The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to avoid communication breakdowns, after entering into a contract with a new state-sponsored radio network.
At last week’s County Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to enter into a contract with the Tennessee Advance Communication Network (TACN) to use new and existing radio towers to enhance their statewide network. In return, Warren County will purchase radios from TACN.
County Executive Terry Bell explained the contract to commissioners prior to last Monday’s vote.
“The state is putting in the TACN radio system on the towers at 911 and one at Harrison Ferry, and they’re going to build a tower at Rock Island,” Bell said. “This will fix our 911 problem of not having coverage all over the county. They’re making a statewide network, and to use their radios we have to enter into a contract with them.”
Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Jr. commended commissioners for their decision, stating the TACN system would greatly enhance emergency communications throughout Warren County and the rest of the state, and can be accessed by all emergency agencies.
“Radio communication is the life-line between officers that are responding to emergencies, and specifically incidents involving life threatening situations, violence and weapons,” Matheny said. “Communication between deputies has been difficult in some areas of our county due to the age and damage that has occurred to our current equipment located on our towers. It is imperative that our deputies be able to clearly communicate with each other. In life-threatening incidents, seconds matter.”
According to its website, TACN “is a statewide radio system that provides communication connectivity infrastructure for local, state, and federal first responders. With TACN, first responders, including law enforcement, fire, EMS, and healthcare providers, have reliable communications capabilities for daily operations and the ability to talk to each other to coordinate at the local, regional, and statewide level to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster.”
The contract will last 54 months at a user fee of $200 per radio per year. If State or Federal funds are available to be appropriated, that fee can be waived.
