Interview: County communications system ahead of schedule

Hannigan's Notebook

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Interview: County communications system ahead of schedule

Jul 31, 2020

(Courtesy Photo: Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse)

Note: This interview with Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse was recorded Wednesday, July 29.

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There is good news regarding the new communication system, according to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, who said this week the system is expected to come on line months earlier than expected. (Listen above starting at 5:45)

“Our communications project is moving along very rapidly,” he said.

The county currently has four employees in Virginia training with L3Harris, the technology company building the new system.

The original timeline called for the system to go live in March 2021, but now it looks like it will be turned on in mid-December.

Although the start date has been moved up, this has still been a long process. Hillhouse said he started talking with communication companies in July 2016.

“It’s been a big project,” he said.

This $4.5 million system has been planned to benefit the whole county.

“It is for all the fire departments here in Henderson County. All the state agencies will use it, emergency management, the Commissioners will be able to use it,” Hillhouse said. “All the police departments will be able to use it … we’re going to have options for the school districts to use it. Public works in cities, they’ll have an option if they want to use it.”