HUBBARD — A week after its township counterpart discussed purchasing a new radio system to improve communications for first responders, city officials moved forward with a similar deal for its police department.

At Tuesday’s regular council meeting, Councilman Jonathan Rose, D-at Large, requested Law Director Mark Villano draw up the necessary legislation authorizing the city’s board of control to enter a contract with Motorola for Multi-Agency Radio Communication Systems (MARCS) and declaring an emergency.

It will cost $158,099 to equip all police officers and their cruisers with 13 mobile and 18 portable devices, Safety Director Shawn Rentz said.

“Every officer will have one and there will be a few extras,” Rentz said.

MARCS is a 700/800 MHz radio and data network that utilizes trunked technology to provide statewide interoperability and digital clarity throughout the state and a 10-mile radius outside of it, providing a secure connection for first responders.

Councilman Michael Kerr, D-4th Ward, recalled the Eagle Joint Fire District getting the radios, noting there were questions why the police department didn’t get them.

Kerr said other county fire departments purchased a number of them, and there were issues with “dead spots” in certain areas, such as a retirement facility, the golf course and the school building, resulting in additional repeaters being purchased to boost the signal in an emergency situation.

“I know Mahoning County is going to it exclusively — a majority of everybody in Ohio has gone to that radio, so having one device to communicate with everybody is a safer option to go with, as opposed to having multiple radios and miscommunication during an emergency incident,” Kerr said.

Rentz said he received an email from firefighter Jared Vinkler, who said the EJFD was looking at getting the radios and that Motorola was having a deep discount of around 40%. He said the original price was $238,000 or $258,000.

Rentz said he and police Chief Robert Thompson spoke about purchasing the radios several times previously, but delayed doing so because an antenna on state Route 7 wasn’t operating.

“They recently got that up and running, so that seriously enhances the reception,” Rentz said.

Hubbard Police Detective Michael Banic, who was in the audience, said officers walked through the school and tested the radios in different sections and they worked in areas where the old radios struggled.

Rentz said the new radios will be programmed in Columbus, after which they’ll be up and running.

“The (Trumbull County) 911 center is already on board with MARCS,” he said.

Rentz said Hubbard Township also is trying to obtain the same deal, adding that the city might be among the two departments in Trumbull County without digital radios.

“I think we’re the only ones; Brookfield was holding out, too, but I believe they went over to MARCS as well,” Rentz said.

Rentz said the purchase really hinged around the antenna getting fixed, as there were still dead spots even with MARCS when it wasn’t functioning.

“It’s going to only be a matter of time before they actually phase out the low-band radios, and nobody will be using them anymore,” Rentz said. “If you’re still on low-band, you’re just not in a good spot.

“It’s not a matter of ‘If,’ anymore, it’s a matter of ‘when’. We don’t want to be thinking about ‘When’ we’ve got something going on up at the school or one of the churches, or Burlew’s (Fresh Market) down here — we gotta know,” Rentz said.