Graphic courtesy of Botetourt Co.
By Matt de Simone
Emergency Systems Communications Manager Matthew Hinkle updated the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors about the county’s ongoing $17 million Public Radio System replacement project during the board’s monthly meeting in Daleville last week. He shared with the board that he’s hopeful the project will be completed with all new towers constructed the end of summer 2025 with coverage testing later that fall.
Fire & EMS Chief Ferguson presented to the board in August 2021 a proposal expanding the county’s emergency communications system, explaining that the county’s outdated analog system of communication was becoming problematic in communicating with neighboring localities. Last December, the board unanimously approved a FY 23-24 budget amendment for the purchase contract of Motorola Solutions, Inc. to install the new system.
Hinkle focused on three separate items during his presentation to the board last week. The first, explaining encryption for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and County Fire & EMS and why they’re doing it. He shared that his explanation was based on citizen comments about the changes to the encryption. Hinkle showed the different types of encryptions used in public safety during his presentation to the board, including changing to the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) which Hinkle said is considered to be the highest in public safety radio.
He noted three reasons why emergency communication will encrypt. The first reason is first responder safety and preventing criminals monitoring transmissions. Hinkle explained that, currently, a person could spend a couple hundred dollars on a radio, sync into the county’s emergency communications and, in some cases, communicate back to emergency responders.
“Our system is probably at the very lowest of a secure system,” Hinkle said. “The main reason (for encrypting the system) is to prevent criminals or people with nefarious intent of being able to monitor the transmissions. Also, with surveillance, which goes hand-in-hand, and also with tactical operations– if you’re at a hostage situation or if you’ve got your SWAT team out, you wouldn’t want the bad guy inside the building to be able to hear what your team is setting up outside.”
The next reason for encrypting the emergency communications system is interoperability. Counties and cities surrounding Botetourt County (Roanoke, Alleghany, and Rockbridge) are all currently encrypted, who Botetourt communicates with regularly. Alleghany and Rockbridge counties’ police departments are also encrypted. Hinkle explained that Botetourt County needs encryption on its radios in order to maintain interoperability with its partnering communities.
Hinkle said that, ultimately, encrypting county emergency communications will protect sensitive information like addresses, HIPAA data, and other personal details.
“An example of this is when an officer pulls somebody over for a traffic stop, it’s routine to run their driver’s license, tags, name, address, driver’s license number, possibly their date of birth, and in some cases, maybe get a Social Security number,” Hinkle explained. “If you are someone with nefarious intent or an identity thief who recorded it, that information is a gold mine. With encryption (added to the county’s emergency communications system), that is not problem. They will not be able to get that information.”
Hinkle also explained that, in some cases, due to the nature of a situation, encryption will prevent sensitive and private information about victims and investigations from being obtained via radio scanners. He then included thoughts from the county sheriff as well as the Fire & EMS chief to further support the decision to encrypt their communications system.
“Encryption is the direction agencies are moving towards for officer safety in the current environment and today’s law enforcement world,” quoted Botetourt County Sheriff Matt Ward during Hinkle’s presentation about citizens who have monitored scanner activity in the past. “It is unfortunate that those who are innocent and with good intentions are excluded from this transition; however, safety must come first.”
Botetourt & EMS Chief Jason Ferguson added to the presentation being quoted saying, “Encryption is part of the new way of doing business and not an afterthought for later deliberations. The cost of encryption can be abbreviated by doing it as part of the initial system, whereas adding it later would multiply the cost exponentially.”
As for the cost for adding encryption software into the communications system, Hinkle explained that there are 500 total radios between BSCO (224) and Fire & EMS (226) totaling $434,525 of the original listing price of $668,500. He noted that encrypting the radios when installing the new communications system will allow the county to “hit the ground running” as opposed to adding encryption “further down the road.”
The county negotiated a $2.3 million discount on the total subscriber order for radios issued throughout the county to law enforcement, fire & EMS, school board, and spares at the total cost of $4,294,173.30 (originally listed at $6,634,173.30). Encrypting the communications system resulted in 10.12% of the cost for the subscriber order. The total system purchase cost is contracted for $17,848,747.94, nearly $7 million less than the listed price, when negotiated.
Hinkle mentioned that one of the new sites in the original proposal located in Blue Ridge necessitated an order change for relocation. He explained that there will still be seven sites in the county and that it will increase coverage even further, including the relocated Blue Ridge site and those along Catawba Road and in the Amsterdam District.
Botetourt will also have a “master site” that will control the entire system, without having to rely on outside partners. It will have “enhanced capabilities” including the same interoperability to connect with radio systems in the Roanoke Valley and the sites will feature a less complex design.
“The nicest thing is with this whole change order, although it seems quite large, it is actually budget neutral,” Hinkle added. “There is no new ask for money for anything that was already contracted for or that is slated to be budgeted in FY 25 budget for emergency communications.”
As part of the new groundbreaking for the new radio system, the county will soon clear two acres of land on county-owned property near the county landfill creating a road to the first newly constructed tower for the new system. Hinkle shared that the county had to do this “quicker than it wanted to” and is hopeful the road is constructed and the trees are cleared in the coming weeks.
The emergency services will remain using the four existing tower sites in Botetourt and will add three new sites – two that are currently privately owned and a third in Catawba that will be built up from scratch. The Iron Gate site will cover the Rt. 220 corridor, Blue Ridge will cover the Rt. 460 corridor and deficiencies, and Catawba will handle Carvins Cove, Catawba Valley, and the Appalachian Trail.
