A public commenter told the Neosho County Commission on Sept. 25 that transitions to a volunteer-managed digital radio network had been mishandled and asked the county to step in to ensure countywide emergency communications work for law enforcement, EMS and the five volunteer fire departments.

Shirley Estrada Rullery, who addressed the commission during public comments, said the Saint Paul Mission Township fire chief first asked the county for help with digital radio upgrades in 2019. Rullery told the commission those requests were repeatedly denied and, instead, volunteer departments raised grants and donations to purchase radios and install repeaters. “Having an effective communications system for all — law enforcement, EMS, and volunteer fire departments — has been, is, and always will be a matter of life and death,” Rullery said.

Rullery urged the commission to convene meetings with fire chiefs, hire an independent radio vendor to objectively assess the county’s analog and digital systems, and conduct site surveys to determine optimal repeater placement rather than rely on ad hoc repeaters placed by volunteers.

911 operations update: later in the meeting the county’s 911 staff reported the digital radios had been programmed and distributed to departments. A county 911 representative said the mobile and portable units for Starks and Saint Paul were in service, Erie had installation hardware outstanding, and dispatch tests showed clear communication on some links. The same staff member confirmed that county payments for the radio work had been made.

Financial and audit detail: the 911 representative told commissioners that a 911 pretax account — money provided by the state and restricted by audit rules — holds $41,639.14. The staff member said that auditor guidance limits allowable uses of that pretax fund and that the county currently pays CodeRED public-notification costs from it.

Why it matters: public comment and staff reporting together showed two overlapping issues: community frustration about perceived delays in county action previously, and staff saying the technical deployment has advanced and payments are complete. Rullery and others asked for an objective third-party assessment and formal county oversight because parts of the county still have analog “dead spots.”

Discussion points and county response: commissioners and staff acknowledged coverage gaps in south and southeast areas; commissioners asked staff to confirm whether county-made investments and contracts had created any gaps in authority or liability if volunteer departments manage parts of the system. County staff said the analog system would remain as a backup while volunteer-managed digital repeaters would be used as the primary system for the participating volunteer fire departments.

Next steps: no formal motion or county policy change was recorded during the meeting. Public comment recommended specific next steps — a site survey, third-party assessment, and meetings with fire chiefs — and 911 staff said they would continue coordinating deployments and verify technical performance. Commissioners did not vote on an independent assessment at the meeting.