Lee County Emergency Operation Center

After, a successfully demonstration in 2019, to our elected leadership of a Basic Assessment of Interoperability Telecommunications (BAIT) exercise in Lee County with the collaboration of Williamson County ARES and the Williamson County Office of Emergency Management and Williamson County Emergency Communications, lead to an MOU with Lee County and the Lee County officials tasking us to equip the Lee County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) with Ham Radio Communications. Lee County ARES has accepted this task and aims to equip the Lee County EOC with backup radio communications voice and digital, totally independent from their primary communication system.

Project Objective:

Set up a working Amateur Radio Communications station at the Lee County EOC

Goals:

Erected four amateur radio antennas
Have three working radio stations
Provided voice and digital comminutions

Objectives:

Secure funding to purchase needed equipment to fulfill our goals
Install a mast and antenna
- Add a tower as funds permit
Purchase items needed for mast installation, coax and grounding
Purchase antenna’s
- 3 VHF/UHF antenna
- 1 HF antenna
Purchase radios and items needed to utilize them
- 1 radio for packet (email via amateur radio; no internet necessary)
- 1 radio for local voice
- 1 radio for distance voice and digital modes as needed

Progress:

Meeting with the Lee County Sheriff’s office to determine where the first antenna should be installed was held. (July 2021)
Donation of Antenna stand and a mast has be accepted and items have been received. (July 2021)
Funding is being sought in the form of individual donations; City and County budget requests and submission to grants. (On-going until total needed is received)
Coaxial line and other equipment to attach to the antenna mast are being purchased with funds received to date. (July 2021)

Call to ACTION:

If you wish to assist in this project your financial support would be appreciated. Simply click on the donation button on the right hand side of the screen or by mailing your donation to:
Lee CARES at PO Box 1414, Giddings, TX 78942.

November 2021 Lee County ARES began testing the required height of the antenna for the EOC.