New Emergency Services Radio Tower Will Expand And Enhance Emergency Response Coverage

Putnam County Emergency Services will explore adding another radio tower in the northern part of Cookeville by the Putnam County Soccer Complex.

Putnam 911 Assistant Director Brandon Smith said that the new tower will enhance coverage for the Bangham, Hillham, Dodson Branch areas. Smith said that the new 180-foot tower would also fix paging issues for emergency responders.

“That paging system cannot rely on cell network. it can’t rely on commercial carriers of any kind,” Smith said. “What this allows us to do is add another site to the northern end that allows us to rebroadcast those pages and just get better coverage all around.”

Smith said the tower could even reach into southern Overton County into the Rickman area. He said the estimated cost ranges from some $50,0000 to $65,000, and they are hopeful that the project will only take about four to six months for completion.

Smith said that the new tower would bring the county’s total to seven. He said that in enhancing coverage, it will enhance the work they do as well. Smith said that public safety calls would be consolidated to that tower.

“Currently we have repeaters in the northern end of the city and the county that we will consolidate to this tower,” Smith said. “We have some that are setting on city property, we have some that are county property and they’re kind of scattered out. All of those different radio system repeaters into one tower site that we can maintain, be able to provide backup power, and just keep the continuity of the service where we need it.”

Smith said northern Putnam County is an area his department has identified as one that they want to increase coverage as the community in that area continues to grow.