Jim Wells County, TX, USA

Voice communication was a serious problem for Jim Wells County. The county lines are unique, stretching the county in a long rectangle and making affordable coverage a challenge. Multiple agencies were all operating on the same network and radio channels were very congested. Officers were concerned about safety; a new public safety communications network needed to be implemented. Lynn Kirchoff, the communications expert liaison for Jim Wells said, "We were using a, more or less, antiquated system. It was good in its time, but it had come to the end of its life. Something had to be done."

Jim Wells County was able to obtain a Homeland Security grant to fund a new system. They also hired a consultant who helped them through the process, as this was their first major project in communications. An RFP was issued; Tait Communications proved to be the best solutions provider for the County.

The first responders in Jim Wells County are safer now. "We have a system that we can push the button, talk on the radio from the north end of the county to the south end of the county. I think that both entities (fire and public safety) are much safer. They can do a much better job by using this particular system."

As technology evolves, the County has a partner they can trust. "Choosing Tait to develop our critical communications system was probably one of the best moves that Jim Wells County has made for a long time. We've become not only friends, but we're hand-in-hand partners," says Judge Arnoldo Saenz. "Even though the project has been successfully implemented, we're still working with Tait to further advance our critical communications solution and prepare for the future."