The new Cherokee County Public Safety Communications System is set to go online in early May. The system is being installed by the Cherokee County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments as the result of a regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant they received in the summer of 2014.
The system being installed is a 700/800 Mhz Digital Trunking Radio System built to the standards of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25). The system is expected to bring many benefits to Public Safety Communications in Cherokee County including, but not limited to, more reliable communications, better radio coverage, increased capacity, and interoperability.
Cedar Bluff Fire Chief Shawn Rogers explains further:
The installation of this system, valued at more than $1.2 Million, has truly been a county wide effort to provide its public safety personnel with a good communications system.
McCord’s Fire Chief Rich Lindsey explains:
Initially, twelve of Cherokee County’s fire departments will be utilizing the new system. However, the Cherokee County Commission has approved the purchase of equipment for the Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, Cherokee County EMA, and the Cherokee County Highway Department to become users as well. They will move their communications to the new system as soon as their equipment comes in.
There are other local agencies considering utilizing the system as well. Chief Lindsey states that the Fire Association is looking forward to working with all of Cherokee County’s public safety organizations to solve their communications needs.
Many Cherokee County citizens have asked if their scanners will be compatible with the new system. In most cases, the answer to that question will be no.
However, there are scanners on the market that are capable of monitoring most of the radio traffic on the new system. The scanner must be capable of scanning the 700/800 Mhz spectrum, capable of monitoring digital transmissions, and capable of monitoring trunking systems.
These scanners will be capable of monitoring any traffic that is not encrypted. The primary talkgroups which agencies are dispatched on will not be encrypted; however, there are other talkgroups that will be encrypted for the safety of our users and patient privacy.
Anyone wishing to purchase a scanner should consult with a reputable scanner dealer in order to make sure you purchase the appropriate equipment. Also, many agencies intend to leave their existing systems in place for a while as a backup and will be patching the old and new systems together. In this case, you will still be able to monitor most traffic on your existing scanner without purchasing any new equipment.
