For Immediate Release

Radio System Failures
January 15, 2009

In 2000 the Lapeer County Central Dispatch Center received 30,033, 911 emergency calls. In 2008, we received 29,898, 911 emergency calls, but the biggest difference is how the 911 Center received those emergency calls. In 2000, 53% were from land lines and 47% were from cell calls, in 2008, 36% were from land lines and 62% from cell phones and 1% from internet phones. This shows where our society is changing with technology and how it has affected our Center. The Center averages about 114,000 calls a year, between the emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. There are three dispatchers on duty handling phone calls and dispatching 9 Police, 19 Fire, 10 EMS and First Responder agencies that service Lapeer County citizens.

Our Center opened in 1997 and had one of the best analog radio systems for the time. Unfortunately, over the last 12 years, the radio system has grown out of date and parts are no longer made. Over the last several months, we have had failures and have been lucky enough to find parts. We have been advised that parts are becoming harder to find because everyone has changed over to digital signal. As you have seen with TV’s, our radio systems will have to change over to digital also. We are looking at the least expensive and yet the best system to change to in the near future.

Over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday we had a major failure of the microwave system, which links our three tower sites together. The system failed twice; once on December 23, 2008 and again on December 27, 2008. Each time the failure effectively halted our ability to communicate with the public safety agencies in Lapeer County. Fortunately, we were able to utilize the Michigan Public Safety Communications System digital radio system as a backup to maintain a small level of communication until our own system was repaired.

Repairs to the microwave system were completed on January 9, 2009. Since the microwave system is no longer covered under a service contract due to its age, we have had to pay a high cost on the parts needed to repair the system. We have also purchased spare parts to have on hand in the event another failure occurs.

With these failures of the radio system, it further illustrates the county’s need to upgrade the 9-1-1 systems to replace aging, out-dated systems with current technology and industry standards.

Spring Time Weather

With the changing weather in Michigan, we need to be aware of the potential for strong and damaging storms, including tornadoes. Click here to visit the Lapeer County Emergency Management website about storm preparedness.

Look below for a schedule of tornado siren tests.

If your community has a tornado siren, below are the dates that they will be tested in 2009:

Saturday, April 4th
Saturday, May 2nd
Saturday, June 6th
Saturday, July 4th
Saturday, August 1st
Saturday, September 5th
Saturday, October 3rd

All Tests Will Be Held At 1:00PM

Should inclement weather be present at the time of testing, the test will be cancelled. Should you have any questions, please contact your local fire department.

More information -->

Marie Warren Murder Case

The Lapeer County Sheriff's Department and Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office are looking for your help in solving the murder of Marie Warren.

We now have an online form available for you to fill out and send in your tips. You can leave your contact information if you like, but you are not required to.

Please take a minute to read the news articles below and if you know anything at all, please submit your tip.

Thank you from Lapeer County 9-1-1, the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department and the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office.

Read the Story
The L.A. View
The County Press
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