FARMINGTON – County commissioners approved contract agreements towards acquiring an existing communications tower that will provide a new home for two emergency service channels and one for the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency.
The agreements, when signed by all parties, will transfer ownership of the tower with an associated radio building and communications equipment over to the county at no cost and subleases the land where the tower currently sits on Mosher Hill in Farmington.
The move to acquire the taller tower is part of an ongoing effort to improve emergency service communications in Franklin County.
Currently, two communications towers sit on land leased from property owners Susan and Thomas Eastler. A shorter, 100-foot tower is owned by the county that supports an antenna for the county fire and law enforcement channels. The second, taller 190-foot tower is currently owned by Tri-County Emergency Medical Services for ambulance service communication use.
Last year a study conducted by Communication Consulting Service Inc. analyzed weaknesses in emergency service communications in Franklin County and recommended improvements to the Mosher Hill tower site. Tri-County EMS then verbally agreed to turn over the tower to Franklin County at no cost with the county taking over the lease payments and maintenance of the tower. The taller tower will provide a new home for two emergency service channels and one for the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency.
Upgrades to the tower can begin once all parties sign the agreement, Stan Wheeler, the county’s communications director said earlier. At their meeting on Monday commissioners signed the tower’s ownership transfer and subleasing agreements. The contracts will now go to Tri-County EMS and the Eastlers for review.
The agreement towards upgrading the communications system has been in the works for more than a year, noted Tim Hardy, director of the county’s EMA.
In October 2015 as part of the ongoing upgrades, commissioners awarded the bid to Hussey Communications for $20,239 to install equipment associated with Radio Over Internet Protocol in the towns of Weld, Strong, Phillips and Wilton to improve radio traffic in those areas that historically have had the most difficulty making connections.
Then in December 2015, commissioners awarded a bid of $88,661.50 to Hussey Communications for upgrades to the second, Mosher Hill tower at the site which is waiting for the transfer of ownership and leasing agreements to be signed before work can get started.
