Mar 17, 2023 6 min read

The Washington County commissioners approved the framework of a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the county’s emergency services radio system Thursday despite the objections from several first responders who spoke in opposition to the changes over concerns about its reliability.

The $22.545 million bid by Tait/MRA Inc./PMC Wireless was selected over a more expensive proposal from Motorola, which the first responders preferred because they thought it would allow for better communication over the current system that they said has proven to be troublesome.

Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan and Commissioner Larry Maggi said they wanted to use the Tait/MRA system because there was a chance its VHF radio system could be compatible with the county’s current network, while also raising concerns about the cost of Motorola and the inability for that company to quickly implement it.

If a study shows the Tait/MRA system will work, the contract will be finalized and the upgrade will be paid using federal American Rescue Plan Act money. Irey Vaughan and Maggi said the 2026 deadline to use that ARPA money was a factor since they could not have assurances that the Motorola proposal could be implemented in time to qualify for those federal stimulus funds.

Irey Vaughan said they wanted to make a “significant” investment into the public safety communication system, and the Tait/MRA proposal came closest to the county’s $20 million budget. She added that the proposal must first be studied to see if the system will work with Washington County’s current configuration before it would be implemented.

“If (the current proposal) cannot work, we pull back,” Irey Vaughan said. “That’s what this is about. … We sit here trying to determine what can we do, wanting to do something to help. This seemed like the logical first step to have this analysis done and submit this to the Treasury (Department).”

“Budget concerns drove this project and, again, either way it has to be approved by the (U.S) Department of Treasury,” Maggi added.

Irey Vaughan and Maggi approved the motion, while Commissioner Nick Sherman voted against it after unsuccessfully trying to get the decision tabled to delay it for at least a month.

“I don’t feel that we’ve had enough time to review this,” Sherman said. “I think that out of respect for the first responders that are here that it’s in everyone’s best interest that we look at this, and I don’t think another month will do any real damage to this project.”

Several emergency responders who lined the back of the meeting room – some of whom spoke during the public comment session – raised concerns before the vote.

While many of them praised the commissioners for trying to address the issue after implementing a select committee of first responders to review previous radio communication problems, the speakers said they didn’t think the current proposal from Tait/MRA would fix reliability issues. They were especially worried that if the system did not work properly, it would saddle the county with a long-term problem without fixing the current issues.

South Strabane fire Chief Jordan Cramer said when he previously worked as a firefighter in Peters Township, he noticed a major difference between that municipality’s individualized communications system that is separate from the one used countywide.

“It was a major shock when I came down to South Strabane and started using the countywide system as far as the quality and its complete inability for us to communicate while in emergency situations,” Cramer said.

He said there have been radio communication outages in the past, along with an inability at times to speak with nearby fire trucks that are approaching crash scenes. Cramer doubted the new proposal would make any meaningful changes since it comes from a subcontracted vendor of the current MRA system, and asked the commissioners to reconsider their plans.

“We are experiencing (communication issues) every single day and we need it fixed properly. We’ve learned over and over in the past decade that this radio system is subpar and it’s a public safety crisis in Washington County,” he said. “Continue putting a Band-Aid on a broken system with the same vendor that built one is a disservice to our county.”

Others said they didn’t feel like their concerns were considered after they reviewed numerous solutions trying to fix the radio communication issue while the committee convened over the last two years. The members of that committee who spoke during Thursday’s meeting said they disagreed with the commissioners’ decision and preferred to go with a different provider.

“I should be standing here today with a smile on my face and joy in my heart that we’re finding a solution to a problem we’ve had for decades,” West Alexander fire Chief Eric Graham said. “I’m standing here today with apprehension and a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that we’re going to be going down the same road we have for the last 42 years.”

After the vote, the first responders filed out of the meeting and congregated in a hallway while spending several minutes discussing what the proposal could mean for radio communications in the county in the future. Most of them said they had few answers and couldn’t predict if it would work properly.

“Communications are a vital key to public safety, not just our own,” Washington fire Chief Chris Richer said after the meeting.

“What is next?” Richer asked rhetorically as he shrugged his shoulders.

Also during the meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved a bid from Hickory Telephone Company to extend 47 miles of broadband wiring to Jefferson Township, Canton Township and Taylorstown to provide high-speed internet to 383 residential and commercial customers. The $4.88 million contract will be split between Hickory Telephone and the county, which will pay $1.95 million of the cost using federal American Rescue Plan Act money.

The commissioners also agreed to have Washington County participate in five new proposed national opioid settlements with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, although financial details were not immediately released.