The Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System (ISICS) project in Carroll County is progressing and consultant, Rey Freeman, provided an update and brought action items before the board of supervisors this week. The first action item was on bids for two 500-gallon propane tanks to be installed at the Coon Rapids and Lanesboro tower sites for generator operation. Freeman says they received two local bids on the tanks and the propane per gallon to fill them.
A calculation of tank purchases and a five-year average on filling resulted in the recommendation to accept the bid from Drees Oil. The council accepted that bid unanimously. They then reviewed two chain link fencing proposals for the Lanesboro site—with one quite a bit over the project estimates.
That bid was accepted on a unanimous vote. Freeman says power is on at the Coon Rapids tower and they are waiting for MidAmerican Energy to install a transformer to bring power on at Lanesboro. Site development tasks are wrapping up as Motorola works to install equipment. Motorola Project Manager, Dave Wojtylko, provided a tentative timeline after COVID-19-related delays.
Wojtylko says fire department mobile installations are complete and they are using radios on the existing system that will just change over to the new system when it goes live. School radio templates are complete and programming is nearing completion with installation to follow. Dispatch equipment is installed and operational with only removal of old equipment remaining. Tower sites are at varying degrees of completion. Wojtylko says he believes that coverage testing will exceed requirements that should bring confidence in the operation during full foliage periods of the year. No extra costs related to the project will be passed on to the county; Motorola will absorb any of these COVID-related added costs.
