Verdantus will be responsible for the engineering services, as well as soil testing and preparation of bid documents for when it’s time to hire a contractor.
SCIOTO COUNTY- A new communication tower aimed at making Scioto County a safer place has gotten the go-ahead for engineering to start.
At their meeting Thursday, the Scioto County Commissioners OK’d the move for a MARCS tower to be constructed locally. MARCS, or Multi-Agency Radio Communication System, will be used by all the first responder agencies in the county, including local police, fire, state patrol, EMS, and Division of Forestry. The goal is for no more dropped communications due to geographical location of the county’s more than 20 first responding agencies.
“We have been on a path for awhile now to building a new MARCS tower on Feurt Hill in clay township,” said Scioto County Commission Chairman, Bryan Davis. “The tower itself is expected to be 310 feet on top of that hill.”
That’s double the height of the current, non-MARCS tower. It will help with dropped communication between local agencies whose priority is the safety of local residents.
Without this tower, dropped communications are not uncommon. And when seconds count, it can make a big difference.
According to the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, MARCS is state-of-the-art technology. “MARCS is a 700/800 MHz radio and data network that utilizes state-of-the art trunked technology to provide statewide interoperability in digital clarity to its subscribers throughout Ohio and a 10 mile radius outside of Ohio. The MARCS system provides statewide, secure, reliable public service wireless communication for public safety and first responders.”
“All of a sudden, they lose communication,” said Commissioner, Scottie Powell. “It’s critical to get this done.”
The motion approved Thursday was to allow beginning engineering services on the site. In addition to the tower itself, an equipment building will be erected by a third party.
“This is a very specialized work that is done,” Davis said. “Verdantus really has great experience in doing this particular work.”
The company will perform engineering services, as well as soil testing and preparation of bid documents for when it’s time to hire a contractor to build on the site.
The project is expected to make a huge difference for first responders.
“You have a building that will house equipment, you have a tower that will be built by a third party,” Davis said. “This will have a lot of first responders happy today.”
