At just over 3,000 square miles, Elmore County is one of the largest in Idaho, but also one of the most remote, meaning radio and wireless communication can sometimes be a struggle.
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In knowing thus area intimately, Elmore is no more remote than any other area in central Idaho or above. In fact, most don’t have issues here at all fighting Wildland Fire or even other state activity’s. This simply comes down to lack of funding, long term planning, and resources. The equipment provided by this county is less than qualified to provide life safety radio. No special radio systems are needed within this area and many cover this terrain and most of the territory just fine. This is an isolated case of poor radio system integration and lack of equipment refreshes in a life safety role. Please do not exploit this as a fix, the fix required more attention by administrative personnel and possibly retaining a qualified engineering firm. Not internal oversight. No one else seems to have an issue in this area. State UHF and Federal VHF systems provide more than adequate coverage, even in remote SAR situations, where cellular coverage is nonexistent.