Vicksburg will be joining the state’s Mississippi Wireless Information Network, a statewide communications system that allows city officials, emergency responders and police to talk with other departments and cities and counties in Mississippi.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday took action on three different matters involving the system, better known as MSWIN, approving an interlocal agreement with Warren County for joint participation in the system, authorizing Mayor George Flaggs Jr. to sign a contract with Motorola Inc. for additional equipment to connect to MSWIN, and authorizing City Clerk Walter Osborne to seek bids for financing the county’s $2.8 million share of communications equipment for the program.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors also approved agreements with the city, MSWIN and Motorola Monday. The total cost of the city-county upgrades to the state system is $6.2 million with the county’s share being $3.4 million, city IT specialist Bill Ford said.

He said the system is expected to be fully operational by spring 2017.

“This is a proactive approach for this board, and a good project between the city and county. It’s going to benefit the citizens of Warren County to finally get this done,” South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said.

“We’ve been planning and discussing back and forth with the county about what to do with our radio system,” Ford said. “Our equipment is 20 years old now. We’ve had trouble keeping it going.”

Ford said the city will continue to use three present towers — one in northern Claiborne County, one in Redwood and one in downtown Vicksburg — which will be upgraded to meet MSWIN standards, plus additional MSWIN towers in adjacent counties. He said a video explaining the system to city residents will be on the city’s website.

“It will cost us less (to join MSWIN) than if we went out on our own, and we’ll have nine to 10 (MSWIN) towers throughout our area,” he said. “It will also give the city and county the ability to communicate with other areas across the state.”

He said the new infrastructure will also help city firefighters and police avoid “dead areas” where they are unable to communicate with dispatchers or other units, adding the city will access to multiples antennas, and key vehicles like ambulances will have a mobile repeaters, which give them the option of using the vehicle’s radio instead of a portable radio.

“Warren County, except for three counties in the extreme northeast part of Mississippi, is the absolute, worst county to provide radio coverage,” he said. “The cellular companies will tell you that, our partners with Motorola will tell you that.”

Ford said the mobile repeaters should help alleviate that problem.

 

County joining city on statewide network

The Warren County Board of Supervisors Monday approved a series of agreements to join the city of Vicksburg on the state’s Mississippi Wireless Information Network, statewide communications system for cities and counties and emergency responders.

“We approved a contract with Motorola for the equipment for the MSWIN towers and to provide radios for emergency responders — the sheriff and for the road department and an upgrade for 911,” County administrator John Smith said, adding the county’s volunteer fire departments are on a different system.

Motorola has the state contract for radios and equipment for the communications system, known as MSWIN. The program is expected to become effective here in spring 2017.

The board also signed an interlocal agreement with the city because they share the use of two towers in Culkin and Bovina. The agreement also allows the city and county to split the $6.2 million cost for new equipment and upgrades, with the county paying $3.4 million of the cost and the city $2.8 million. The interlocal agreement must be approved by the Mississippi Attorney General’s office.

“We’ve got a real old system that they’re (Motorola) not supporting anymore,” said Board President Bill Lauderdale. “It’s like having an old computer you can’t do anything but get by. We’re getting by; we haven’t suffered, but it’s getting close to the point where if we don’t do something, we will.

“The MSWIN system will give us capabilities we hadn’t had before and wouldn’t have with just another system that’s not tied in with the state.”

He said the county will have to float a bond issue to pay for the system. “We don’t have that kind of money,” he said. “It’s a big money ticket thing.”

The supervisors discussed joining MSWIN in November and agreed at a work session to move toward partnering with the city and split the cost of equipment and upgrades.

They discussed floating a bond issue in October to cover several matters, including the radios, a new crane for the Port of Vicksburg and a new roof for the Warren County Library. Lauderdale said no further action had been taken on a bond issue.