ODESSA, Texas — Odessa and Midland are making another effort to better work together. During a presentation Tuesday, the Odessa City Council heard about a project that would create a regional network between radio cores in the City of Odessa and Midland County.
The project would benefit first responders in the region in emergency situations. The mobile mass shooting in Midland-Odessa back in 2019 is when conversations for something like this began, and now it could become a reality.
This is the latest development between two cities and counties who continue to increase their ties.
“To have a regional type of radio system only makes sense, and it just makes us stronger," Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke said. "We’re stronger together than we will ever be apart.”
Gerke said with Midland County laying a primary line of fiber and the City of Odessa laying the backup line, it’s a collaboration.
“Midland County I believe is putting in a brand new radio core, and we’ve had a new radio core for three or four years now," Gerke said. "We’re going to combine those to make a much larger, more robust system."
With the two counties and cities currently operating on three different systems, Russell Kneese -- an account manager for Motorola Solutions -- said this project would change that.
“It’s all going to be on one system at that point, so trying to patch the systems together is no longer going to be an issue," Kneese said. "Now it’s just taking resources that are within the system and bringing them together.”
"Bringing them together" compared to the current situation.
“With the Odessa Police Department right now we’re able to speak just by turning channels on our radio to anyone in Ector County," Gerke said. "With this program [it] is so that we can have that same access with everyone in Midland County. So, just by the click on your radio you can speak with Midland Police Department, with Midland County Sheriff’s Office, with Midland Fire – any of those entities that we need to in the event of an emergency.”
The time is right to simplify things in the area.
“As both communities are growing larger, we’re working together more," Gerke said. "When those men and women that are the boots on the ground that are doing the work for law enforcement or for fire and rescue, when they’re under stress, to make life as easy as you possibly can for them. You can’t grab that radio when you’re under stress and search for these channels. You have to make it as easy as you possibly can for those folks, and that’s the goal here.”
Gerke mentioned they communicate with Midland on a daily basis and that this regional network would make it much more seamless. The project could be approved in two weeks following just discussion on Tuesday in front of city council.