Morgan County Fire Rescue is officially upgrading its public safety radio system, a move officials say will significantly improve communications for first responders throughout the county.
The Morgan County Board of Commissioners approved the department’s recommendation to purchase a 700/800 MHz Motorola radio system for $5.7 million.
Morgan County Fire Rescue Chief Garret Smith said the county is long overdue for an upgrade, noting that first responders frequently experience signal loss while on calls. He said he recognized the need for improvements soon after joining the department in 2023.
“It was immediately obvious that this radio system is nowhere near what is needed for public safety work,” Smith said. “There are a lot of holes in the county and places out in the more rural parts where we don’t even have radio coverage at all.”
Smith said poor signal strength sometimes leaves first responders with no choice but to communicate face-to-face while working emergency scenes. He credited Morgan County Sheriff Tyler Hooks for supporting the effort to modernize the county’s communications system.
“[Communicating face-to-face] presents challenges when you’re trying to run an incident, trying to run a scene, and really need radio contact,” Smith said. “[Hooks] was not okay with the [old radio system] because his people and my people do find themselves in situations where, if we’re not able to communicate, something bad could happen, and nobody should have to deal with that.”
Once operational, the new radio system will be available to all county agencies, including the Morgan County Board of Education. Smith said the upgraded technology will be especially valuable in enhancing communications and safety at local schools.
He also emphasized the importance of dependable communications for law enforcement officers and firefighters working in dangerous situations.
“Whether it’s the fire service or law enforcement, communication is always a factor in some of those situations, such as line-of-duty deaths,” Smith said. “We need to give our people the best chance to do the job we’re asking them to do. They need the tools to do that job, and reliable communications are one of those tools.”
According to Smith, the $5.7 million investment will also benefit from two T-Mobile cell towers that the Board of Commissioners approved earlier this year. One tower will improve service in the Rutledge area, while the other will serve Buckhead.
“It’s one of those things that we are looking forward to with this particular radio system, and it will help us leverage LTE technology,” Smith said. “Having those two towers in place could really maximize the efficiency of this particular system.”
Overall, Smith said he is excited to move forward with the project, noting that improved portable radio coverage will allow first responders to communicate while remaining on scene rather than returning to their vehicles to use mobile radios.
“Our portable radios allow us to be able to do things on scene while we’re trying to assist and help people,” Smith said. “If you have to go back to the truck and sit there and talk, it’s hard to help people and do the things on scene that need to be done. We train for situations that are unwinnable because that’s often what we see. But with your radio system, you need to be able to depend on it.”