A study authorized by the Wayne County Commissioners has confirmed that high band radio communication is needed for local fire companies.
Although a few fire departments have already switched over to high frequency radio equipment, most are still utilizing low band, which has not been sufficient to tackle reception problems in the hilly terrain on Wayne.
The Commissioners  on Thursday gave Marty Hedgelon, Wayne County 911 Director, authorization to proceed with changing over the county equipment to accommodate high band. Hedgelon said that there would be no immediate deadline for fire companies to make their equipment changes, but there would be a lengthy transition period.
Approximately $170,000 was budgeted by the County to add high band base stations, cabling and new antennae on the six existing county towers. Local fire companies have applied for a $750,000 USDA grant to cover costs of obtaining high band radios and pagers.
About six or seven area fire companies are already using high band and will be able to be accommodated immediately once the county equipment is in place. Hedgelon said this should take four months.
The license for the county’s own high band frequency was purchased last year from the Federal Communications Commission. Hedgelon stated that there is a great demand for high band frequencies and it took nearly two years to get a high band frequency assigned.
The high band frequency the county uses now is shared with Lackawanna County, and the low band frequency is shared with Pike and Susquehanna counties. With Wayne County having its own spot on the high band dial, clear transmission can be expected both by not having to compete with other counties and in dealing with the terrain.
Three of the local fire chiefs serve on a working committee with the County to resolve this issue: Stan Pratt, Honesdale Fire Department, Robert Boogertman, Lakeville and Anthony Franklin, Beach Lake. Commissioners Brian Smith and Wendell Kay are also on the committee.