Municipal officials, fire and police chiefs and concerned citizens gathered in the Hamburg Fieldhouse on Thursday night with one thing on their minds: How were they going to pay for new emergency radios?
The federal government is requiring that all emergency radio systems switch by Jan. 1, 2013, to narrow-band channels that take up less space on the radio spectrum to create more usable channels.
At the same time, Berks County is upgrading its 30-year-old radio system to give all emergency responders the ability to communicate with one another and improve communications in hard-to-reach areas.
The county is paying for the base system, estimated to cost $42.6 million.
But municipalities with police departments, ambulance companies and fire companies are going to have to spend millions more to upgrade their base stations, mobile units in vehicles and portable radios to make them compatible with the new base system. Those bills were what brought a crowd of about 60 to the meeting in Hamburg.
County Commissioners Christian Y. Leinbach and Kevin S. Barnhardt, along with Brian A. Gottschall of the Berks County Emergency Management Agency, were also on hand to answer questions about the new system.
Municipal and emergency service officials said the cost to buy new radios is a steep price to pay at a time when most people are struggling financially.
Hamburg Borough Councilman Doug Williams said he understands a new radio system is needed but doesn't know where his borough will come up with $180,000 to pay for radios.
"We don't have that money," he said, "and we won't have it either."
Leinbach noted the new radio system has been in the works for years, giving municipalities time to figure out how they would raise the money.
He also said the county is chipping in 20 percent of the municipalities' and emergency services' costs and loaning them the rest for seven years interest-free. The first payment is due in June 2013.
"I think the commitment the county has made to emergency services and public safety is significant," he said.
Leinbach, Barnhardt and Gotschall addressed several other issues as well, including how Motorola was chosen as the equipment provider and why the change needs to be made. They assured the crowd that no stone went unturned in their study of the issue.
The commissioners encouraged any officials who still had questions or concerns to contact them.
Copyright 2011 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
