WHEELING — Ohio and Marshall counties will jointly spend nearly $500,000 on a new system to keep emergency communication towers in operation.

Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo updated Ohio County commissioners this week on a partnership between Ohio County and Marshall County agencies to transfer the local emergency radio system prime site to a virtual prime site.

This will allow for greater flexibility and reliability within the communications system, he and Ohio County Administrator Randy Russell explained.

The cost Is being split between the counties, and each will pay $242,500 toward the project.

“We have five towers in our system,” Vargo explained. “We call it simulcasting. That means whenever a radio signal goes out, all five towers come alive.

“The advantage to that is that if somebody isn’t close to a certain tower (they receive and are able to hear the transmission.) Say somebody is in South Wheeling and there is a call in West Liberty, they would never hear it if the towers worked individually.

“The prime site is what controls all those towers. That is what we’re replacing.”

Because the new system is virtual, it will be controlled through the internet, he continued. The counties will continue to use a Motorola prime system that is compatible with the local radios used by first responders.

The move will keep the current radio system in operation as the current prime site system is being phased out by Motorola, Vargo added.

Also this week, commissioners learned about the wreck of a county vehicle in which the driver wasn’t at fault, and that the insurance company is now reimbursing the county.

“It was an Ohio Valley Drug Task Force vehicle,” County Administrator Randy Russell explained. “The task force purchased the 2020 Chevrolet Blazer, and turned it over to the county.

“In February, the Blazer was involved in a crash. The insurance company has declared the vehicle a total loss, and is sending a check to the county in the amount of $20,379. The task force would like to use these funds toward the purchase of another vehicle, which will then also be turned over to the county.”

Commissioners approved the purchase.

Sheriff Nelson Croft provided more details on the initial incident.

“That was a no-injury crash that was investigated by the West Virginia State Police,” Sheriff Nelson Croft added. “What happened was a civilian entered the deputy’s lane, crashed into him and was found at fault. It was not our deputy’s fault.”