Speakers at the Thursday E-911 User Board meeting are (from left) Nathan Hollifield, Anne Powell, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office Senior Capt. Ron James, Carlton Powell, Chris Jones and Chris White.

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — After years of planning and investments of million of tax dollars, Thomas County’s 800 MHZ radio system will go live in mid-December.

Thomas County commissioners, Thomasville City Council members and representatives from several of the county’s smaller municipalities attended a Wednesday morning meeting of the E-911 User Board to receive the latest information about the new radio system.

“This is a big-dollar item,” Thomas County Sheriff and User Board chairman Carlton Powell told a gathering of about 40 at the historic Thomas County Courthouse.

Noting the presence of Thomasville and Thomas County officials, Powell said “nothing will go” until officials approve it.

Radio tower work is done, and work at the new E-911 Center is 90 percent complete,  E-911 Director Anne Powell said.

Radio talk on the new system will be encrypted. Talk picked up on scanners among the general population will be scrambled, providing an officer safety component, Thomasville Police Chief Troy Rich said.

Said Chris White, City of Thomasville assistant utilities superintendent, “We also see a real need for utilities to be encrypted as well. I think we are all in agreement to put the entire system in a privacy mode.”

“We felt like the encryption would not hurt us in any way,” said Chris Jones, Thomas County Fire/Rescue chief and Thomas County Emergency Management director.

County commission Chairman Ken Hickey asked about the life span of the new system.

“I would say eight to 10 years,” Nathan Hollifield, field service technician with Mobile Communications in Valdosta and Albany, area Motorola representative, said. 

After that? Hickey asked. “That’s yet to be seen, really,” Hollifield responded.

White said core components of the current system were installed in 1996.

Plans are for the new system to go live on Monday, Dec. 12.

“When D-Day comes on the 12th or 13th, everyone will switch over to the new system. It should be transparent,” White explained.

All 948 radios in all government agencies countywide — including Thomasville and the six smaller municipalities — will be able to communicate in the new system.

“It’s very important that we have all the recorded channels needed,” Powell interjected. ” … I hope this radio system will be the answer to some of our dilemmas.”

County Commissioner Wiley Grady asked if the system lacks needed components.

White responded that the new system is “the Cadillac version.”

Describing Thomas County as the area hub, Powell said, “I think we are the regional leader, and I want it to stay that way.”

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820