Donation helps sheriff acquire communications equipment needs

Thursday, February 1, 2007

BENTON - A Blodgett businessman has contributed to the safety of Scott County Sheriff's deputies.

David Russell of Russell Tank-Tech in Blodgett paid for the department's new base radio repeater, a necessary tool for effective communication between deputies, Sheriff Rick Walter said.

The repeater, which cost a little more than $16,000, allows the deputies to have clear communications from their squad cars and often from hand-held radios in most parts of the county.

The new equipment is the cutting edge of communications technology, Walter said, allowing the department to comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations that require all departments to use narrow band radios with a digital capability. The digital capability allows deputies to make secure sensitive radio traffic communications so that they cannot be heard by anyone outside the department communications system.

"This is definitely a step up from what we had before," Walter said.

Walter said he department received grant funding last year to upgrade its radios from analog to digital, but hadn't found any funding to buy the repeater.

"This addition to our communications system greatly enhances our ability to do our jobs and serve the citizens of Scott county and we all owe Mr. Russell a debt of gratitude for his generosity," Walter said.

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