North Dakota’s project to convert radios used by police, firefighters, emergency medical services and other first responders to the new “SIRN” system should be complete by 2027.
“SIRN” stands for Statewide Interoperable Radio Network. It will allow first responders to better-communicate with each other, even across county lines.
But the state SIRN administrator said there is some work to do to transition the “Public Safety Answering Points.” State SIRN program administrator Jared Lemieux said there are 20 PSAPs across North Dakota. He said six have already been completed, and another 6 are now in progress. And he says he’s working on education before the transition.
"We're replacing something that has been around for decades," Lemieux said. "We're talking about first responders being so used to one system — it's difficult to take that away, and provide a completely new network, where the might be limited knowledge of what the capabilities are, how to use it. Having the education and the knowledge going into it, before an actual transition, I think would ease that a little bit. So, in order to get that buy-in to the system, we have to educate."
Lemieux had been with the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department. He said at that time, it was hard to talk with other agencies and first responders.
"If I wanted to communicate with the McLean County Sheriff's department, back then I would have to get a hold of my dispatchers through the phone or my radio, and then they would call the other dispatchers, and they would get whatever information I wanted to relay," Lemieux said. "Now, there is the capability, if there is some sharing agreement, those deputies or first responders can directly speak with those in other counties."
Lemieux said that makes information dissemination so much quicker.
SIRN has 140 tower sites. The state has spent $120 million to get the system up and running.