Wadena County commissioners agreed to spend $77,484.38 in grant money on 800 megahertz mobile and portable radios for the ARMER system.
Projected income from a Public Safety Interoperable Communications grant is $52,000, including a 20 percent match from the county for around $10,000. The grant funds total $79,849 with $27,849 from the Homeland Security Grant Program.
The entire sheriff's department, including the jail administrator's vehicle and Emergency Management Director Scott McKellep, and the police departments in the county will get 15 mobile radios, McKellep said. The mobile radios are placed in vehicles and will cost $52,500 plus sales tax. Eight portable hand-held radios will cost $20,000.
For now, the schools and the county highway department will remain on VHF, McKellep said. They are mandated to be narrowband by 2013, however.
"I do foresee more grant opportunities out there, so I think we're doing really well," McKellep said.
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ARMER is part of a state-wide effort to create an interoperable communication system. Commissioner Lane Waldahl attends the Regional Radio Board meetings and heard a good report from the Kandiyohi County sheriff about the effectiveness of the system, he said.
McKellep said coverage from the system is far exceeding state projections.
