County volunteer fire departments switch to VIPER radio system

Wilson County’s volunteer fire departments will have better communications between other agencies here and across the state thanks to a $1.5 million system upgrade. The county’s 15 volunteer fire departments are making the switch from analog to North Carolina’s statewide Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders communications system. The switch happens Monday.

“We’re excited,” said Paul Whitehurst, president of the Wilson County Firemen’s Association. “It not only enhances our communications and safety on the fire ground, but it also enhances our ability to protect and respond to the people that we are out here protecting and serving. It allows us to do our job better.”

The upgrades include new 800-megahertz radios and other equipment for all volunteer fire departments. Prior to Monday, the county’s volunteer fire departments were the only emergency response agencies here not operating on the VIPER radio system and were unable to communicate with other agencies while responding to calls.

Wilson County Emergency Management officials, volunteer fire departments and Wilson County 911 officials have been working on programming the new equipment and systems for the big switch.

“The coverage that we have from this will be much better,” said Gordon Deno, Wilson County Emergency Management director. His department works daily with volunteer firefighters.

“It’s a more robust radio system with a stronger tactical channel lineup,” Deno said. “If we’re dealing with multiple incidents at one time, we can take people off the main channel and put them on tactical channels.”

The analog system used by the volunteer fire departments was obsolete, he said.

While volunteer fire departments hold a nonprofit corporation status, they do provide fire protection for county residents. The system upgrades can be burdensome to rural volunteer fire departments that don’t have a lot of money in their operating budgets, officials said.

When the Wilson County Firemen’s Association members found out in December 2022 that they didn’t get a grant to fund the project, Wilson County Commissioners stepped in. Commissioners unanimously approved $1.5 million to fund the upgrades in February 2023, using American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

Bakertown Volunteer Fire Chief Kevin Gardner said he and other firefighters are excited about getting on the new system.

“It’s a much needed upgrade,” Gardner said. He added that he and other volunteer fire departments are grateful to county commissioners allotting the funding, which in return alleviated the financial burden for them.

He added that he was thankful for Deno, Wilson County Emergency Management Community Preparedness Coordinator Rodney Dancy and Wilson County 911 Director Jeff Williford for putting in a lot of leg work to get the system implemented and up and running.

Gardner said it took a lot of work. “It’s not just turning them on.”

The new equipment includes 337 portable radios, 66 mobile radios and other equipment, Deno said.

Volunteer firefighters can switch to the same channel and talk to one another now if they need to. “They don’t have to carry more than one radio,” he added. “Now we can talk to them; they can talk to us on the same radio system.”

Whitehurst said it’s definitely a game changer. He said volunteer fire departments here will be able to talk to neighboring counties as well.

“It improves our abilities to communicate with them,” he said.

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