Communications Upgrades in Lee County, NC, Suggested by Consultants

Jul. 18—The findings of a months-long study of county fire services were presented to the Lee County commissioners at Monday's meeting.

The comprehensive study was done by NC Fire Chief Consulting and looked at different areas of local fire service, any issues that were found and recommendations to help meet the challenges.

The highlights of the 400-page report were presented by retired Chief Gregory Grayson.

The radio communications between fire departments and emergency dispatchers are not working as effectively as they should be, Grayson told the commissioners.

He wasn't the only one who cited communications issues.

During the public comment section, Craig Spivey, assistant chief of the Tramway Fire Department, urged commissioners to heed any recommendations made in the study.

Spivey said he has filed multiple reports of radio issues on fire calls.

"Most deal with our station and mutual assistance calls. They're not being paged out as needed," he said.

If departments aren't dispatched immediately, it could delay the response to the call.

"Please pay attention to any recommendation that will help us get better communication for our department," Spivey said. "We can have the best equipment and up-to-date apparatus, but that's not going to amount to a hill of beans if we're not paged out correctly."

Grayson said several fire chiefs had voiced similar concerns.

"When we were in the (communications) center and listened to what they hear on that end, we couldn't make it out either."

Commissioner Bill Carver asked if converting to the VIPER radio system would help with the problem.

The VIPER system is an upgrade from the current system and can be used when multiple agencies respond to a call. The system allows responders to communicate with out-of-county and state agencies.

"The radio system used in all the counties surrounding Lee County [is] the VIPER system," Grayson said. "It's not perfect. It doesn't have 100% coverage, especially in building coverage. However, I think it is a best-practice technology for today."

"But what you're saying, I guess, is that if we had the VIPER we could help mitigate these communication problems?" Carver asked.

"We would certainly advocate you joining that system if conditions allow," Grayson said.

The study also looked at other issues facing the fire service, including the declining number of volunteer firefighters, retention, tax equity and more.

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