The Lines of Communication Are Open
October 7, 2020
Sheila Harris
It’s official. At 8 a.m. on October 1, personnel from the Barry County E911 center in Cassville began dispatching ambulances for the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District (BLCAD), according to Barry County Emergency Services director, Mike Phillips. The transition from the utilization of Monett’s Lawrence County dispatchers to those in Cassville has been over a year in the works.
“The main holdup was due to problems between the Monett and Cassville communication systems,” Phillips said.
The communication problems, according to Phillips, were not one-sided.
According to BLCAD board member, David Compton, the project was initiated when the City of Monett raised rates for their dispatching services in 2019. When the board approached Phillips about the possibility of Barry County providing dispatching services for BLCAD, Phillips and the Barry County E911 board were amenable to the idea, so Phillips shot them a cost proposal for doing so, one which they accepted.
“First, we had to get mapping data from Lawrence County, which turned out to be incomplete for our purposes,” Phillips said, “so we had to do some clean-up work on it.
“Then, we had a problem with radio communication between our systems, so they (BLCAD) began looking at options for new radio equipment. Plus, they were concerned that after they transferred dispatching to Barry County, there might be a problem with continuing to store their radio equipment at the Monett Police Department, so they began looking at other options,” Phillips continued. “By the time they got back to us on their options and I got back to my board, it was March of 2020 and nothing had been decided or approved by BLCAD.
“In May of 2020, they let us know they had chosen a radio vendor (Radiophone), and then had to determine an optimal site for the equipment,” Phillips said.
“In August, the new radio vendor began testing with our equipment and discovered major problems with communication; it wasn’t holding audio as it should,” he continued. “Radiophone reached out to the manufacturer, but they wanted us to pay for a service agreement in order for them to assist us. We went ahead and approved the $277 purchase of the license in order to expedite the process.
“During the process, the BLCAD also had to purchase a Gateway system/link to provide an internet connection pathway,” Phillips explained.
“There’s been a lot of frustration on both ends, but I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say we’re glad everything now seems to be working as we had hoped it would,” Phillips said.
With the new transition in dispatching, Barry County taxes will cover dispatches made within the Barry County portion of the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District. The BLCAD will compensate the Barry County E911 Center for dispatches made within Lawrence County.
It’s official. At 8 a.m. on October 1, personnel from the Barry County E911 center in Cassville began dispatching ambulances for the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District (BLCAD), according to Barry County Emergency Services director, Mike Phillips. The transition from the utilization of Monett’s Lawrence County dispatchers to those in Cassville has been over a year in the works.
“The main holdup was due to problems between the Monett and Cassville communication systems,” Phillips said.
The communication problems, according to Phillips, were not one-sided.
According to BLCAD board member, David Compton, the project was initiated when the City of Monett raised rates for their dispatching services in 2019. When the board approached Phillips about the possibility of Barry County providing dispatching services for BLCAD, Phillips and the Barry County E911 board were amenable to the idea, so Phillips shot them a cost proposal for doing so, one which they accepted.
“First, we had to get mapping data from Lawrence County, which turned out to be incomplete for our purposes,” Phillips said, “so we had to do some clean-up work on it.
“Then, we had a problem with radio communication between our systems, so they (BLCAD) began looking at options for new radio equipment. Plus, they were concerned that after they transferred dispatching to Barry County, there might be a problem with continuing to store their radio equipment at the Monett Police Department, so they began looking at other options,” Phillips continued. “By the time they got back to us on their options and I got back to my board, it was March of 2020 and nothing had been decided or approved by BLCAD.
“In May of 2020, they let us know they had chosen a radio vendor (Radiophone), and then had to determine an optimal site for the equipment,” Phillips said.
“In August, the new radio vendor began testing with our equipment and discovered major problems with communication; it wasn’t holding audio as it should,” he continued. “Radiophone reached out to the manufacturer, but they wanted us to pay for a service agreement in order for them to assist us. We went ahead and approved the $277 purchase of the license in order to expedite the process.
“During the process, the BLCAD also had to purchase a Gateway system/link to provide an internet connection pathway,” Phillips explained.
“There’s been a lot of frustration on both ends, but I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say we’re glad everything now seems to be working as we had hoped it would,” Phillips said.
With the new transition in dispatching, Barry County taxes will cover dispatches made within the Barry County portion of the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District. The BLCAD will compensate the Barry County E911 Center for dispatches made within Lawrence County.
