HERMISTON, Ore. (AP) — Umatilla County is searching for a way to preserve an 800-square-mile wireless network used by police officers to file reports and check security cameras.
For now, the wireless network is part of the U.S. Army’s Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program for the communities surrounding the Umatilla Chemical Depot, which is scheduled to destroy the last of its chemical weapons stockpile in January 2012.
Hermiston police chief Daniel Coulombe says the system has saved his officers 2,000 hours since the program started 10 years ago.
The East Oregonian reports the county needs to find 100,000 to keep the system operating.
Morrow County Emergency Management Director Casey Beard says individual cities may decide to pay to keep their part of the network running.
