Boone County Join Communication to integrate new radio system
Olivia Hayes
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County Joint Communications will begin integrating a new radio system across all of its agencies with the goal of improving cross communication when responding.
“So all public safety, for our partners, will be available to be a part of the system,” BCJC Director Christie Davis said. “So that includes the Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire, Boone County Fire, Southern Boone County fire, Ashland police department, Centralia police department, Hallsville, MU will also be coming over to our system.”
CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer said his department is the second busiest user of the communications system. He shared his support for the new system and explained how it will help modernize the response of Boone County agencies.
“We’re actually taking what is, really a 1940s radio system that we have currently and bringing it into the 2000s and 2025,” Schaeffer said.
Davis said the new 800MHz P25 trunk system was first recommended around 10 years ago. BCJC agencies currently use a VHF legacy radio system.
“We had a consultant who worked a lot on getting a lot of the backhaul in place for our system,” Davis said. “Which has really helped us get to the point where we are today to get the integration for the actual core of the system in place within the next year or so.”
The new system will be funded by revenue from the Boone County 911 Emergency Service Sales Tax approved in 2013.
“The current system that we just assigned a contract for was for approximately $7 million and then there will be some additional cost after that for the radios for the public safety responders,” Davis said.
She described how first responders will see a difference.
“Especially sometimes in the larger buildings, because with the VHF system currently you had some problems not being able to communicate even inside of the building to the individuals that are directly out on the street,” Davis said.
Schaeffer said the difference comes from the different radio wavelengths. The current VHF system uses a long wavelength, whereas the new system has a much shorter wavelength carrying messages along the channel.
“When that long waveform tries to make its way through concrete or steel, if it doesn’t make its way 100%, then it doesn’t go through. The shorter wavelengths do go through very, very easily,” Schaeffer said.
Schaffer detailed some of the obstacles the current system caused for the department.
“So concrete, metal, ordinary construction we couldn’t use our radios in those situations and couldn’t use the radios any time we were sub terrain. So the first layer of a basement or the second layer of a basement,” Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer said communication issues posed a safety threat to firefighters. So last October, the department moved its communication to the state system for buildings with infrastructure that would block their signal.
“We will be able to leave our network and be able to go into the state’s network and operate without changing the physical radio, which is a cost savings for the taxpayer because we’re not having to buy multiple radios. One multi-band radio can remain on both networks and operate independently on the same radio,” Schaeffer said.
According to Davis, the full integration across all agencies won’t be immediate.
“They will have to procure all of the equipment and get it staged and get it prepared to get installed into our tower sites,” Davis said. “What we’ll have initially is an overlay for the 800 system as well as the VHF. So that will allow our partners a little more time to get transition completely over to the 800 system.”
However, during the transition Boone County first responders will begin to see immediate impacts to their communication capabilities.
“Whether they’re on the 800 or VHF, they’ll still be able to communicate with each other until everybody’s completely transitioned,” Davis said. “Especially if they are already on the 800 system, because they will have more direct, clear communication, especially when they’re inside of those buildings.”
Davis said full integration will completed by January of 2027, but that joint communication has a goal to finish it by mid 2026. Davis added the new system will help prepare Boone County for the next 15-20 years.