Lewis County will soon receive nearly $3 million from Congress to help upgrade its aging 911 communications infrastructure.
The county will add the $2.8 million in federal appropriation to the $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding the county commissioners already had earmarked for equipment improvements at the county’s 911 dispatch center and at 20 radio communication sites it uses to communicate with law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.
“An engineering study will evaluate the current system to ensure that communication links are seamless and constant,” Lewis County 911 Communications Director Jennifer Libby-Jones said.
“There will be some extensive microwave upgrades that will cover the county from end to end,” according to Lewis County Radio Services Manager Justin Stennick.
The county is making an estimated $500,000 in improvements to the emergency communications infrastructure on Chehalis Ridge.
“As our rural communities grow, having infrastructure in place that reaches all of our district areas is going to be more important to provide the good service that our communities have come to rely upon,” Lewis County Fire District 13 Fire Chief Gwen Turner said.
“Instant communication and having a concrete life-line to our dispatchers is a huge comfort to us when we’re working on the scene,” Fire Chief Doug Fosburg of Lewis County Fire District 3 said.
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