Why Expedited Funding Is Necessary

This is an active public safety infrastructure emergency, not a routine capital improvement project.

Although Delaware County has identified a temporary solution to restore VHF communications, the county is waiting for the necessary equipment to arrive before it can be placed into service. Even after the temporary system is operational, the permanent loss of the Sampson Avenue facility will continue to reduce redundancy and resilience in communications.

Several factors drive the need for expedited funding:

  1. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed or rendered inoperable. The Sampson Avenue facility contained communications equipment and infrastructure essential to Delaware County's public safety communications network.
  2. The county is relying on a temporary solution. A temporary VHF solution has been identified and is awaiting equipment delivery. Once the equipment arrives, the county expects to restore VHF communications within a couple of days. This is an important short-term measure, but it does not replace the damaged facility.
  3. System redundancy has been reduced. Although 800 MHz communications remain available through the interconnected statewide system, the loss of the Sampson Avenue site reduces the overall resilience and redundancy of Delaware County's communications infrastructure.
  4. Another emergency could expose the county to greater risk. The current configuration leaves the county with fewer communications resources should another major disaster, infrastructure failure, or communications-system disruption occur before permanent restoration is completed.
  5. Permanent restoration requires significant resources. With preliminary project costs of up to $2.5 million, including the construction of a new/replacement building, expedited State and/or Federal assistance is necessary to move the restoration project forward without delay.

Request for State and Federal Assistance

Delaware County respectfully requests expedited State and/or Federal financial assistance of up to $2.5 million to address this critical public safety infrastructure failure.

The requested funding is intended to support the complete restoration and replacement of the Sampson Avenue communications facility, including:

  • Construction of the new/replacement communications building.
  • Replacement of equipment and infrastructure damaged by the August 12–13 flooding.
  • Permanent restoration of the county's VHF communications capability at the facility.
  • Reestablishment of critical system connectivity and redundancy.
  • Testing and integration with the broader public safety communications network.
  • Necessary site work, engineering, installation, and related restoration activities.
  • Appropriate flood protection and resilience measures are incorporated into the replacement facility.

The construction of the new/replacement building is included in the $2.5 million request and is not an additional funding request.