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Resident urges clarity on county role and management of new digital radio system for volunteer fire departments
Summary
At the Aug. 12 Neosho County Commission meeting, resident Shirley Estrada pressed commissioners for clearer agreements and technical oversight after the county spent roughly $27,000 on digital radio equipment intended for five volunteer fire departments. She raised questions about system ownership, programming passwords and long-term maintenance.
Shirley Estrada, a Rural Erie resident, told the Neosho County Commission on Aug. 12 that she supports a countywide digital radio system for volunteer fire departments but is concerned about how the county is handling implementation and control.
Estrada said the county has now spent about $27,000 on repeaters, radios and related work and that early comments describing the county as a donor have shifted toward the county acting as an owner: "Early in the discussions, the comment was made, 'it's not our system. We're just donating.' But now that seems to have changed," she said.
The county and several local departments have been coordinating with systems already in place in Saint Paul and Galesburg. Estrada asked who will manage programming, passwords and inventory when firefighters resign or equipment fails. "How can the county own the radios but then turn around expect…
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