NWA editorial: Experiencing static

Radio plan uncomfortable for small towns

Have you ever had a feeling you were getting left behind?

It can be a daunting experience, a realization not unlike that of McCaulay Culkin's character in the 1990 movie Home Alone when he discovers his big family left for a trip to Paris and forgot to do a head count of their children. In that case, hilarity ensues, but it can be uncomfortable when you feel the world is moving forward far more quickly than you are.

What’s the point?

Benton County’s need for a new emergency services radio system won’t be easy for smaller towns to afford, but appears to be a necessity.

In this high-tech age, that experience has been amplified by the rapid advancement of capacity in computing through devices, whether it's a home assistant in the form of a small speaker, a doorbell that can communicate when someone is at your front door or a smartphone that can do, well, just about anything but clean the bathroom.

Small towns in Benton County are feeling a bit of a technological pinch as officials in county government look to replace an aged public safety radio system. Early next month, justices of the peace will weigh how to pay for a request from Sheriff Shawn Holloway to spend nearly $5 million for a new system for the sheriff's office, jail, road department, emergency services, coroner and the county's rural fire service.

The county's plan does not cover the costs for new radio transceivers for smaller towns' fire and police departments. The bad news for the smaller towns is the old system they rely on will eventually go away. As County Judge Barry Moehring recently noted, leaders in smaller towns are "not necessarily thrilled with it."

This newspaper reported that Pea Ridge, for example, would have to scrape up about $60,255 for its fire department and $41,220 for its police department. Centerton would need $58,280 for its fire department and $68,700 for its police department.

The official small government response to that is "ouch!" But Benton County is likely to march ahead with its plans.

This, of course, is one of the challenges of piggy-backing on a single radio system, but imagine what a new system for a small town would cost if the town went solo?

Benton County has a responsibility to provide public safety and communication is key to that mission. Hopefully, county leaders can find a way to make the transition as painless as possible for the smaller towns, but nobody benefits if the entire county keeps relying on outdated equipment that's perhaps easier to afford, but isn't as reliable as it once was.

Commentary on 08/21/2018

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