By Jim Hook, Senior writer, Public Opinion (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania)

FRANKLIN COUNTY — The county will spend nearly $500,000 this year to support its 911 communications system.

Franklin County started using its $6.9 million emergency radio system in 2011. The system allows first responders from different agencies to communicate directly with one another during emergencies. It also improves system performance in most areas where radio reception and transmission is poor.

Commissioners intend on Thursday to renew a $430,815 contract with Motorola for maintaining the system from Feb. 1 to Jan. 31. Fees from hard-wired telephones will pay for the maintenance contract.

The county received $569,358 in 2010 from its “wireline” fee of $1.24 per land line. The county also annually receives about $200,000 from fees on voice-over-Internet service and $1.5 million from cell phone fees.

The radio maintenance contract is consistent with other county maintenance contracts, according to Commissioner David Keller. The annual maintenance fee for computer hardware and software typically tends to be 10 to 15 percent of the original purchase price of a system.

“I hate to spend that much,” Commissioner Robert Thomas said. “If the system failed, that would be ineffective.”

People rely on the system for emergency assistance from police, fire and ambulance.

The maintenance contract includes dispatching, networking, monitoring, security, repairing circuit boards and supplying software updates, according to county Administrator John Hart. Motorola provides on-site tech support around the clock.

The county’s emergency communications system was installed by Motorola and was eight years in the making.

Motorola is the sole provider of maintenance on its system. The county’s cost is at a state-contracted price, Thomas said.

“This is not your grandpa’s radio system,” Thomas said.

The county’s 911 system in the past year has grown from three transmission towers to five and three consoles of dispatchers to five. A digital trunking system has replaced an analog system.

Non-county agencies have spent millions of dollars to purchase radios to use on the system.

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