ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Kittitas County 911 emergency radio system is currently facing infrastructure problems impacting public safety.
Kittitas County 911 or KITTCOM responds to more than 48,000 calls per year.
According to Interim KITTCOM director, Rich Elliott, the outdated system is making it very difficult for first responder to find coordinates or respond to emergencies.
“Our radio system is from the 1980s and held together with parts from eBay,” KITTCOM Interim Director Rich Elliott said. “And our newest equipment is already 10 years old. We need to upgrade our radios and communication tower infrastructure to adequately serve our community. This is a public safety issue that impacts the entire county. We must secure a sustainable funding source to pay for these critical improvements.”
“We have to send valuable rescue personnel to drive long distances in many cases just to find a cell or radio signal because of the lack of radio reception with KITTCOM,” said Fire Chief Brandon Schmidt with Kittitas County Fire District 1. “This delays the transfer of critical information between rescue teams as well as delays the coordination of critical resources and supplies needed during emergencies. This is a significant safety issue when we are unable to coordinate time-sensitive resources and information because we are unable to communicate with KITTCOM.”
