The end of the planning process is near when it comes to the Grant County Emergency Communication project, as there is one more tower site to lock in.

The project is an ambitious one to modernize the county’s obsolete emergency communication system, while also increase the scope of high speed broadband within the county.

The system, when it is operational sometime in 2024, will have 11 new communication towers throughout the county that will create a near blanket coverage for emergency radios, greatly reducing dead zones that make it impossible for emergency responders to communicate at a scene.

During an update last week, Sheriff Nate Dreckman noted that the final site the county is looking to lock in is in Cassville, which has been the most challenging region to deal with due to the topography.

“It is a challenging area,” Dreckman said.

Grant County has attempted to tackle covering the area around Cassville and the Mississippi River area with different ideas before landing on the current idea - a tower on the bluffs.

Prior to this, the county explored placing a tower on the Iowa side of the river.

“We just need to do the balancing act,” County Board Chair Robert Keeney said of how to choose the right site amongst four possible locations. There is coverage, ease of access, ownership of the land to deal with.

Unlike the current tower system, which has repeaters within the towers to send emergency messages, the new system will be set up so each of the towers is connected to fiber optic lines. This will mean each tower will broadcast independently from one another, so if one tower goes down, then system will still be broadcasting.

Originally, the county looked at having microwave antennas on each tower to have them communicate with one another, before coming up with the fiber optic idea, which will also create a broadband loop within the county.

County Information Technology Department Administrator Shane Drinkwater noted the complexity of two systems set up together. For example, the county looked at multiple sites for the tower in Potosi, and while having penciled in one site, they later found another one on village property that would work better, allowing for an easier path for the fiber optic, while also allowing for the possibility to deal with the longstanding issue the Village of Potosi has - connectivity downtown.

“Moving Potosi will make easier and reduce cost,” Drinkwater said.

A portion of the communications project is being paid for with federal ARPA funds.