Mississippi City’s Emergency Radio System Will Be Costly

The city of Laurel, Miss., has agreed to pay nearly half the cost of a more than $9 million emergency radio system.

The Chronicle reports that the city council agreed to the amount this past week.

Mayor Melvin Mack and City Council President Tony Thaxton, who serve on the Jones County Emergency Management Council, say a new radio system is needed.

“The system we have now is old, obsolete,” Mack said. “We need another system.”

The current system being used by the Jones County Emergency Operations Center is more than 20 years old. Officials say there are areas of the counties that have no radio coverage. Also because of its age, officials say replacement parts for the system are not readily available.

Laurel and Jones County each put up 45 percent of the money for the emergency operations center with the town of Ellisville provides 10 percent.

Officials said the $9.1 million system will be set up at the Emergency Operations Center.

The city and county will each pay $370,116 annually for a 15 year-contract. Ellisville will pay $82,248 annually for the 15 year-contract.