For county fire and rescue officials, the timing of the promise of a new 800-megahertz communication system couldn't have been better.
Coming on the heels of two of Carroll County's largest emergency response incidents -- a four-alarm fire Dec. 5 in Manchester and the Jan. 19 natural gas explosion that leveled part of a Westminster neighborhood -- authorities are all too aware of the shortcomings of an antiquated system, part of which was installed in the 1950s.
The new system was promised by Commissioner W. Benjamin Brown after he listened to rescue personnel explain the difficulties of operating during the natural gas house explosion in Westminster's Autumn Ridge neighborhood. Emergency crews found they could operate on only two overcrowded channels.
"As part of a three-commissioner board, you are always treading on thin ice when you talk about spending money," Mr. Brown said. "But there is no way to escape the fact that we need to fund a new radio system that will give you more than a few channels to talk on."
The 800-megahertz system, which will provide up to nine channels for all of the county government agencies, has been studied for years. During an emergency, all nine channels could be available for fire and rescue units, officials say.
Bids for the new system, which is expected to cost more than $6 million, were published recently, and only one company, Motorola, submitted a proposal within the time limit. The bid came in higher than the estimate, but county officials say the proposal included more than the county specifications required and could be changed to conform to the $6 million estimate.
Howard S. "Buddy" Redman, chief of the Bureau of Emergency Services Operations, said the current system is inadequate, suffers from considerable interference from other systems, particularly in Virginia, and does not cover all areas of the county.
There are numerous "dead" spots in the county where emergency crews cannot hear the dispatcher or be heard when responding, Mr. Redman said.
County rescue officials, critiquing the response to the Westminster explosion, which caused more than $1 million in damage, said the two available channels became so jammed that people were talking over each other. Similar problems developed during the Dec. 5 fire in Manchester.
County officials say they also plan to review Carroll's emergency response plan, using the experience of the two recent incidents.