The Sampson Avenue public safety communications facility is a critical component of Delaware County's emergency response infrastructure. Its loss following the unprecedented August 12–13 flooding has created an immediate and significant public safety concern.
Delaware County is taking immediate steps to mitigate the impact of the damage. A temporary VHF solution utilizing another tower has been identified, and the county is currently awaiting delivery of the necessary equipment. Once the equipment arrives, the county anticipates that the temporary VHF system can be brought back online within a couple of days.
This temporary solution will provide an important short-term restoration of VHF communications while permanent restoration efforts move forward. However, it does not eliminate the need to permanently restore the Sampson Avenue facility. The loss of this site continues to affect communications capacity, redundancy, coverage, and system resilience.
Delaware County is therefore requesting expedited State and/or Federal assistance of up to $2.5 million to restore this critical public safety communications capability.
The $2.5 million request represents the preliminary total cost of the restoration project, including the construction of a new/replacement building, communications equipment, infrastructure, installation, system integration, and associated restoration work.
Expedited funding will allow Delaware County to permanently restore an essential public safety asset damaged during the August 12–13, 2026 flood emergency and ensure that the county's fire, law enforcement, EMS, emergency management, and other public safety agencies have the reliable, redundant, and resilient communications capabilities necessary to protect the public and respond effectively to future emergencies.