Bedford County commissioners press for firm update after multiyear delay on emergency radio system

Commissioner Matt said Bedford County needs a firm update on the countywide radio system purchased with American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, saying the county "deserves better" after what he described as a multiyear rollout with gaps in service.

The discussion, held during the Bedford County Public Safety Committee meeting, centered on repeated operational problems with the TACN communications radio system under development with Motorola and on-site upgrades such as work at Hawthorne Hill. Commissioner Matt said the county received about $5,200,000 in ARP funds for the radios, called for someone to "pick up the ball and either call Motorola," and warned, "If something were to happen, with anybody or anybody's life based on this radio situation, I would be the first guy to hit the roof." Director Kitchens responded that county staff and Motorola have been engaged, that some sites required electrical and generator upgrades, and that supply-chain delays had affected radio and equipment delivery.

Why it matters: County emergency radio coverage affects first responders' ability to coordinate on fires, medical calls and severe-weather responses. Committee members said they were hearing reports from local departments of intermittent or absent radio communications; Commissioner Matt cited at least one incident where a responder had to use a landline to reach dispatch.

County and vendor progress: Director Kitchens said crews have logged about 80 handheld radios into inventory and that work at several tower sites has included new building shells, upgraded generators and electrical work. He said Hawthorne Hill required a ground-up rebuild and that the county obtained a replacement cell-tower building at no cost. The mayor told the committee that Motorola personnel visited county sites in the past several months and that vendors had acknowledged miswiring and configuration errors. The mayor said, "they had got miswired, crosswired, dropped the ball. People changed in their system as well." Director Kitchens also noted that global supply issues delayed some radio and antenna shipments.

Committee expectations and next steps: Commissioner Matt asked for a more definitive update from Director Kitchens and raised the possibility that county leadership, including the mayor's office, should press Motorola to complete work. The mayor said his office and state communications officials have been engaged and that the county has worked on site improvements and testing. No formal vote or direction to staff was recorded during the discussion; the meeting record shows requests for a "more firm update" but not a specific deadline or formal assignment to a single official or vendor.

What was not decided: Committee members did not adopt a formal motion to change vendors, allocate additional funds, or set an explicit completion date at the meeting. No new contract award, contract amendment, or procurement action was recorded in the committee transcript.