A new study is recommending a multi-million dollar overhaul to the regional fire dispatch system based out of Kamloops.

A report delivered to the TNRD’s Committee of the Whole is recommending 5.2 million dollars worth of upgrades to the system — with the Regional District needing to find over 3 million dollars of that money on its own.

Jason Tomlin, the TNRD’s Manager of Fire Protection Services, says they commissioned the report to find out if they are keeping up with advancing technology.

“We wanted to be, I guess, educated about what we need to do moving forward to to make sure that we’re hitting all of those key points, and that we’re making the best use of our infrastructure,” said Tomlin.

While much of the upgrades are technical in nature, the study calls for new base stations and repeaters throughout the region to ensure that fire crews can speak to one another without the threat of disruption in service.

According to analysis in the report, the upgrades would require the installation of a stronger VHF radio system, including additional repeaters and stronger base stations.

“The current linking system has many inadequacies that can be corrected with the redesign of some of the existing links while adding additional links to unserved areas,” said the report from PlanetWorks Consulting Corporation.  “Three or four areas (Blue River, Spences Bridge, Lytton and possibly Clinton) have more difficult linking challenges due to terrain, so a cellular-based LTE primary connection is proposed.”

Tomlin says the system, as it stands now, is still effective, suggesting people don’t need to worry about any drop-off in service if and when they do go ahead with the upgrades.

“This is simply looking at a 23 year oldish system,” noted Tomlin.  “It’s time to review it and make sure that it robust enough so we can confidently move forward into the future.”

The regional fire dispatch system — which covers areas throughout the TNRD — is based out of Fire Hall #1 in Kamloops, and hasn’t been upgraded since it was first established there in the early 2000’s.

The proposed upgrades to the system would be phased in over the course of a number of years, should the TNRD Board of Directors give its approval.