- New communications tower will benefit residents
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A new communications tower in Dog Valley would benefit all of the residents of the area.
A group of law enforcement officials met with Juab County Commissioners to present the plan. Present were: Omar Issa, Field Technician, State of Utah, Department of Technology Services; Alden Orme, Juab County Sheriff; Brent Pulver, Lieutenant at Juab County Sheriff's Office; and Brett Ostler, Juab County Fire Marshal.
"We anticipate that the project should be fully funded by grants," said Orme. "The only expense to the county might be a long-term lease payment to the Garrett Family for the property where the tower would be built."
All agencies that utilize the two-way radio system in the county would benefit from the communications tower and the new equipment which would be housed in a building on the site.
A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency (channel).
"I talked to you (commissioners) about the Title III money which is available," said Ostler. "If we don't use that money we will lose it."
That would mean that $90,000 could be placed toward the installation of the system which would serve all agencies and would add spots to the system that are now "dead."
As for the Garrett Family lease, said Val Jones, commissioner, the county has a lease for a nearby piece of property where the television tower is located. That lease agreement could just be amended to include the new location and it would not take as much time to implement. That could be done as long as the family agreed to the addition.
A preliminary and unofficial contact with the Garretts had been favorable to allowing the new communications tower to be built near the television tower.
"You cannot afford to be without the system," said Issa.
One other item which would be needed at the site, and which would be installed in a small building to be built there, was a power generator that would make the system operable even if there was a power outage.
The building proposed is small, said Issa. It would be approximately 12-feet by 24-feet by 9-feet and would have two compartments. One of those would be home to the generator.
"The building would cost approximately $45,000 and would be ready to move into," said Issa.
The tower would need a concrete base and would be 100-feet tall. The estimated cost would be approximately $20,000.
However, said Orme, it is anticipated that space on the tower would be leased to others who would want to be partners in the system.
For example, Utah Communications Agency Network (UCAN), has demonstrated an interest and would bring their own equipment.
"That would make the county money," Orme said. "There would be plenty of room for county needs and for leased space."
It may be wise to build a road from the east to service the two towers—the communications tower and the television tower, said Chad Winn, commission chairman. That would eliminate some of the problems on the west.
The tower would not interfere with air space and, if it did, the county would simply need to install a warning light to let aircraft know that it was there.
Pulver said that applications had been made and that Bob Garrett, road supervisor, had talked about adding a repeater.
There are dead air spaces in the current system, said Pulver. The new communications tower would make it so that Salt Creek Canyon would be covered. There are many accidents there and, currently, communications is difficult.
"The new communications system would allow fire departments, EMTs, law enforcement and the county road department to have improved communications," said Orme.
"It will become the primary communication site for the county," said Pulver.
Orme said that Fred Smally, from his department, and Ostler, had been working on ways to fund the new system without cost to the county.
"Basically, we are getting the system for free," said Orme.
By the time all costs are added together, he said, the entire system with construction and installation could be in the neighborhood of $100,000.
Pulver said that there would be a separate tactical frequency for law enforcement.
In addition, he said, the BLM and Forest Service would also likely be interested in being included.
When the wildland fire had occurred on Mount Nebo several years ago, the Forest Service had indicated they needed improved communications, said Ostler.
"The Forest Service has already indicated an interest in being part of the new communications tower," said Ostler.
The system would be part of the Homeland Security communications system, said Orme. Therefore, funds from that source could also be used to pay for the communications system.
"The Utah Highway Patrol would also like to be included on the communications tower," said Orme. "They would do the annual maintenance so the county would not have that cost."
Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security to develop the first National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). The purpose of the NECP is to promote the ability of emergency response providers and relevant government officials to continue to communicate in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters and to ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable emergency communications nationwide.
Ostler was assigned to get the coordinates for the tower by GPS and get them to Craig Sperry, county recorder.
It will be necessary, as well, for the Garrett Family to agree to a lease before the project can be pursued.
"The grants are time-sensitive," said Orme.
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