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Elko County board approves staff pursuit of new radio consoles to match state system upgrade
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Summary
The Elko County Enhanced Title 1 Board authorized staff to pursue purchase of six-position radio consoles to prepare for the Nevada Shared Radio System upgrade; quotes range from about $300,000 to $642,000 and staff recommended prioritizing the project in the coming budget year.
The Elko County Enhanced Title 1 Board on April 3 approved a motion directing staff to pursue purchase of upgraded radio console equipment for the county dispatch center to ensure compatibility with an upcoming statewide radio-system upgrade.
The move comes as the Nevada Shared Radio System (NSRS) is scheduled for incremental upgrades in Region 3 during 2026; county staff said updated console hardware is required for dispatch to operate on the new system and to remain interoperable with current systems.
Board members and staff discussed multiple vendor quotes. County staff presented benchmark quotes ranging from about $300,000 for a four-position system to roughly $580,000 for a four-position configuration with additional features; a six-position configuration that staff described as meeting the county's preferred capacity was estimated at approximately $642,000. Staff said the quotes appear to include installation and that the vendor used for benchmarking is a Zetron system.
Susan, county staff, said the E-911 fund has available money to support the purchase and urged moving the project up the priority list. "I think the funds are available in the E-nine 0 1 fund and we do have a responsibility to try and spend those down, so I think this is a good move either way," she said.
Board members noted timeline pressures: quotes carried a 90-day validity period and the county fiscal year ends June 30, narrowing the window for completing procurement this fiscal year. Staff and board discussed the option of including the project on the upcoming budget list so it is tentatively approved through the budget process, then finalized if pricing and timeline allow.
Motion and vote: Board member Kevin McKinney moved that staff pursue purchase of a six-position radio console system within this budget year; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board did not record individual roll-call votes on the record; the chair announced the motion carried.
Board staff said they will rank the console purchase higher on the 5-year master plan and bring quotes and budget details back to the Board and County Commission as part of the capital-request process.
Why this matters: radio consoles are the local interface between dispatchers and multiple radio and phone systems; being ready for the NSRS upgrade and the P25 standard is necessary for dispatchers to receive and transmit on channels used by local law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services.
