Benton and Franklin counties have been working towards a consolidation of the public safety communications system in both counties for nearly a decade in a three-phase progression. This effort began with the work leading to the consolidation of two 9-1-1 Dispatch Centers into a single PSAP in 2018. Following the pandemic, work began on Phase II to upgrade the region’s microwave transport infrastructure, which is at end of life, into a unified system for both counties.

This project, Phase III, moves 24+ public safety agencies from an antiquated, and failing, VHF analog system to the existing Benton County Emergency Services (BCES) digital trunked system through the addition of infrastructure in both counties and the transition of subscriber units. This transition brings over 3000 square miles of both rural and urban areas in South Central Washington State into a unified and up-to-date technology, and into compliance with Washington State and Department of Homeland Security standards, while building upon existing infrastructure to migrate to a shared public safety land mobile radio (LMR) system.

The combination of appropriately sequencing all phases of the regional consolidation effort and the interruption that the pandemic caused has extended this phase of the project several years later than initially planned and the VHF system is now at end-of-life, unsupported by manufacturers, experiencing an increasing component failure rate, and in urgent need of replacement.

The existing BCES digital radio system infrastructure provides excellent coverage in the urban area, however additional infrastructure is needed to provide coverage to the region outside of the three cities. This project provides those infrastructure upgrades necessary to extend coverage into the remaining rural areas of Benton, Franklin and a portion of Walla Walla Counties, as well as enhanced coverage into parts of the urban area.

With the addition of necessary infrastructure and the transition to 800 MHz digital subscriber units, this project will bring the entire regional system into compliance with Department of Homeland Security recommendations and best practices outlined in the Project 25 (P25) standards. In addition, the move to a shared platform for all public safety services in the region will dramatically improve interoperability between Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS, public works agencies, and hospitals as well as streamlined system maintenance, and elevating our communications technology to a level that is in alignment with the Washington Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan.

The anticipated project cost is fifteen to eighteen million dollars, and the project host agency, the City of Richland, has retained Federal Engineering Inc. to assist with services related to signal coverage studies, system engineering, procurement, and project management.