Climbing High to Keep the Signal Clear

The public safety radio system is a vital part of Portland's communications infrastructure. Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics from more than 80 different agencies all rely on this system, whose backbone consists of 14 communications towers strategically located around the metro area.

Stretching to the sky, these graceful structures are built to withstand high wind, freezing rain, searing heat, and even earthquakes. Portland's Bureau of Technology Services maintains the towers and the critical equipment they support.

That's where BTS electronics technician Josue Castaneda comes in. He and his coworkers in the bureau's Public Safety Technology team climb high above the city to make sure the signal stays strong and clear around the clock. The operational goal is to be up and functioning 99.9999% of the time.

Castaneda joined the City in 2019, having served in the US Marine Corps. "It's honestly a lot of fun," he says. "You get very nervous the first couple steps, but after that, it's incredible."

The towers range in height from 30 or 40 feet all the way up to the imposing tower at Goat Mountain, which stands 150 feet tall, or the one at Council Crest, a gargantuan 420 feet.

"You get to transport yourself to another world when you're up on those towers," he says.

Watch this video about Castaneda and his work.