Nessel tower moving forward

The county is gradually coming to the end of a process that has been building a comprehensive emergency radio network. The tasks began in 2009 when the County Board approved participating in the ARMER program, a statewide two-way radio matrix. The statewide system, and Chisago County, went live in July 2012. The latest phase of projects here includes enhancing transmission and reception in the northwest part Chisago County.

The county commissioners unanimously supported moving forward on this at their last meeting. When earlier studies were done reception and transmission difficulties were identified in this corner of the county; but the potential for serious problems due to signal strength was less than more heavily populated areas of the county, that were generating a greater number of emergency service calls. The Nessel project became “Phase Two.” In the meantime, the Township Board has worked with the county to secure space to locate equipment next to the township hall. At their last meeting the county commissioners agreed to go ahead on purchase and installation of the planned-for Nessel equipment, for about $470,000.

Waiting also allows the county to cooperate with a state “in kind grant” that provides state technicians to help install and “optimize” the network at a savings to Chisago County of $140,000, the county board was told. The commissioners also approved new small storage buildings for ground equipment at Taylors Falls and Wyoming tower sites. These are an estimated $82,000. The build-out over the last few years entailed erecting new towers in Center City, and in Almelund, placing new transmitters on water towers and providing new radio equipment for fire and law enforcement.

MN allied emergency radio response matrix nearly done as a total project

In its Fall 2013 status report on the ARMER buildout; the Office of Statewide Communications (Dept of Public Safety) reported that 95 percent of the backbone for ARMER is complete. There are 324 tower sites (see our area map) and 309 of these are considered to be “on the air” in some level of service. From the total 10 are “in progress” and close to going live and 12 sites are still being acquired. There are 16 sites where connectivity isn’t totally completed and microwave and RF deployment are nearing completion.