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Harvey County to redistribute 51 surplus 800 MHz radios to local emergency agencies
Summary
The Harvey County commissioners approved transferring about 51 used 800 MHz radios to five local agencies, with recipient departments agreed to pay roughly $500 each for necessary updates; the county said the radios are discontinued by the manufacturer and were purchased years ago.
Don Gruber, the county’s director of communications, told the Harvey County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 25 that the county will reallocate roughly 51 surplus 800 megahertz radios to local emergency responders rather than sell the units.
"These radios were all 10 to 14 years of age," Gruber said, noting parts are discontinued and repairs are difficult to obtain. He said the radios were still largely functional and that redistributing them to smaller agencies would extend useful life while saving local taxpayers from paying full replacement costs.
Gruber said agencies that requested radios include Walton Fire, Burton EMS, Sedgwick EMS, Heston Fire & EMS and Newton Public Works. Some radios need software updates or minor repairs; Gruber said the county estimated a paging-option update at about $148 per unit and a recent repair at about $650. To spread costs, the county proposed the recipient departments pay roughly $500 each for updates and repairs for their allotments; the county will cover at least one repair discovered after the offer was made.
Gruber framed the transfer as a cost-saving reuse of equipment that taxpayers already paid for. "They're getting several thousand dollars worth of radios that taxpayers have already paid for," he said.
Commissioners voted to approve the transfer by voice vote. No additional conditions were specified in the meeting record.
The action follows a multiyear radio replacement process: Gruber said the county purchased new radios previously and now is reassigning older units to partner agencies rather than attempt resale. The county did not provide a final dollar valuation for the 51 radios; Gruber estimated that, at current retail prices, similar radios could cost several thousand dollars each, and that used units might fetch only a few hundred dollars on resale.
The board approved the transfer during its Nov. 25 meeting and thanked staff for coordinating distribution and programming.
