Dodge County’s first responder radio system failing; poses safety concern

First responders' radio system failing

Dodge County first responders said issues with their radio system are now posing a public safety concern. The sheriff said many times, they cannot hear dispatch or each other. 

JUNEAU, Wis. - Dodge County first responders say issues with their radio system are now posing a public safety concern. The sheriff says many times, they cannot hear dispatch or each other. 

Communication problems

What we know:

In a seven-page letter, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt highlighted years of problems regarding the country's radio system. These include hearing loud noises on the radio when trying to talk to each other and towers going out, which causes a portion of the county to lose connection. 

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Schmidt said, sometimes deputies have to position their radios in the air, just to get a signal. He said it is affecting police, fire, EMS and the public. 

What they're saying:

"They tend to happen at the worst times because we're in the middle of a critical incident, and we can't communicate and that puts public safety in jeopardy," Schmidt said. 

Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt

Schmidt said the system is more than 20 years old, and many of the parts cannot easily be updated or replaced.

"If I need to purchase parts, it's going to eBay to purchase parts many times," Schmidt said. 

Future of communication

What's next:

Sheriff Schmidt said the county is optimizing the current system, but the best plan is to transition to an entirely new one. It will require adding another tower, replacing all the equipment at those towers, and replacing all of the radios. 

Leaders say that process could take two to three years to complete, and cost in the millions of dollars. 

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"Now, we're getting down to the nitty gritty and finding out what it's going to cost us," said Dodge County Board Chair Dave Frohling. 

Frohling said the county has hired a consultant to collect data. That data will go into a request for proposal, which officials hope to present to vendors this summer. The idea is to choose from those vendors, the best system for the best price. Officials are looking to use grants, bonds and sales tax to pay for it.