Snow damages 911 radio equipment

Heavy winter snow has resulted in damage to some radio antennas and towers that service the 911 emergency communication system, according to Scott Sampey, director of the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services.

In his regular briefing to the county commissioners last week, Sampey said some of the buildings that house radio equipment are covered with snow, some antennas are broken, others are bent and some towers were bent by the weight of snow and wind.

Recent wet snow in the mountains, followed by freezing overnight temperatures, aren’t helping the situation, county Fire Service Area Manager Lincoln Chute said.

As terrain dries out, workers will get to the sites to better assess damage and determine what repairs are needed, the two men told commissioners.

Chute also updated commissioners on some changes in fire department coverage areas.

Marion firefighters now will respond to calls at Ashley Lake after it was determined Marion department can respond to the 400 residences at Ashley Lake faster than other area departments.

County fire officials are negotiating with officials with Plum Creek, seeking the donation of some land in the Ashley Creek area, Chute said. If the land is obtained, the Marion Fire District wants to build a fire hall and keep some trucks and equipment there. If that occurs, the area would be annexed into the Marion fire district, a benefit for property owners, he said, whose fire insurance rates would drop significantly.

And, he said, officials with the Marion Fire Department already have had contact with people who live in the Ashley Creek area who are interested in volunteering with the department.

The Hot Springs department now will respond to calls at Niarada since an agreement to that effect has been signed, he said.

Emergency services officials also told commissioners the county doesn’t have a signed mutual aid agreement with the Salish and Kootenai tribes.

The county and the tribes have assisted one another in the past, but having a signed agreement would be a good idea, Cindy Mullaney, deputy director of the county emergency services department, said.

“We each have resources the other can use,” she said. The county has existing agreements with neighboring counties, Mullaney said.

The tribes “have a great fire program,” Chute said, which is “very proficient.”

Mullaney pointed out that all mutual agreements are based on the premise that one agency doesn’t help the other if they don’t have adequate resources or personnel. “If you can’t go, you don’t,” she said.

Commissioners agreed with Mullaney’s request to send a letter to the tribal council requesting a formal agreement.

“I see more advantages than disadvantages,” Commissioner Dale Lauman said. “Why not combine our resources?”

Testing of groundwater near the 911 Center is under way by Kalispell city officials, Sampey told commissioners.

The city has the rights for the water, he said, and is doing some exploratory work to address possible future expansion of the city’s water system.

“They could put in a well house someday if they need it,” Sampey said. That structure would be next to the 911 Center, “feet from our front door,” he said.

The city has an easement for the property, he said. City officials are working closely with county personnel at the 911 Center as the process proceeds. No decisions about any structure or well have been made.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.