The Warren County Commission this week approved the use of $2.4 million in coronavirus response funding to upgrade communications equipment for local emergency agencies.

County commissioners voted 3-0 on Tuesday to approve the funding, which will be drawn from $4.1 million provided for COVID-19 response under the federal CARES Act.

The funding will upgrade or replace nearly all the electronic equipment involved in county-wide emergency communications, according to the agency heads who proposed the project. That includes every vehicle-based and handheld radio used by first responders, tower antennas, and one physical tower structure in New Haven.

The proposal was spearheaded by the heads of Warren County Dispatch, Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Warren County Ambulance and Wright City Police Department. They said the upgrades are needed because their current communication equipment is outdated and functions poorly.

“We’ve been out on accidents on I-70 where you can see the lights on the main dispatch tower, but you can’t talk to it,” said Sheriff Kevin Harrison. “The (police officers) in the schools say that once they walk in the building, they lose all communication. ... Our walkie-talkies are almost line-of-sight only.”

County attorney Mark Vincent said the communication project is an appropriate use of CARES Act funding, because it improves first responders’ ability to communicate about potential COVID risks on a call.

Vincent gave the example of a first responder who arrives in an area with no radio signal, encounters a potential COVID patient, and isn’t able to relay that information to other responders. He said the county is trying to avoid a situation where poor communication allows a responder to unknowingly encounter and contract COVID.

“To me, that was grounds enough right there to say this definitely is needed to protect the health, safety and welfare of citizens of Warren County,” Vincent said. “I have absolutely no qualms in my mind that this is a proper use of COVID funds.”

Vincent said the costs for the project have to be incurred before Dec. 31 to qualify for CARES ACT funding. The county will purchase all the equipment needed by police, medics, firefighters and dispatchers, and provide that equipment to each agency, Vincent said.

Warren County Dispatch Administrator Amy Ellard said planning and permit applications for the communication tower in New Haven need to be done before construction begins. That construction would also be paid for directly from the county’s COVID funds.

After this $2.4 million allocation, other recent COVID response reimbursements to local agencies, and a large allocation to the county health department, the county will hold $700,000 to $800,000 in reserve for future COVID needs or reimbursements, said Presiding Commissioner Joe Gildehaus.

Warrenton rejects aid

Before funding for the communication project had even been approved, Warrenton city leaders opted out of participating in the project.

Warrenton Alderman Gary Auch urged the city not to participate, questioning whether the project is an appropriate use of CARES Act funding.

Auch said he agrees with the need for the communications upgrades, but that he fears a federal audit might force the city to pay back any CARES funding it receives for that purpose.

“From my interpretation, the clear guidance from the (Department of) Treasury is that these capital improvement projects are not qualified,” Auch said. “I don’t think, as such, the city should be part of any petition or any agreement that states these funds will be used for this purpose.”

Aldermen voted 4-2 to opt out of participating in the project, to be reconsidered if the county gets a certified auditor’s opinion on the project.

Due to opting out, the city will have to use its own money to upgrade in-car radios to be compatible with the new communication broadcast systems, said Police Chief Larry Ellard.

County officials responded to Warrenton’s concerns by saying that because the county government is paying for all the equipment upgrades, the county will be responsible for certifying that the funding was correctly spent.