Funding will support emergency services in both Lincoln and Garrard Counties

WASHINGTON (April 5, 2010)—Today at a press conference with Garrard County and Lincoln County officials, Congressman Ben Chandler announced $145,000 in federal funding to finance updated technology for emergency responders. This federal money will provide equipment for law enforcement officers and will update the regional 911 dispatch center in Lancaster, which also serves Lincoln County.  Garrard County Sheriff Wardrip accepted the funds.

“Our first responders are the first line of defense in an emergency,” Chandler said. “The people here today regularly put their own lives on the line to keep the people of Garrard County and Lincoln County safe, and they need and deserve the best equipment possible. This communications equipment will result in faster emergency response time, more secure communications, additional coverage in rural areas, and will increase public safety in both of these counties.”

Garrard and Lincoln Counties combined their 911 services in 2007. This regional center in Lancaster now handles calls for 22 different agencies between the two counties.

The funding will help the county purchase digital watt repeaters, portable and mobile radios, and will fund a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) upgrade. These new technologies will enable law enforcement and all first responders to communicate more securely and increase the range of coverage to more rural areas.  Unlike the current system, the upgrades will also prevent communications from being intercepted.

Chandler touched on the importance of the funding for better equipment at a time when crime in the two counties has risen: “Crime is no small matter,” he said. “From Stanford to Lancaster, and from Crab Orchard to Paint Lick, bringing criminals to justice should be a top priority, and my hope is that with the new equipment it will make this tough job a little bit easier.”

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