Interoperability Montana (IM) Project
Tri-County Interoperability Consortium (TIC)
Broadwater, Jefferson and Powell Counties along with the State of Montana Department of Corrections have formed the Tri-County Consortium. This is an ongoing, collaborative process, and the Powell County Sheriff's Department is serving as the lead agency. Upgrading existing radio systems to P-25 trunking capable will include project management, mobile units, handheld portable units, programming and major infrastructure improvements for repeaters, microwaves, tower and building improvements. Once the needs assessment is completed, engineering and implementation costs will be more definitive.
The Southwest Interoperability Project (SWIP) that Lewis and Clark County recently completed covers a large portion of the Tri-County area using Project 25 standard trunked and conventional technology. The TIC recognizes that P25 alone will not insure interoperability and intends to develop a frequency utilization plan for first responders and make certain that key elements such as the Mutual Aid and Common Frequencies (colored frequencies) are incorporated. TIC will consult with neighboring consortia to identify other common channels that will enhance mutual aid interoperability.
