Tait P25 Solution for Texas Emergency Wireless Network

The Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG) has implemented a Tait P25 TB9100 network solution to ensure seamless emergency communications across a six-county multi-government region in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

HOTCOG's Emergency Wireless Network (EWN) comprises six TB9100 digital base stations/repeaters and was established in response to concerns over terrorism and weather-related disasters such as tornadoes, flash flooding and heavy wind damage. It was implemented with the help of a grant from the State Homeland Security Programme.

The Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee of HOTCOG, along with its Executive Committee, determined that an EWN would be of great benefit to regional communities in the face of such emergencies.

The contract was awarded to Comtex Communications, a Tait solution provider that has been serving public safety agencies for over 30 years. Comtex's engineering and technical team worked closely with Tait engineers to ensure maximum coverage and quality of service.

Established in 1966, the Heart of Texas Council of Governments is a regional, voluntary association of local governments and elected officials who work together to solve mutual problems and plan for the future of a six-county area in Central Texas.

Serving an area of 9,038 square kilometres and a population of 321,536 people, HOTCOG covers Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan Counties, and 55 HOTCOG governments. The emergency wireless network is used specifically for emergency management control communication within the region that spans all disciplines from public works to public safety.

According to Lt. Jeff Lyon, County Emergency Management Coordinator and 911 Communications Centre Administrator for Hill County, the benefits of this system are invaluable.

"This new system allows us to effectively communicate between counties in the event of any disaster or act of terrorism," says Lyon. "It keeps us from jamming up the other channels with emergency management traffic."

Along with being fully P25 compliant and capable of digital, analogue and mixed mode operation, Tait's TB9100 repeater was chosen for its impressive performance and ability to provide the network scalability required for this unique application.

"We are pleased to see the Tait P25 system successfully in operation here in our home state of Texas," says Bill Fredrickson, President of Tait North America.