Magistrates took one step closer to purchasing a new radio system for Logan County Tuesday after Sheriff Wallace Whittaker gave a recommendation to the court on behalf of the Joint Emergency Communications Board (JECOB).

JECOB acts as an advisory board of the Emergency Communications Center ECC/911 and has come before the court on three different occasions asking for help with the radio problems.

The Fiscal Court, after an hour long discussion, voted to allow the JECOB to negotiate with Kenwood who offers the NexEdge Digital Radio System which JECOB feels is the system the county needs.

NexEdge is a conventional and trunking technology featuring 6.25 kHz digital narrowband operation. It was designed to provide advanced communication solutions that meet the needs of private enterprise and public sectors.

The county’s current radio system is 10 years old and is overloaded and outdated which is causing communication problems between emergency services- including fire departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the county- and the dispatch center (911).

According to some emergency service workers, the problem could result in someone getting seriously injured or even killed.

A few weeks ago, Auburn Fire Chief Jeff Gregory came face to face with someone who he claims stuck a gun in his face and pulled the trigger. Although the gun did not fire, Gregory was fearful for his life and said as he was running, he could not radio into dispatch what was happening because he couldn’t get through.

Whittaker, who serves on JECOB along with other representatives of the county’s emergency services and law enforcement, told magistrates that JECOB held a meeting last Tuesday and were recommending the county move forward with the NexEdge digital system by Kenwood.

JECOB has been acquiring information on different systems and weighing in on each one and how well they would service the community. JECOB selected the NexEdge system after testing it out last week.

Whittaker explained there were four phases to the purchase. The first phase would be replacing the county’s radios, the second phase would be purchasing two additional repeaters that would be placed on the water tower in Lewisburg and a cell tower in Auburn, the third phase would be the replacement of equipment at the dispatch (911) and the fourth phase will be a third repeater that could be placed in another area of the county.

The court asked several questions of Whittaker one of which came from Magistrate Dickie Carter who asked, “Why wouldn’t we put this out for bids?”

Whittaker told Carter numerous times that Kenwood would not bid against itself so there would be no other Kenwood vendor to bid on the project. He said JECOB had done a lot of research and felt the NexEdge was the way to go.

Whittaker told Carter he would do what the court directed him to do, but said all he was asking for was a vote to allow him to continue working out a deal with Kenwood and to begin the grant process.

Magistrate Thomas Bouldin asked how long the system would last the county.

“That would be hard to tell with the changing technology, but the NexEdge system has the capability to be upgraded where the current system does not,” said Whittaker.

Magistrate Jo Orange chimed in saying this was something the court needed to move quickly on.

“This is a matter of saving lives,” said Orange.

The project cost is estimated at $1.1 million but is not set in stone.

“The price will probably be even less if the county finds a buyer for the old system,” said Whittaker.

Gene Keyser from Homeland Security visited Russellville last week after reading about Auburn Chief Jeff Gregory in News-Democrat & Leader. Whittaker said Keyser was very interested in the project and said there were monies out there which could help pay for the new system.

Homeland Security funding will be available for application in the summer of 2010. According to Auburn Chief of Police Scott Harmon, who came to the court over a year ago about the problem, said it will probably be a year before the county saw any of the monies from Homeland Security.

“The failing radio system is a big problem that has been hanging around for way too long. I am afraid someone is going to get hurt if something isn’t done now,” said Harmon.