FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)— When the City of Fort Wayne began to plan for a routine upgrade to their 911 communication radio system, they realized a problem.
Typically the city would upgrade the system using the same route between two towers. But one of the current routes vital to maintaining public safety communication between police, fire, etc. has a weakening signal. That’s due to land in between growing higher in elevation year after year. How can that be? Land typically doesn’t move upward, let alone at a rate of about 18 feet per year. But, one spot in Allen County does: Republic Services landfill.
According to Mike Reichard, the technical director for Fort Wayne Communications, in April 2024 the highest point of the landfill was at an elevation of 902 feet. In March 2025, it was 920 feet, 18 feet higher than 11 months before due to the amount of trash deposited in that time period…