Lewistown, IL – Fulton County's ESDA organization is setting up a radio system that lets all first responders talk to each other from anywhere in the county.
ESDA Director Chris Helle says the county board is funding the cost of a repeater and of making that frequency available on most of the county's official hand-held radios.
He says it means that a deputy in Farmington will be able to talk directly to a fire fighter in Saint David.
Helle says the capability will mean the county's dispatchers will not have to handle much of the emergency traffic they're not directly involved in.
He says ESDA was allocated the frequency by the FCC. It will be available to law enforcement, fire fighters, ESDA volunteers, storm spotters and others who could benefit from it.
Helle says he has received help and technical support from the county's emergency telephone system board.
He says the county's system should be fully operational by the end of this year.
It will also be linked with a statewide communication system now being implemented. He says that will allow someone from one county to talk to any other county throughout the state.