A new radio tower in the Glade community has been constructed and is projected to be operational early next year.
The tower, which was approved by the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners in July, is intended to boost the signal for fire and emergency services in that area of Oglethorpe County.
County administrator Jason Lewis, the former EMS director, said the Glade was identified as having significant radio coverage dead zones.
Angela Jackson, the head of Oglethorpe County’s 911 services, emphasized the unreliability of radio connectivity in this area, recalling a time in which a police officer lost communication during a foot chase.
“I didn’t know if he was actually safe, if he was hurt, what was going on,” she said. “So it was a long five minutes till he finally got service and was able to talk to us. We had no idea what was going on.”
The tower cost about $160,000 and was funded by school-zone camera fines, as well as Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. The Glade Volunteer Fire Department donated land for the tower.
Lewis said the tower was “identified as a high priority” to the Board of Commissioners, “specifically because it rang the bell of life safety.”