Montgomery County Chronicle – November 21, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – December 11, 2013
County commissioners on Monday agreed to not apply for a state grant that, if awarded, would help the county upgrade its radio communication equipment for emergency services.
The $600,000 grant would have required a 10 percent match, or $60,000, from county coffers.
However, commissioners were lukewarm to the proposal because of anticipated changes and mandates from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management concerning Next Generation 911 and radio communications. Those mandated changes are expected to be released next year.
Commissioners said they were in full support of upgrading communications among law enforcement and emergency services, but they said they feared putting money into the project might be wasted if the mandated changes from KDEM would require a different communications program.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting were Darren Felts of the Montgomery County Rural Fire District #1 and Chad Soles, a communications director for the Coffeyville Police Department.
The grant application would have installed towers in key areas of Montgomery County for the local emergency services. The towers would have transmitted radio information via digital UHF frequencies instead of the 800 megahertz radio band, Felts and Soles said.
Be First to Comment