Communications Committee Hears From Supervisors Radio Consultant

The debate over a new radio system for first responders is now waiting on a review of the RFP. (file photo)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The communications committee that includes first responders from around the county met this week to hear from Ray Freeman.

The committee has been responsible for making recommendations to the Emergency Management Commission in regards to a new radio system.

Freeman is the consultant the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors hired to review a request for proposal (RFP) that the EMA Commission has prepared with Elert and Associates, and was initially paid for by the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors.

The county supervisors paid an additional $7,000 to bring in Freeman to review the RFP.

“We recognize that this is a, we’ll call it an unusual situation,” said Freeman as he began his presentation. “In fact, we’re kind of surprised we’re here too.”

Freeman said he’s not there to delay the release of the Request for Proposal or RFP for a new radio system.

There has been friction between the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors and the Emergency Management Commission in getting the specifications out to vendors in order to even find a cost on a new system.

Mahaska County Supervisor Mark Groenendyk is part of the EMA commission where he is vice-chair. According to emails obtained by Oskaloosa News, Groenendyk has been communicating privately with Freeman since July of 2017, sending confidential information, delivered to the commission by Elert and Associates, to Freeman.

In one email, dated July of 2017, Freeman states, “Mark, as a follow up to our phone calls regarding the Elert report to Mahaska County, I have read through the report, and am providing the following commentary:…”

Freeman then outlines several critical items in the Elert report.

No cost has been given yet for the new radio system, as the RFP waits to be sent out to vendors.

Mahaska County Emergency Management Director Jamey Robinson talked through the nearly three-year process that has taken place to this point. Robinson explained to Freeman, “We’re trying to keep it fair to all the different systems out there. I’ve said in several meetings, ‘I don’t care if it’s the state system. I don’t care if it’s the SARA system. What I care about is the Mahaska system.'”

Mahaska County Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem said that his office would like “90% coverage from the hip out in the county.”

“From the hip” means that either himself or a deputy could use their portable radio, without the use of a repeater, to reach the dispatch center.

Van Renterghem said there was a dissenting vote, to provide 90% coverage from the hip, from the Mahaska County Supervisor that sits on the Commission. “I don’t know without talking to that member, he’s not present today, why he changed his mind. Going back several months.”

Van Renterghem said he himself was the one that made the recommendation to go to 90% coverage. That was agreed upon “up until the last meeting we held, at which time one of the other members voted against it. That was the same member who, after the meeting eight months ago, came up and thanked me for the 90%. He thought I was going to move that we put it at 95 or 97%. The short answer from the Sheriff’s Office is, I want what’s in the RFP.”

Ninety-five percent coverage is the industry standard and recommended by the federal government. The communications committee had gone with 90% coverage in order to gain the support of the board of supervisors. The member of the board of supervisors came back with an 80% coverage proposal in earlier meetings.

During the meeting, the committee talked about interoperability of the system. Robinson said he’s not concerned, at this point, about if the state system or the SARA system is used, he is most concerned about building the radio system for Mahaska County, and then deciding what statewide system, if any, to go with.

The interoperability, not only with state-wide systems but also the ability to talk with neighboring counties, is important for the committee.

The different redundancy for the system was discussed. Items such as using microwave and/or fiber usage, consoles for dispatching, and tower sites.

Freeman told the communications committee that they hope to have their report to the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors within the next couple of weeks.