by Susan Gibbs Record Reporter
Published: May 8, 2008

Greene’s Board of Supervisors took a major step toward updating the County’s 20-year-old emergency communications system when it hired Atlantic Technology Consultants (ATC) of Ashland to oversee the first phase of necessary work.
ATC was first called in to consult a year ago, after fire, rescue and police services were called to the scene of a reported residential gas tank leak.
Responders “were standing within sight of each other, trying to communicate with their hand-held units” but could not hear each other, Greene’s Public Service Director David Lawrence said of that day.
That same month, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Steve Catalano was on the scene of another incident: “A fire call was not dispatched due to radio failure.”
It was a shed that was burning, and no humans or animals were in imminent danger, but Catalano decided it was time to do something about communications.
Officials said at the time that communications within the County have always been difficult due to the terrain. And the age of Greene’s system wasn’t helping.
ATC was called in to perform a discovery feasibility study of Greene’s public safety radio system.
On April 22 of this year, ATC President George Condyles synopsized his findings for the County’s Board of Supervisors at its regularly scheduled meeting.
“The discovery feasibility study consisted of four areas: the Sheriff’s Office, fire and rescue services, and dispatch,” Condyles said. “The next challenge was looking at the interoperability with other jurisdictions and to determine strengths and weaknesses and areas of improvement, and how the existing system could be improved. That study was completed in September of ‘07.”
Over the course of the study, Condyles met with various departments and looked at all the equipment to come up with a list of strengths and areas of improvement.
A strength, he said, was that Greene’s is a VHS system that fits well with the state’s communications system.
But: “The weaknesses or areas of improvement were many, from maintenance to the … age of equipment, the performance of the existing equipment, the coverage, and certainly the inter-operability with some of the surrounding counties that public safety has to interface with,” Condyles said.
In addition, the County has a “hodge-podge of technology was what’s called a wide-band system with a hodge-podge of hand-helds and mobiles,” Condyles added. “The ultimate goal for this system (is) to be a narrow-band VHF simulcast system … that has 95 percent coverage 95 percent of the time.”
Condyles estimates that the County currently has 85 percent coverage.
Clear Communications of Charlottesville produced a phased approach to solving the problem that Condyles recommended the Board approve.
“Tonight we’re asking you to approve the first phase (at a cost of) approximately $95,000,” Condyles said.
During that phase, he explained, an antenna in Ruckersville will be re-analyzed and re-pointed to enhance fire and rescue throughout most of the County. And, units at the Sheriff’s Office will be upgraded.
Phase II of the work will consist of a total rehabilitation of equipment on Flat Top Mountain.
With renovations to the Ruckersville and Flat Top sites, Condyles anticipates 95 percent coverage.
Clear Communications will perform maintenance on existing equipment and replace it on an as-needed basis. 
It is estimated that all phases of the work - to be paid for as funds come available—will be completed by the end of this year.