Dayton Daily News
By Nancy Bowman
TROY — Miami County sheriff ‘s deputies will be getting new portable radios to replace models purchased in 2001 and requiring an increasing amount of maintenance.
The county commissioners Dec. 11 approved the sheriff ‘s request to buy 60 Harris EVXG radios for the 800 megahertz county communication system.
The $160,417 in radios, along with chargers, batteries, leather cases, lapel microphones and a two-year warranty, will be paid for out of the 2012 budget.
Commissioners discussed the purchase request with Sheriff Charles Cox and Chief Deputy Dave Duchak in a Dec. 6 work session. Commission President John “Bud” O’Brien said commissioners wanted to talk about the request, including the proposal to purchase from WS Electronics without bids from other vendors. He said the sheriff ‘s office checked for options but obviously was limited by the fact WS Electronics is the sole source provider for the Harris radios required for use with the county radio system.
In addition to “a lot of maintenance issues” with the current radios, the department has been told that within the next year or so, parts for the radios will be difficult, if not impossible to find, Duchak said.
“As expensive as they are, it is a pretty fair price,” he said.
The importance of reliable radios was addressed in the purchase request from Lt. Jamie McGlinch.
“These radios are used by our deputies and are the lifeline for both the deputies and the public needing a deputy,” he said.
The county would get little for trade in of 800-megahertz radios, so the plan is to repurpose the deputies’ old radios for use by correction officers in the jail. Extra radios would be used for parts.
The radios now used by the correction officers have a number of issues, including being hard to hear, Duchak said.
Cox said concerns about the correction officers’ current radios were included in a list of health and issues their bargaining unit has asked to discuss with management.
O’Brien asked if the new radios are expected to meet department needs for at least 10 years. Cox said they are, adding the repurposed radios being given to the correction officers likely will need replaced in around five years.
When that time comes, the old deputies’ radios can be replaced with a less expensive system that would meet needs, Duchak said.
Copyright 2012 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.