City of Tahlequah

PROJECT PURPOSE

This proposal will enhance public safety radio coverage in the City of Tahlequah and Cherokee County. Due to the geographic terrain and size of the coverage area, there are several dead spots in our jurisdiction. These dead spots prevent team members from sending or receiving radio transmissions using current technology. If an officer/firefighter were to need immediate assistance, their ability to reach help is significantly compromised. Rapid population growth has increased calls for police and fire assistance. Lack of resources dictates that we seek alternate funding for new radio equipment which meets the P-25 digital standard established for emergency responders following 9/11. Within Cherokee County, several agencies already use P-25 digital radio systems. These include Oklahoma Highway Patrol, GRDA police, NSU police, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and Federal agencies. Without P-25 technology, City of Tahlequah Firefighters and Police cannot directly communicate with these agencies. Cherokee County is a tourist destination attracting thousands of visitors to the Illinois River and lakes. Responding to emergency calls on the river and lakes, as well as responding to weather emergencies, requires communication with these agencies. Our police and Fire Marshal are cross-deputized with Cherokee Nation and ATF and must communicate frequently.

EVIDENCE

Tahlequah is the county seat of Cherokee County. The City works with and assists many different agencies in the area. Tahlequah is also the capital of the Cherokee Tribe. Several of the surrounding agencies work off of a different radio systems than what the City current operates off of, making it difficult to communicate between agencies . This will allow the City of Tahlequah to be able to connect with these agencies in time of need.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

According to the US Census Bureau approx. 20% of the population are considered living in poverty. We provide emergency services to our community with joint effort approach relying on several different agencies in the community. The biggest problem between agencies is communication with each other. The community will be safer with agencies having a reliable radio system that not only can communicate with each other but communicate with the surrounding agencies and counties.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

A project performance will be measured by meeting predefined milestones for the life of the project including; approvals, bidding, contract award, and implantation phase. The required programmatic data will be collected as required by the U.S. Treasury Department by internal controls with the City of Tahlequah.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma