PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) — Facing "dead spots" in emergency radio communication, the City of Portsmouth plans to build a new radio tower to meet new standards and solve communication problems.
The tower is set to be built just north of West Norfolk Boulevard near the Western Freeway. Currently, an orange sign by the street is all that shows a new 300-foot tower could be on its way.
"When seconds count, when public safety is putting their life on the line knowing that they can reach somebody to get help, you can't measure that," Portsmouth Chief Information Officer Daniel Jones said.
Jones said the new tower will solve issues that first responders are currently facing, like radios working in cars but sometimes not working outside of vehicles or in buildings.
"This will bring portable coverage no matter where any public safety agency goes within the city, Jones said. "They will have complete and reliable coverage."
The Portsmouth Fire Marshal said via planning documents that the tower "would help with 'dead' spots" and ensure the "safety of citizens and first responders when seconds count."
Neighbors near the proposed tower said they're on board with the construction and tower as long as it improves the emergency response for the area.
There is one condition for the approval of the tower - it cannot affect a plan to convert the nearby Old Commonwealth Railroad bed into a trail that will eventually run from downtown Suffolk to Virginia Beach.
Pending a final vote of approval from city council, the tower will be built and operational within the next year, Jones said.
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