By City of Alliance
ALLIANCE, Neb. — Alliance Police Chief David Leavitt announced that the Alliance Police Department has officially accepted a $600,000 federal technology grant that will fund the majority of a major upgrade to public safety communications infrastructure serving Alliance and Box Butte County.
The funding will support the development of a new radio repeater site designed to improve access to Nebraska’s statewide public safety radio network and strengthen communications for first responders throughout the area.
“This is a critically important investment in the reliability and resiliency of our public safety communications system,” Chief Leavitt said. “Reliable radio communication is not optional in emergency services. Our police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers and other first responders must be able to communicate seamlessly, especially during major incidents or emergencies.”
The project will benefit not only the Alliance Police Department, but also the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office, Alliance Fire Department and other public safety agencies operating throughout the area.
Currently, local responders rely heavily on AT&T FirstNet connectivity to access portions of the statewide radio system. While FirstNet has provided an important communications capability, the addition of dedicated repeater infrastructure will significantly strengthen the system by providing a more direct and reliable connection to the statewide network.
Once the new repeater is operational, FirstNet will remain an important part of the overall communications system, but will primarily serve as a backup and supplemental option during infrastructure failures or in fringe coverage areas.
“The goal is redundancy,” Leavitt said. “We do not want our emergency communications dependent on a single pathway. Dedicated radio infrastructure gives our first responders a stronger primary system while allowing FirstNet to provide an additional layer of resiliency when needed.”
The $600,000 federal award will cover the majority of the project cost. The City and its public safety partners are awaiting a decision on an additional grant application and will also explore the appropriate use of 911 funds to help cover the remaining project balance.
The project represents a significant step toward modernizing public safety communications throughout Box Butte County and addressing long-standing coverage and infrastructure needs.
“When an officer is calling for assistance, a firefighter is coordinating operations at a major incident, or dispatchers are managing multiple emergency responses, dependable communications can directly affect safety and the outcome of an incident,” Leavitt said. “This project gives our responders the dedicated infrastructure they need and provides greater confidence that the system will be there when they need it most.”