Commissioners approve $73,290 battery backup to protect county emergency systems

Coffey County commissioners unanimously authorized the purchase of a three-phase lithium battery backup system for $73,290 on July 13, accepting the recommendation of Emergency Management Director Amber Presley. The system is intended to bridge gaps when the county generator runs out of fuel or fails, providing temporary power to the emergency operations center, radio communications and law-enforcement camera backups.

Presley told commissioners the county received two bids but recommended the higher-priced Voltex Energy proposal because it included detailed specifications and a clear battery warranty, while the lower-priced submission lacked the required system and warranty information. "The Voltex bid spells out the warranty on the batteries and explains the work they're going to do," Presley said, arguing that the clarity on service and warranty made the higher bid preferable given recent equipment failures.

Under the approved motion, funding will come half from the Technology Office Reserve Fund ($36,645) and half from the General Fund Radio Department contractual line ($36,645). The motion to accept Voltex’s bid passed 5-0.

County staff said the battery system will provide short-term runtime (staff estimated around 120 minutes on battery alone in one exchange) to keep radios and network services alive long enough to start generator systems or make other contingency arrangements following an outage. Presley said the purchase was prompted by recent multi-day interruptions in camera backups tied to failed batteries at critical sites.

The commission recorded no additional conditions on the award; staff will proceed with contract execution and installation scheduling.