The Cambria County Board of Commissioners on Thursday voted unanimously to approve a $16.9 million contract for upgrades to the county’s public safety radio system, a move designed to improve emergency responders’ ability to reliably communicate with each other and with 911 dispatchers.
Robbin Melnyk, Cambria County’s 911 coordinator, said during Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Commissioners that the “questionable” reliability of the county’s existing public radio system “is a safety risk to our responders.” The system’s equipment has a track record of failure during heavy rainstorms and other poor weather, she added.
“During severe weather, (there is) a known issue of certain towers not being able to communicate with emergency responders,” she said.