Scott Co. officials approve dip into federal funding

Emergency response times may soon get a little quicker in Scott County.

Scott County commissioners have approved a request from Scott County emergency service agencies to use federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for equipment upgrades.

According to Second District Commissioner Donnie Kiefer, commissioners approved an allocation of nearly $2.8 million of the county's ARPA funds for the requested upgrades.

Representatives from police, fire and emergency services agencies from throughout Scott County attended a county commission meeting on Dec. 14 to request ARPA funds.

Money from ARPA will allow agencies throughout Scott County to purchase equipment required to connect to the Missouri Statewide Wireless Interoperability Network, or MOSWIN.

The system streamlines interagency communications, leading to better communication and quicker, more efficient response times.

"This is something every citizen in the county will benefit from," Kiefer said.

Jerence Dial, assistant chief of Scott County Fire Protection District, said departments across the county have poor radio equipment.

"It's time for an upgrade, and with them having this money, we thought this would be the best option to get everybody together," Dial said.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Scott County will receive $7.4 million in COVID-19 relief funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Kiefer said Scott County received $3.7 million in its first installment of the funds earlier this year.

So far, according to Kiefer, Scott County has used only a small portion of the installment. The funds were used to buy a piece of equipment for Scott County Jail.

Dial said some but not all agencies in Scott County have MOSWIN capabilities. The lack of a uniform radio system has caused a communication barrier, he said.

MOSWIN will allow every agency in the county to communicate with each other and other agencies throughout the state on one frequency.

For that reason, Dial said the commissioners' approval to use ARPA funds to update the county's radios is "absolutely amazing."

"It's been something I've wanted to do for years now, and just by chance with the funding from the ARP Act, we were able to do it," Dial said.