This latest article states that they are to be up and running by July of this year.
Carroll County Clerk of Court William Wohlwend donated $10,000 from his budget to help fire departments acquire equipment needed for MARCS participation.
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CARROLLTON – For William Wohlwend, it was worth contributing $10,000 to not have Carroll County potentially miss out on an opportunity to improve emergency service communication.
After hearing that the fire departments in Carroll County needed more cash to connect with the state Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS), the longtime county clerk of court reached in his county budget for the needed cash.
"I look at it this way, it is going to benefit the county," said Wohlwend, a Democrat. "There are areas of the county that are not accessible by our radio system that we have now. It is safety for everybody, the fire departments and the county. All the volunteer fire departments will benefit from this."
The State Fire Marshal awarded nine fire departments in Carroll County grants to help pay for equipment needed to join the MARCS network. In total, the grant amount exceeded $408,000.
"That pays for the radios going into the fire departments' hands," Carrollton Fire Chief Shane Thomas said.
The grant is specific regarding what the money can be used to purchase. It did not include two consolettes and a recorder that were needed for the MARCS project. And that is where Wohlwend stepped up.
"That is what they needed to merge with our communication system," county Commissioner Robert Wirkner said. "He was under no obligation to do so. My hat is off to him. I think our (commissioners) share will be $28,101."
MARCS provides first responders in Ohio with wireless digital communication. Safety service agencies are able to communicate instantly with MARCS.
Wohlwend, in his sixth term as clerk of court, said no other county official pleaded with him to make such a donation.
"I heard from casual conversation that they might be short," he said. "It is coming from the title budget. It is excess funds that come in every year. It is from the issuance of automobile and watercraft titles. It is not depleted. There are still a few dollars left in it. The paperwork is in the process to make that transfer."
The fire departments in Carroll County have been communicating on an ultra high frequency (UHF) system.
"This way, the sheriff's office and the fire departments will be on the same (radio) system," Wirkner said. "The MARCS will be maintained by the state of Ohio. The UHF system is maintained by the county. We have a target to be up and running by July of this year. This will give the fire chiefs interoperability with other emergency services."
When Carroll County officials realized the State Fire Marshal grant would not pay for the consolettes and the recorder, they searched for the equipment. They hoped to find it in the form of overstock with other political subdivisions. But county officials had no luck.
The fire departments were asked to contribute the needed $10,000.
"Some of these guys are strictly volunteer," Wirkner said. "They were having trouble meeting their share. Some of the departments are volunteer and are strapped for cash. The fire chiefs association would have had to scramble among themselves to come up with the money."
The equipment will be stored in Carroll County's communication center.
Reach Malcolm at 330-580-8305
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