County committed to improving emergency communications in rural areas

​(Source:rrobserver.com)

Masterson told the Sandoval County Commission at a meeting at the County Administration Building on Thursday that the County Emergency Management Office, which is part of the fire department, plans to use state funds to establish the program and find additional sources of funding to further expand the program. plan
. "Jemez Springs is located in the middle of the canyon, so it is challenging to input radio signals into it. We are looking for more tower sites, and we are looking for additional Wi-Fi router type features to ensure that Jemez Springs is also covered," he said at the meeting Tell the observers later. "If we can find a few tower sites that can transmit signals to the canyon, that would be our best choice. If there is no website available, there are other technical options, such as using a mobile phone operator."
He said the department is working to broadcast these communication signals in a clearer and less static way. Masterson also told the board that his department is working to resolve what he called the "dead spots" in areas such as Jemez Springs.

He told the board that the Navajo Nation suggested that its tower could be used.

Masterson told The Observer that his department needs to establish such a partnership in the region, adding that it should explore other possible infrastructure and make use of it.
He told the board that his department had invested US$4 million in the project over the long term. He said the plan will comply with state and Federal Communications Commission guidelines, and the state government will contact the department if problems arise. Once his department has written all the programs for the new system, it's like pressing a switch to talk on the national radio system.
Masterson told the board, however, if it suddenly doesn't work, you can switch back to the current system to talk to dispatchers and solve the problem.
Masterson also told the board that the monthly maintenance cost for each radio is $20.
County Commissioner Jay Bullock asked about the test data. Masterson replied that he is working with Motorola to study how other states implement their systems.
In terms of various logistical tasks, including dealing with severe weather, committee chairman David Hale asked Masterson to resolve these issues at the next committee meeting.