Sigourney is home to one of 89 tower sites that will serve a new statewide communications system.

The Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board (ISICSB) is installing these radio towers to provide better communication of public safety agencies across the state. Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator and ISICSB member Larry Smith describes the system, “It will be a statewide system that state departments, agencies will be on. Such as the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa DNR, and Iowa DOT are many of the state agencies that will convert to it in the near future.”

Plans for the system began in 2004 as Smith was on a task force for Governor Tom Vilsack to create a radio board for all Iowa First Responders, which later became the ISICSB. Smith mentions how the new system will benefit Iowa, “This system will really enhance the officers’ safety as well as response agencies across the state locally, because it will be such an expanded network that the officers can talk command to command or vehicle to vehicle, to each other.” This interoperable radio system will allow different counties to communicate with each other at no cost, besides purchase of a radio.

The 400 foot tower has been erected in Sigourney. Smith says the board plans on having all the tower sites built by the end of this year, and having the system ready for agency use by mid-2018.