Warren County Supervisors are ready to purchase radio equipment from Motorola and join with the city of Vicksburg to tie in with the state’s MSWIN statewide emergency radio system, but they want to make sure they got an interlocal agreement with the city before moving ahead.

Warren County emergency management director John Elfer said the state has approved the joint application to join MSWIN.

The city and county are partnering to join the statewide system and split the cost of buying $6 million in new communications equipment. The county’s share of the cost is estimated at $3.7 million. The city’s share is put at $2.8 million. Motorola has the state contract for the radios and equipment for MSWIN. The supervisors discussed the new system at a Monday work session.

County administrator John Smith said the interlocal agreement is necessary because the city and county will share the use of two communications towers — at Culkin and Bovina — under the new communications system.

Elfer said Motorola has offered to upgrade equipment at one of the towers at no charge if the city and county sign a contract with the company by Nov. 20, when the contract on the price of the radios expires.

“We really can’t proceed unless we get the city to sign an interlocal agreement,” Board President Bill Lauderdale said. “I think we need that agreement before we sign anything.”

Supervisor Charles Selomon questioned whether the board was moving in the right direction by signing a contract with Motorola. “How can we be sure they’ll still be here in five years?” he asked.

“I really don’t think we have much choice,” Elfer said. “The system we have now is in danger of failing. The equipment used to fix the system is just about obsolete.”

He added the county and city have a backup system that would allow emergency responders to communicate with each other and with the county’s E911 system. “We’ll still be able to dispatch law enforcement and the fire service,” he said.

“This system will help us,” he said. “We’ll have the towers on Castle Hill, Culkin and Bovina, and the MSWIN towers in Jackson. This will be good for us.”