Saline County needs to upgrade its 911 radio system. This week, emergency management warns the estimated price tag for the upgrades is $16.2 million.
In 2012, Saline County made changes to its emergency radio system to comply with FCC regulations. Today, the Kansas Highway Patrol is on a different system than Saline County and the Salina Police Department.
This means the agencies can’t directly communicate with one another. This is why the expensive upgrade is a necessity.
“Our troopers in the field could speak to the deputies and police officers in the field in real time. There would be no time delays by relay through phone and it makes events run a lot smoother and it’s a lot safer for everybody in the field when they can talk direct to each other,” KHP Captain Jim Oehm says.
(Read more: KWCH News)