Fayette County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the purchase and financing of a $7.5 million upgrade for its 911 radio system.
The Inter-County Regional Radio System, or ICORRS, will enable first responders to communicate directly with Westmoreland, Indiana and Armstrong counties, which are part of a regional network.
Motorola will provide the equipment and install the system. The county will finance the purchase through Motorola.
Controller Sean Lally said terms of the 10-year deal with Motorola call for annual payments of about $844,000, with an interest rate of 2.68 percent.
Jim Ahrens, a Motorola sales manager based in Severna Park, Md., said the county can pay off the loan at any time without penalty, giving commissioners the option to seek more favorable financing.
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink noted that the deal does not include annual maintenance fees. The fee for the first year is estimated at $199,000, and it increases annually, Zimmerlink said.
Guy Napolillo, Fayette's 911 coordinator, said the estimated maintenance costs are on the “high end,” noting that they likely will decrease once they're renegotiated in the contract's third year. In the past, for example, the county lowered the fee by having full coverage during business hours, then paying an hourly fee for service after hours, he said.
Roy “Barney” Shipley, director of the county's emergency management agency, said the county's 911 radio system dates to 1994 and is well past its “10-year life cycle.”
“It's very difficult finding replacement parts,” Shipley said. “Our system is at the end of its life.”
Liz Zemba is a reporter for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-601-2166 or lzemba@tribweb.com.
