19 March 2024
ELLSWORTH COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) – Communication is improving for first responders in a central Kansas county. It’s all thanks to a $670,000 federal grant from Senator Jerry Moran’s office.
Ellsworth County is using the money to buy 162 vehicle and handheld radios. The ones they have right now are close to 30 years old, and finding the parts to repair them is difficult.
“Just one battery is over $100 for a handheld radio. And we’ve had more luck finding after-market radios than from the manufacturer just they picked a time frame, decided they weren’t going to support that radio anymore, and every year that goes by it gets more difficult to keep them up and going,” said Ellsworth County Sheriff Murray Marston.
Another issue, the new state encryption key does not work for them.
“If we continue with the radios we have and we want to listen to someone that has the new encryption, we’re not able to do it because our radios aren’t capable of putting it in there,” said Sheriff Marston.
Having the encryption key ensures the county can communicate with other departments. The money covers handheld and vehicle radios.
County commissioners are also looking at possible improvements to the courthouse and sheriff’s office.