What's Happening in Butler, PA…

Upon seeing the $14m price tag to upgrade Butler County to a top-of-the-line 911 system, the county’s emergency services director is taking a second look.

Steve Bicehouse is weighing the advantage a 911 system would provide the county relevant to how long such a system would last. Emergency Services Director Bicehouse is concerned about the quality of the 911 system, but also about not financially burdening the emergency agencies in the area. One concern is that the new system could become obsolete before the county finishing paying for it.

The county is under time restraints, the first of which is that, as of the end of 2018, some Butler County radio equipment will have to be replaced due to Motorola withdrawing support for the dispatch consoles. Moreover, a second deadline for the county is that public safety agencies have been mandated by the federal government to remove themselves from ultra-high frequencies by 2022.

The services of a printing company to explain the realities the county is facing in regard to its 911 system could provide valuable feedback, as well as support for a new system.

Some areas of the county are already experiencing dispatch problems, possibly due to the topography of the area comparative to the Butler County seat, Butler, where the Emergency Services Center is located.