FREDERICKTOWN — Arlin Bradford of Vasu Communications of Mansfield addressed Fredericktown Village Council on Monday about placing the equipment necessary to add a new repeating radio channel at the top of the Fredericktown water tower. Larry Schunke, Fredericktown Community Fire District asssistant chief, also attended the council meeting.
Schunke said the new channel would be a tactical channel, which would provide much-needed radio coverage to Fredericktown’s fire protection area. The new channel will be known as “north tac,” and will be available to Fredericktown fire and EMS, as well as other departments when they are operating within the Fredericktown district as part of a mutual aid situation.
Repeater channels are channels emergency departments use to communicate with each other, with a central dispatcher and with members of other departments. The signal is sent from a handheld radio or a mobile radio to the tower (repeater), then forwarded to another tower. Non-repeating channels are channels firefighters use when they are speaking handheld radio to handheld radio at a fire scene.
There are two repeating tactical channels, known as “east and west tac,” that are shared by fire and EMS departments across the county. The main fire channel used by all fire departments is also a repeater channel. Schunke said there are nine simplex, or non-repeating channels, available to firefighters in the county.
Fredericktown Chief Scott Mast said the department will allow the county’s 9-1-1 system to utilize one of its channels, because it is a lengthy, arduous process to obtain new channel frequencies.
“We have no out-of-pocket expense,” said Mast. “And it’s a really great thing for our community because it’s going to greatly enhance our communication capabilities.”
Council approved the cost-free lease of the space to the 9-1-1 board, and agreed to provide the electricity to run the equipment at no cost. Fredericktown schools pay $100 a year for a similar arrangement, and council voted to give the $100 back to the schools to keep the situation fair.
In other business, council approved a change in the lease agreement with Sprint regarding the rental of a cell phone tower. Sprint asked for a reduction in the cost of the lease due to financial difficulties within the company.
Village Solicitor Todd Drown said Sprint informed the village that if the lease was not renegotiated, they would simply move the tower to another community. Council approved the rate reduction to $614.93 a month. At one time, the rent paid by Sprint was as much as $920 a month, according to Drown.
Mayor Roger Reed told council that a meeting was recently held that was attended by Flash Huff and Jim Wagner from the Bicentennial Committee and historical society, and Scott Shoemaker, a professional landscaper, regarding plans to remove the concrete that surrounds that Webb C. Ball clock on the square. New brick pavers will probably be added, and new landscaping designed in order to beautify the corner and protect the clock from being damaged in the event a vehicle should drive up too close to the clock.
Handicapped parking spaces will be preserved, according to Reed, and green space will be added around the clock. The flagpole will also most likely be moved. Once the committee comes up with a plan, Reed said the plan will be presented to council for approval.
Gary Gallogly told council that Village Garage Sale Day will be April 26, and Clean-Up and Dumpster Day will be May 3.
