Improved emergency response call money announced for Clinton County

LOCK HAVEN, PA – An overall $7 million project to improve emergency response communication across Clinton County got a boost with word this week of $510,962 in funding towards improved emergency communication in the Renovo area.

The formal announcement came Monday from Gov. Tom Wolf:

• $510,962 to Clinton County to improve emergency services radio communication between their 911 center in the Borough of Flemington and the western portion of the county. The existing system has many coverage gaps (dead zones) where responders in western Clinton County cannot communicate with the 911 center, receiving hospitals, or with one another. Funds will be used to purchase and install equipment on three towers, replacing existing obsolete bases and connection equipment with state of the art, digital compatible, base radios and connection equipment.

As explained by county planning director Katie de Silva, the award is from a COVID-related federal funding program called CDBG-CV.  Every year, there is CDBG entitlement money for each county and larger municipality.  Also every year, there is a competitive amount of CDBG money for larger projects.  de Silva said this year with the infusion of ARPA money, there was a large CDBG-CV competitive offering.  The county had applied to supplement a USDA grant recently secured by Andrew Kremser, the county’s Director of Emergency Services.

So far funds secured are the USDA grant, $750,000; DES match, $250,000; CDBG-CV, $510,962.

Per de Silva, the CDBG money has limitations on its use, so this portion of the funding will go to the equipment upgrade serving the greater Renovo Area, in particular, Bucktail Medical Center and all the first responder companies.  She said it will also greatly improve radio reception between Renovo and UPMC Lock Haven, which has some significant dead zones.

She provided the background submitted as part of the CBDG grant request:

“Emergency response radio coverage for 911 calls in the Renovo Area is poor.  Clinton County conducted a radio communications need assessment and strategic plan to identify all problem areas in our County, and propose methods to address them.  Since Western Clinton County has the worst issues, the County Department of Emergency Services (DES) decided to address this area first.  The countywide project will cost more than $7,000,000 – the phase proposed here will benefit the populated areas of Renovo, South Renovo, and Chapman Township. The equipment on three communications towers is obsolete and needs to be updated to digital capacity. Fire, police, and EMS all ping every tower in the Renovo Area in a loop. This radio equipment will be placed at the Tamarack site, Summerson Mountain site, and the Hyner site.    Topography of the area especially affects coverage along Route 120 from Bakers’ Run to Hyner.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for adequate communications. The increase in call volume for the fire/EMS/police in Renovo puts a strain on these small, volunteer companies, especially when the pandemic is also directly affecting their resources and manpower.  Because Bucktail Medical Center has only a primary triage emergency room, many times responders must transport critical patients 30 miles – or they must wait for help that is over 30 miles away. The only route to UPMC Lock Haven Hospital is Route 120, which has many areas where vehicle communication with the 911 center or the hospitals is impossible. This has created an urgent need now.”

She said the current project is to purchase and install VHF conventional simulcast base stations with appropriate equipment, for installation on the three towers.  The equipment will be purchased through COSTARS and the purchase includes installation, configuration, final coverage studies, engineering, and the switch over. She said this first part of the program must be completed by the end of the calendar year.