Carbon County has been awarded just under half of what it applied for to help complete a radio upgrade project for first responders as it moves from analog to digital radio signals.

On Tuesday, state Sen. David Argall and state Rep. Doyle Heffley announced that the county will receive $465,000 from the Local Share Account through the Commonwealth Finance Authority for the purchase of radios for the 16 law enforcement agencies in the county.

“The Carbon County Board of Commissioners is very grateful to be awarded this important funding that will help to enhance public safety throughout the county,” commissioners’ Chairman Mike Sofranko said in the release. “We want to thank Sen. Argall and Rep. Heffley for helping the county to acquire this funding, and for their dedicated approach to making Carbon County safer for our law enforcement officers and our residents.”

Last July, Carbon County applied for $986,859.20 from the LSA grant.

At that time, the commissioners said the cost would cover the purchase of approximately 92 portable radios for local police, as well as county adult and juvenile probation offices and the sheriff’s department. Each radio costs around $10,000 plus programming and accessories.

The reason for the need to upgrade radios is due to Carbon County moving all emergency services to a digital system, much like Schuylkill County operates on. That will allow for better communications between the two counties when responding to emergency calls across county lines.

Since Carbon County applied for the grant last year, some departments have also begun making preparations to purchase the new digital portable radios. Several communities have already put in Local Share Account grant applications to try to secure some funding for the purchases.

Lansford utilized $89,512 in COVID relief funds to purchase the new radios for its fire company, while Nesquehoning and Franklin Township put in grant applications to try to help get some of the cost covered.