By JOSH COTTON

jcotton@timesobserver.com

A faulty radio circuit has been limiting the Warren County 911 Center’s ability to communicate with a tower they operate in Sheffield.

While there are backup systems for the tower, there are still some areas that can’t be reached when the tower isn’t working.

Warren County Public Safety Director Todd Lake updated the commissioners on the issue – as well as a possible solution that would save money – during Monday’s work session.

When a dispatcher tries to utilize the tower, Lake explained, the phone line runs from the center at the Rouse Annex to a point in Youngsville, then to a point in Warren, on to a point at the Sheffield Volunteer Fire Department than microwaved up to the tower.

Between here and there, the line switches from Verizon to Windstream, as well.

The bottom line? If something goes wrong on that line, fixing it can be a major headache.

Lake said he met on Monday with WestPA.net.

That’s where the solution might be.

“They are the owners of the actual tower,” Lake said. “(They are) looking at putting a dedicated fiber connection from the 911 Center to the tower.”

Because the fiber line would run in a different direction than the current fiber the 911 Center uses for internet service, that new fiber line could also serve as a backup internet option for the center.

Lake said they currently pay Verizon $252 for that backup and that WestPA has said they “will do it for $100 a month.”

While the radio connection cost would be about the same, Lake said that the service would be “exponentially better. (There are) so many point of failure along that radio circuit now.”

“It’s a win-win situation,” he said, noting he would be working on final pricing and contracts to formally present to the commissioners.