The Unified Government Board of Commissioners unanimously approved of a new $25 million emergency radio communication system for Wyandotte County at their meeting Thursday night.
The Unified Government and Board of Public Utilities will share responsibilities of operating the system and paying for it.
BPU will pay 25 percent of the installation's common costs, along with 25 percent of the maintenance costs. Meanwhile, the UG will pay the remaining costs in both areas.
Along with the costs, the UG and BPU will share operational responsibilities.
BPU's responsibilities include the following, word-for-word from the UG agenda:
"• Project management of the system installAccording to the UG agenda, the UG will have the following responsibilities of the new communication system:
• Warranty Management of the core system and BPU Subscriber Units
• Maintain all BPU Subscriber Units
• If requested and agreed to maintain UG portable subscribe units
• Develop, coordinate and maintain the fleet map
• Coordinate and install all over the air subscriber unit modifications
• Coordinate all system hardware, software installations and upgrades.
• Management and operation of the towers and microwave system and the sites
thereof
• Maintenance and of core communication network, fiber, microwave, towers and
antennas
• Coordinate with Unified Government departments and outside agencies as
required"
"• Execute and manage all contracts and agreements with outside agencies for theApproved terms of the cooperative partnership between the UG and BPU will be in effect for 15 years.
core system including the primary system vender
• Obtain, manage and maintain frequency and FCC licensing
• Coordinate with outside agencies for talk group assignments
• Continue to maintain and manage the 911 dispatch area
• Coordinate all specialty equipment and services such as special alerting
• Provide legal resources for project management
• Provide and update information for the fleet map"
A governance committee featuring equal UG and BPU representation will meet throughout the year to discuss the communications system.
