer
Grenada County officials are examining what it would take to convert their radio systems to comply with regulations set forth by the Federal Communications Commission.
Monday the Grenada County Board of Supervisors, along with officials from the EOC and Grenada County Schools, heard a presentation by Deputy Administrative and Personnel Officer Eric Williamson. He described what he called the formidable task of figuring out what needs to be done for Grenada to be compliant with the FCC mandate.
According to Williamson, in 2004 the FCC said that all radios had to be reprogrammed to transmit on narrowband frequencies by January of 2013. The reason, Williamson said, is that with so many agencies operating on wide band frequencies, their collective footprint was too big. In other words, they were taking up too much space along the frequency range. Switching to narrow band frequencies shrinks the footprint, Williamson said.
Radios used by sheriff’s deputies, as well as city police, county supervisors and school buses currently operate on wide band frequencies.
Part of the challenge that the supervisors and others are facing, Williamson said, is that switching to narrowband isn’t cheap.
“The FCC gave the mandate without providing funding,” said Williamson, adding that every county in Mississippi is currently going through the same dilemma as Grenada.
For the full story, see the printed edition or subscribe to the online edition of the GrenadaStar.
|
|
|