LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — Some Lorain County police chiefs believe county leaders are imposing an outdated and potentially dangerous radio system on first responders.

A heated debate over the county’s emergency communications has raged for years, with internal political conflicts delaying long-awaited updates to a notoriously difficult system.

“In some buildings and parts of the townships, we simply have no radio reception. And that’s our lifeline,” Det. Captain Robert Vansant of the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office previously told News 5.

In January 2023, a newly created county commission canceled a weeks-old contract with Cleveland Communications, Inc. (CCI) to implement a Phase 2 radio system. A lawsuit filed by CCI against the county is still in progress.

The canceled contract delayed communications system updates:

Old radios cause communications problems for Lorain County first responders

RELATED: Old radios cause communications problems for Lorain County first responders

The county began accepting new bids for radio system operators, which newly elected Commissioner Jeff Riddell said was an attempt to make the process more fair and competitive.

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office has requested a special prosecutor to advise the sheriff in this investigation:

The battle for first responder radios in Lorain County heats up

RELATED: The battle for first responder radios in Lorain County heats up

At the end of 2023, the debate on a new communication system had lasted for almost six years.

Safety officials told News 5 the prolonged delay created a potentially dangerous situation:

Lorain Co. First Responders Still Without New Radio System Amid Continued Political Struggle

RELATED: Lorain Co. First Responders Still Without New Radio System Amid Continued Political Struggle

Riddell and Commissioner Dave Moore voted against Commissioner Michelle Hung to select Motorola Solutions International (MSI) to operate a multi-agency radio communications system, more commonly known as MARCS.

Riddell denied allegations that the decision was politically motivated and said it made the most fiscal and logistical sense for the county.

“Their contract had a stipulation that) the state of Ohio would pay for the maintenance of our system for 20 years, which would have saved taxpayers approximately $12 million,” Riddell said.

Hung said the contract was contrary to a study that recommended the new Phase 2 system over the older MARCS technology.

“Phase 2 works thanks to satellites and wi-fi. This is not just a trunked line. It’s newer technology,” Hung told News 5.

She compared the advantage of Phase 2 over MARCS to that of a 5G cell phone user versus 3G.

Many first responders also prefer the Phase 2 system over MARCS technology. In a letter written this week, the Lorain County Chiefs Association criticized the reliability of MARCS and said it was a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Lorain Police Chief Jim McCann, vice president of the association, said at least 18 county agencies have already used their own resources to move to the Phase 2 system, and more than a dozen Others plan to follow suit once a new tower is built.

He is the author of the following letter:

“The MARCS system and those working to impose this system on Lorain County first responders are imposing an outdated system. The not-so-advanced MARCS radio system failed in several counties several months ago when our area and eastern Ohio were hit by a powerful storm system. MARCS was down for several hours due to multiple system outages. The lack of adequate working generators and the lack of redundancy within the system that should have been in place. The system failed when Lorain County first responders needed it most. MARCS users in Lorain County and other Ohio counties were forced to use their existing systems or another system simultaneously. Finally, the MARCS Area Controller, the device that controls Lorain County, is physically located in Lake County and there is NO redundancy in place to keep Lorain County online should something happen again in Lake County.

The MARCS system is BAD for Ohio and Lorain County, just as I and the rest of Lorain County’s first responders have publicly stated. Those responsible must be held accountable. Millions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted.

Equipment is currently being installed in Lorain County and more is waiting to be installed. This equipment is provided by Motorola Solutions International (MSI). MSI recently announced the end of life of the GTR8k or GTR8000 and MCC7500e splitter boards. In less than 5 years, installed systems will be END OF LIFE AND WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED. These are the products that were purchased by Lorain County for the P25 PHASE 1 (OUT DATED) radio project that Moore, Riddel and Armbruster proposed after rescinding rather than canceling the original contract. They spent 14-18 million on obsolete equipment that will be obsolete in less than 5 years.

Moore, Riddell and Armbruster ignored calls from Lorain County.

Stakeholders, even when we approached them with an alternative plan to have both the MARCS system and the L3 Harris system. Adding the L3 Harris system would have cost only about $500,000. Moore, Riddell and Armbruster ignored us by claiming they knew what was best for the security forces.

The Harris L3 Phase 2 advanced radio system, known as the “five-city system,” did not fail during the storm. This is the system that the Security Forces wanted from the beginning and which was approved and awarded the initial contract.

Riddell disputed concerns about the technology becoming obsolete, explaining that there is already a plan to upgrade.

“We are already aware that it has a shelf life,” he said. “And Motorola will replace it, under the contract guaranteed by the State of Ohio, that the equipment will be updated before it becomes obsolete.”

A project manager also said that severe storms in August 2024 created problems but never contributed to a system outage. Riddell believes new towers being built in Lorain County will add additional redundancies and make the system more resilient to service interruptions.

He said most counties in Ohio, as well as state and federal agencies, use MARCS, and he believes its deployment in Lorain County will make communications more consistent.

Hung believes the county should place more emphasis on the concerns of first responders.

“These are the people who know best what they need to do their jobs,” she said.

Riddell said three additional towers with MARCS technology will be built by the end of the year and the system will be ready for testing by mid-2025.