Each district faces different challenges. For the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, the problem areas are around Vallecito Reservoir, Transfer Park<\/a> north of Lemon Reservoir and along certain county roads. For the La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office, one of the biggest concerns is La Plata Canyon. Durango Fire Protection District said the Animas Valley north of Durango has reception issues. Silverton San Juan Fire and Rescue Authority said Molas Pass, Red Mountain Pass and most backcountry areas have dead zones.<\/p>\n The dead zones in the San Juan Mountains make it difficult to receive vital updates from dispatchers during emergencies. In some areas, first responders can be isolated as soon as they step away from their vehicles. In rare instances, reception can impact response times.<\/p>\n After Sept. 11, the federal government launched an effort to have one radio channel that all first responders could use, called the 800 MHz Spectrum<\/a>. Colorado adopted 800 MHz in 2008<\/a> and designated $40 million to help agencies switch to new hardware and software. However, the 800 MHz system doesn\u2019t work as well in the mountains as it does on the plains.<\/p>\n \u201cI can hear the 800 MHz radio better in Denver than I can down here, even though I\u2019m on a local channel,\u201d said Brock Fortson, Upper Pine fire captain.<\/p>\n Bruce Evans, Upper Pine chief, said the need for better coverage is critical in parts of his agency\u2019s district.<\/p>\n