DOJ warns Montana’s public‑safety radio system needs restored operating appropriation and site build‑out to avoid service decline

Officials from the Montana Emergency Communications program (Emtek) at the Department of Justice briefed the interim Children, Families, Health and Human Services committee on the state’s public‑safety radio backbone and warned that a recurring operations appropriation must be restored to avoid deterioration.

Emtek representatives said the legislature provided about $3.75 million annually in 2019 for operations and maintenance; a one‑time transfer of about $18.6 million in 2023 paid vendors and cleared debt but canceled the recurring appropriation. Emtek staff said those operational funds are set to expire on July 1, 2027, and that without restoration the system could fall into disrepair and compromise interoperable communications among state, federal and local first responders.

Jamin Howell, Emtek’s technical manager, described the technical architecture: a microwave backbone connecting roughly 130 mountaintop sites and roughly 80 sites with usable radio equipment today, with coverage reaching about 60% of Montana’s population. Howell estimated that a phase‑1 build to add roughly 40 radio sites would require about $1,000,000 per site — roughly $40 million total — and that an annual operations increase in the neighborhood of $5 million would better support preventive maintenance and staffing (Emtek currently reports three full‑time radio technicians statewide).

Committee members asked about per‑site costs, the reasons some less‑populated northern areas show greater coverage than denser corridors (terrain and targeted border grants were cited), and possible funding sources. Emtek noted about $22 million in local buy‑in from counties over the past six years, limited federal grant eligibility to date, and technical options such as a hybrid model that integrates fiber, LTE and emerging satellite links for redundancy. Emtek said many recently purchased radios are LTE‑capable and forward compatible with device‑to‑satellite options.

Law‑enforcement associations that testified — including the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and the Montana Police Protective Association — urged the committee to support restoring sustainable infrastructure funding and opposed a fee‑for‑service billing model that would levy charges on local agency usage.

Committee members asked Emtek to provide a clearer cost estimate for specific site builds and an analysis of how expanded coverage would improve EMS response and frontier medical access; Emtek agreed to provide those materials for the EMS study and upcoming committee reports.