Mich. County Forking Out $1.2M for Radio Upgrades

Dec. 11, 2013
Huron County will remain independent of Michigan's Emergency System.

Dec. 11--HURON COUNTY -- An upgrade to its 911 radio system will cost Huron County more than $1.2 million.

The Huron County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to contract with E.F Johnson of Irving, Texas, on Tuesday morning to create the system and remain independent of Michigan's Emergency System. An alternate plan that was discussed would be to upgrade Huron County to the state's emergency system at a cost of $1.1 million, but that also would mean a yearly fee of $45,000 to $50,000 that the county would have to pay.

The new system will have about a 15-year lifespan.

Randy Miller, director of Huron County Emergency Services, pointed out advantages of remaining independent of the state system.

The state system would put limits on how much time police, firefighters and EMS services could spend on the radio.

"With the fees we would have to pay, we'll come out ahead," Miller said. "The new system is going to expand coverage for all our first responders out there."

The current system is based on analog technology, instead of digital, and was put into place in the 1990s.

"The age of the system means that it's worn out," Miller said. He added that it hasn't been able to keep pace with technological improvements.

Pigeon-based Agri-Valley Services will provide fiber services and Internet connections for the project at a cost of $18,600 a month. The new system should be in place by Memorial Day.

"This supports local business," commissioner John Bodis said. Miller added that the Pigeon company has already stepped in for Huron County and helped replace parts of the current system that have failed.

The county will borrow $450,000 from the Huron County retiree fund to finance the project. It will pay it back at a yearly 3.5 percent interest rate, according to commissioner Ron Wruble. The boards checked with corporate council Steve Allen to make sure that it was a sound plan to pay for the new system.

"When I looked at the retiree fund, I got nervous," chairman Clark Elftman said before he gave his approval. The commissioners said that the fund would come out ahead in a few years.

Miller said he negotiated the $1.2 million price tag down from $1.7 million.

"They bent over backwards to make sure we got the system," he said.

More than 400 radios will be replaced or upgraded after the project is complete, and that will help emergency services, according to Miller.

Elftman said he was pleased with work that Miller has done on the project.

"We have to have this and it will be a plus for the community," Elftman said. "I'd like to compliment the 911-board for the work they've done on this."

Copyright 2013 - The Huron Daily Tribune, Bad Axe, Mich.

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