Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors approved a $58,619.77 purchase of digital two-way radios Wednesday night to maintain direct communication with emergency responders as Carbon County transitions to a new radio system.

The Carbon County 911 Center is upgrading to a fully digital emergency communications infrastructure. Without compatible equipment, officials said, the district would lose its ability to communicate directly with county dispatch and first responders during emergencies.

The purchase includes eight Motorola APX6000 VHF portable two-way radios for $51,424.80 and one Motorola APX4500 VHF mobile two-way radio for $7,194.97, according to a November quotation from Green’s Communications. The equipment will operate on the new P25 Carbon County System.

The radios were purchased through the Pennsylvania State Contract COSTARS program at a discounted rate. The APX6000 units have a list price of $10,039.76 each, while the district paid $6,428.10 per unit. The mobile APX4500 unit has a list price of $10,372.57, with the district paying $7,194.97.

Board member Dave Bradley questioned the sole-source nature of the contract during the meeting.

“I just want to make sure everybody is really aware there’s a sole source contract for $60,000, and you are held captive because of the proprietary nature of Carbon County 911 digital product,” Bradley said.

Superintendent Jason Moser explained the limited vendor options, noting the district contacted Motorola directly but was directed to Green’s Communications due to the proprietary programming requirements.

“You have to go to Green,” Moser said.

Director Jeremy Glaush raised concerns about equipment warranties and service agreements.

“It would be nice to see some kind of guarantee that when they come in, they’re going to work and they won’t charge us again if it doesn’t work properly,” Glaush said.

The board approved the purchase Wednesday contingent on completing a service agreement with Green’s Communications before cutting a check.

District officials, within Lehighton’s meeting agenda, identified several critical scenarios where the radios would be essential: medical incidents, security threats, evacuations, lockdowns and severe weather events.

“Beyond emergency use, the radios will support daily school operations including arrival and dismissal supervision, athletic events, special activities and coordination among school police, administrators and support staff,” according to the agenda. “The upgrade will improve audio clarity, coverage and interoperability with local and county law enforcement agencies.”

The district’s safety budget has surplus funds available to cover the purchase without requiring additional appropriations, according to information provided to the board.