It's been almost 20 years since Snohomish County last upgraded its emergency communications system. It's time for another one, and the county needs voters to approve $75 million but knows it will be a tough sell.
One 911 dispatch center was upgraded a couple of years ago. But before that?
"The consoles they had were obsolete," Snohomish County Emergency Radio System Executive Director Ralph Krusey said. "They couldn't get parts for them, and we had a situation where we needed to make some repairs, and the only way to get the parts was to go on Ebay."
Krusey says that's the state of much of their other equipment from circa 1999. That dispatch center may be new, but the radio signal is being sent out across a network of 21 towers outfitted with archaic equipment, and from there to emergency responders in the field. Most of the 5,000 radios have not been upgraded.
Here's a way to imagine it: You're still using your old flip phone from 1999 and your provider hadn't upgraded the network since then. You try to make a call but it won't go through. It happens to field crews. Krusey says it'll only get worse.
"It's not a busy signal like on a phone where you get 'beep, beep, beep.' It's a 'bonk,' and very frustrating. Very dangerous," Krusey said.
He has watched both King and Pierce counties go to the voters for money to upgrade their systems. Now he says it's Snohomish County's turn. But with a constant stream of levies and soaring home values and property taxes, he knows it could be tough.
How do you sell it to voters?
"What will you do when you call 911 because your loved one is hurt or injured or somebody's breaking into your house, and no one can respond because their radios don't work?" Krusey said.
Krusey said he hopes to have something on the November ballot, and the funding to start upgrades starting next year.
