Polk County Commissioners have approved a batch of new agreements with surrounding counties during their June sessions to ensure that communications work smoothly with other jurisdictions in the move to the new P-25 mission critical public safety communications system.

Three different Memorandum of Understanding with Floyd and Haralson Counties north and south, and Cherokee County, Alabama to the west across the state line will allow Polk public safety to efficiently communicate with the trio of neighbors when the new system comes online, which is slated to happen in 2021.

Commissioners voted unanimously on the three separate documents during their June 2 regular session, held virtually through Zoom.

Polk County’s new radio system – being built and installed by Motorola after the contract was negotiated and approved by the county over the course of several months in 2019 – brings with it new handheld radios, towers, the equipment to run the system and links to Bartow and Cobb counties to connect with the Cobb County system as a regional backbone.

Commissioner Ray Carter – who has the task of keeping up with the project’s latest progress – reported to the board as the June 2 meeting was coming to a close that Motorola remains in the production phase for the equipment, which requires testing in North Carolina before it can be deployed in Polk County.

Additionally, he said negotiations remain underway to determine where a fifth tower site the county approved spending on previously to build will be located.

The county will need to send a representative to Chicago later this fall to take part in the test configuration stage as well, Carter reported.

A full roll out of the system is projected for next Spring, should no delays be encountered.