Benton County leaders hear about new radio system

BENTONVILLE -- The Benton County Intergovernmental Cooperation Council heard an update Tuesday on the radio system the county will put in.

The council is made up of mayors and the county judge and meets once a year. Thirteen of the 23 mayors attended.

The radio project launched Dec. 12. Tower analysis, site upgrades and frequency coordination are scheduled in March. The system is expected to go live next year, County Fire Marshal Marc Trolinger said.

Sheriff Shawn Holloway said his office and other officials have worked for several years on ways to replace the 15-year-old system the county uses.

The new system will cost $3.75 million. The county will spend $1.75 million from reserve and borrow $2 million to pay for the system.

The new system would be for the Sheriff's Office and jail, the Road Department, emergency services, the Coroner's Office and rural fire services, which will distribute the equipment among the smaller fire departments. The county also would buy seven consoles for its dispatch center.

The Sheriff's Office and jail, the Road Department, emergency services, Coroner's Office and rural fire departments will need 356 mobile radios, 601 portables and 175 pagers, according to documents.

The smaller cities would need to buy all new radios and equipment to be compatible with the new county system. Each new mobile radio costs about $1,295, according to information presented to the Quorum Court last year. Each portable radio costs about $995. Pagers cost about $695 each.

Fire departments in the smaller cities will need to buy 72 mobile radios, 230 portable radios and 164 pagers. Police departments in the smaller towns will need 133 mobile radios and 133 portable radios, according to county documents.

Trolinger told the council the numbers for the small cities were hammered out about six months ago and the total could change.

The small cities listed by the county are Bethel Heights, Cave Springs, Centerton, Decatur, Gentry, Gravette, Highfill, Little Flock, Lowell, Pea Ridge and Sulphur Springs. The Northwest Arkansas Regional Fire Department also was listed with the small cities.

The council also heard an update on the proposed courts complex and special election March 12 from County Judge Barry Moehring.