By RANDY BARTLEY
Staff writer
Clarion County is building its first 9-1-1 tower later this summer. The erection of the tower near Leeper in Farmington Township is part of a plan to develop a system of county-owned of communication towers.
Last week, Clarion County commissioners approved a contract on behalf of the county’s public safety department with Tower Service Unlimited for a 195-feet tall communications tower and a concrete shelter placement at the Leeper communications site.
The concrete building will house the electronic switching equipment and a generator.
“Right now we have a tower in Marienville that we are currently using,” Commissioner Ted Tharan said. “That is Warren County’s tower and we are under their control. If something happens up there the whole northern end of our county would be in trouble. We have to get our own towers so we don’t have problems in the future.”
Tharan said there were gaps in the coverage area that the new tower should help to eliminate.
“We have to get these problems corrected,” he said.
Tharan said the start of construction depends on the weather.