San Jacinto County’s First Responders Raise Concerns Over Radio System Failure, While Leaders Dismiss Urgency
In a rural county in Texas, first responders are raising concerns over the failure of the county-wide communications system. The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office has been notifying the county about the problem for four years, but their pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears. While first responders argue that the system being down for multiple days is an emergency, the county board of commissions disagrees.
The radio system used by law enforcement, EMS, and emergency management in San Jacinto County has been neglected and outdated for years. In January, it was completely inoperable for four days, leaving first responders with only their cell phones in an area with imperfect cell coverage. Chief Deputy Tim Kean expressed his frustration, stating, “Frustrated is the sanitized version of how I feel right now.”
The lack of a reliable communications system poses a serious risk to public safety. First responders have experienced communication gaps during recent flooding emergencies, a mass shooting-turned-manhunt, and a plant explosion. They fear that in the next big emergency, they may not be able to call for help and no one will hear them.
Residents of San Jacinto County are also concerned about their safety. For older women living alone or those without close neighbors or family members nearby, 911 is their lifeline. Coldspring resident Judy Chatham emphasized the importance of having reliable emergency services, stating, “911 – that’s our brother, that’s our uncles, that’s our family that can help us.”
The county board of commissions seems dismissive of the urgency of the situation. When asked what would constitute declaring the issue an emergency, County Judge Fritz Faulkner stated that if the system went down, it would be an emergency. However, he argued that because the system was able to come back online after four days in January, it did not qualify as an emergency.
Faulkner suggested using funding from State Bill 22 to cover the cost of repairing the system. He proposed diverting money initially intended for law enforcement raises to pay for the $500,000 project. However, the sheriff’s office disagreed, stating that money meant solely for their agency should not be used for a county-wide service.
Chief Deputy Tim Kean proposed declaring the problem an emergency and using funds from the jail’s inmate housing partnership with surrounding counties. The sheriff’s office generates around $900,000 to $950,000 annually for the county through this partnership. Kean argued that the $490,000 needed to fix the radios could easily come from these funds.
Currently, the project is up for bids, and there is no timeline for when the bidding process or the fix will be completed. In the meantime, first responders and county residents continue to worry about their safety and the effectiveness of emergency services.
The lack of urgency from county leaders in addressing this critical issue raises concerns about their commitment to public safety. San Jacinto County’s first responders deserve a reliable communications system that allows them to protect the community effectively. The residents also deserve reassurance that if they need help, it will arrive promptly. It is essential for the county board of commissions to take immediate action and allocate the necessary funds to resolve this issue before it leads to devastating consequences.
