Dekalb County Joins the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network

On Monday, Nov. 10, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and DeKalb County first responders held a ribbon cutting ceremony officially welcoming DeKalb County to the statewide Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN),

The ceremony, held at the DeKalb Community Complex in Smithville, was attended by representatives of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Fire, 911, Rescue Squad, and EMS the Smithville Police, Fire and EMA and the Alexandria Police, who are all now on TACN. DeKalb County’s decision to join TACN helps ensure that first responders have reliable communication for daily operations and the ability to talk and coordinate with local, state and federal agencies across Tennessee.

“We are excited to welcome DeKalb County into TACN,” said Les Dolente, Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “Communication and interoperability will drastically improve for DeKalb County first responders, and as a result, lives will be saved. No matter what kind of emergency they are responding to, communication is key to a swift response. I applaud DeKalb County on their deep commitment to protecting their citizens. Partnerships and synergy like this – between state and local leaders - exemplifies what makes Tennessee strong.”

DeKalb County began the transition from its outdated analog radio system TACN in early 2024, following the County Commission’s approval of funding for law enforcement and EMS. Through a combination of county, TACN and grant funding, all first responder agencies now have the portable radios and other equipment needed to access TACN.

Earlier this year, DeKalb County purchased property in the community of Liberty where TACN will construct and maintain a new telecommunications tower dedicated exclusively to public safety. This tower, and a second tower location in development, will significantly improve coverage in DeKalb County and enable first responders to communicate with surrounding state towers during major incidents and disasters.

“As many in this group know, emergency communications in DeKalb County as been somewhat of a challenge,” said Brad Mullinax, DeKalb County 911 Director. “I first started working with emergency communications in 2002 when I was hired to support the 911 system in DeKalb County. Since 1975, DeKalb County has relied on an antiquated conventional analog radio system for responder communications.  We have had many challenges over the years keeping the system operable and up-to-date.  We reached a time, about two years ago, when our county was forced to do something different.  This is when we started our journey with TACN to replace the analog radio system to improve coverage, security our radio traffic, and improve reliability. Many people worked together to help us migrate to TACN. This cost-effective and reliable communications system will help us better serve the citizens of DeKalb County and keep our first responders safe.”

Currently, TACN supports more than 73,000 local, state, and federal government users statewide. Last year all state agencies transitioned to TACN to experience the statewide communications interoperability and the cost savings it delivers.

For more information about TACN visit, tn.gov/safety/tacn.