ROMNEY - The Hampshire County Office of Emergency Services has received a $351,000 grant to purchase radio equipment for fire and emergency medical services operations, according to OES director Mike Crouse.

The Hampshire County Sheriff's Department has received a $123,000 grant to purchase radio equipment, according to Sheriff Nathan Sions.

"There is $1.25 million in grant funding coming into the county for the new statewide communications system," Crouse told Hampshire County Commissioners Don Cookman, Steve Slonaker and Robert Hott.

He said there are three vendors on the state system and suggested the county request bids on the equipment as soon as possible.

Crouse said that once the equipment is installed and operational it should solve a lot of their interoperability problems. "They will be able to talk to each other from their vehicles," he said, noting that two new towers will also help resolve some issues of communication among the agencies.

Crouse reported on other emergency services-related issues, including a request for the purchase of co-ax cable for the new 911 center and related fittings at a cost of $8,000 as well as surge suppression equipment at a cost of $5,000. He said that one bid was submitted for electrical equipment and a generator for the new 911 location on Jersey Mountain Road, one for the concrete basement of the new facility and none for the fire alarm system.

He said they received two bids on the building but there are some issues with the requests for proposals.

Crouse said that there are fire marshal concerns with the two proposals but that he believes they can be rebid to accommodate those concerns.

"I know of two other vendors who should be within 10 to 15 percent of the higher bids," he said.

The commissioners suggested that the engineers on the project need to talk with the fire marshal and asked Crouse to arrange a conference call to make sure what is needed for the new 911 facility.

Crouse provided photographs of the Regional Response Team tractor-trailer and told the commissioners that the vehicle is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to respond in the event of an emergency anywhere in the region, including such things as a hazardous materials spill or terror threat.

He said that each of the four counties in the region is putting $2,500 into a pool that will maintain the vehicle and update its equipment as needed.

"The best part is we don't have to be responsible for it, because it's being housed in Hardy County," Crouse said.

"This is all first-class and very expensive."

He told the commissioners that while they would not have to contribute to the fund, it they use the vehicle in an emergency, they would have to pay for its use at the time and it could run into "tens of thousands of dollars" in a single instance.

The commissioners tabled action on the regional vehicle issue until their next meeting Oct. 23.

Mona Ridder can be reached at mridder@times-news.com.