MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. Between the combined efforts of state and local officials, some improvements are being made to first responder communications to the western end of the county.
Problems developed in the western end of the county in late 2020 when the original 480-foot Catherines Knob tower was replaced by a slightly smaller 340-foot tower. The original tower had to be demolished when one of the legs was damaged beyond repair by freeze-and-thaw cycles over time.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” MECCA 911 Executive Director Jim Smith said the equipment on the tower belongs to the state, and they have conducted an inspection that revealed one issue that has been fixed. Smith said state officials have been a great help in tracing down the source of the problems.
“At our Catherine’s Knob tower, they were evaluating some equipment on our tower, and they found some that was not functioning properly, and they have now repaired that equipment,” Smith said.
Technicians are also checking the aim, or tilt, of the antennas on the new tower as well. The western end of the county is hilly and rugged, and Catherines Knob is one of the highest points in the area.
“We want to make sure we’re not overshooting,” Smith said. “Trying to get down into some of those valleys sometimes is very difficult, so we want to make sure the antennas are pointing in the right downward direction.”
In addition to checking equipment located on the tower, the state has also used equipment to test the signal strength in the affected areas. Some of that data could identify weaker signal areas that could benefit from additional communications.
“We’re evaluating the area to see where we could potentially increase the capabilities of communications in that area by looking for other locations to place tower equipment,” Smith said.
A temporary tower was used with success when the Catherins Knob tower was taken down. Smith said a temporary tower to ease some of the communications issues could be considered if equipment repairs and adjustments don’t correct the problems.
“We actually had a temporary tower set up out on Klondike when we had to bring down the old Catherine’s tower before the new one was put up, and it greatly increased the abilities out in that area.”
Smith said some of the volunteer fire departments are using repeater systems, and more could be coming online. Repeater systems are commonly used to address signal loss or signal gaps when those areas are identified.
“A repeater allows a portable to talk back to the truck, which hits their 50-watt mobile that can then hit the tower site,” Smith said.