The 911 emergency system was out briefly Thursday morning as responders could not receive transmissions through regular channels in three southern Cayuga County towns.
“It was not a real major incident,” Denise Stayton, Cayuga County 911 administrator said. “A problem occurred in the channel cards of the microwave system. We could receive transmissions from the responders.” Stayton said the incident happened about 1 a.m. June 12. For a period of about 30 to 40 minutes the dispatch couldn't use the Frozen Ocean site, located on Owasco Lake in souther Cayuga County, to transmit to Summer Hill, Locke and Moravia areas.
Instead, the responders were contacted via cell phone from the Public Safety Building in Auburn, Stayton said.
The service has had issues with the 20-year-old 911 system before. Last year there was a problem with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office's base station in Cato which Stayton said they could not transmit to. That was a different problem. The 911 system has called on Finger Lakes Communication Co. Inc. to address problems with its system over the years, and they were also called to work on the channel cards Thursday to adjust the volume.
A Request For Proposal is in the works to replace the entire radio system. The RFP will allow a consultant to be hired and make recommendations to the Cayuga County Legislature. The project would then go to bid.
Stayton said that the estimated cost of replacing the radio system could fall between $250,000 and $500,000. The system covers all of Cayuga County.
Finger Lakes Communications, in business since 1957, serves Seneca, Cayuga, Wayne and Ontario counties as their primary radio maintenance provider for fire, sheriff, EMS and highway departments. It specializes in emergency response service, available 24 hours, seven days a week, with two-hour response service capabilities. Its technical staff averages 15 years experience in maintaining 911 systems.
Instead, the responders were contacted via cell phone from the Public Safety Building in Auburn, Stayton said.
The service has had issues with the 20-year-old 911 system before. Last year there was a problem with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office's base station in Cato which Stayton said they could not transmit to. That was a different problem. The 911 system has called on Finger Lakes Communication Co. Inc. to address problems with its system over the years, and they were also called to work on the channel cards Thursday to adjust the volume.
A Request For Proposal is in the works to replace the entire radio system. The RFP will allow a consultant to be hired and make recommendations to the Cayuga County Legislature. The project would then go to bid.
Stayton said that the estimated cost of replacing the radio system could fall between $250,000 and $500,000. The system covers all of Cayuga County.
Finger Lakes Communications, in business since 1957, serves Seneca, Cayuga, Wayne and Ontario counties as their primary radio maintenance provider for fire, sheriff, EMS and highway departments. It specializes in emergency response service, available 24 hours, seven days a week, with two-hour response service capabilities. Its technical staff averages 15 years experience in maintaining 911 systems.
