Linn County asks ambulance services about their radio needs

Linn County's local ambulance services have until Friday to let the county know what equipment they'll need to keep communicating with the new joint communications system.

"If they can't get it to us, we'll move forward" without including the money for the local services' radios, said District 3 Supervisor Ben Rogers, D-Cedar Rapids, also the board's chairman.

The supervisors voted to notify officials of the Center Point, Lisbon-Mount Vernon, and North Linn ambulance services of they're eligible for county funding to pay for the new radios. The county, Cedar Rapids, and Marion are cooperating on a new $18.2 million radio system required to meet federal standards that take effect Jan. 1, 2013.

The county has bonding authority of up to $8 million for its share of the project. Supervisors learned two weeks ago the county may legally cover the costs of ambulance services that operate the county, contrary to early legal advice that the non-profit, volunteer-run agencies weren't eligible.

The fourth county service, Cedar Rapids-based Area Ambulance, has informed supervisors it will cover its own costs.