Butler County faces up to a $14 million estimated cost in a few years to replace emergency services equipment.

That is because under a 2012 federal law, the Federal Communications Commission by 2022 will take away the use of the radio frequency called the T-band spectrum from emergency services and auction it off to the private sector.

Steve Bicehouse, director of county emergency services, said federal legislators opted to auction off the bandwidth so companies will have another frequency to add more telecommunication services.

Bicehouse said the law will have an impact on county emergency services departments, which operate 911 dispatch centers, and emergency services, such as police and fire departments, across the nation that use the T-band.

“They’re all going to have to get off it,” he said.

Along with Butler County, Allegheny County and major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Miami are among the areas affected by the law.

Bicehouse said the funds made from the sale of the T-band are meant to be used for reimbursements to departments that spend money on acquiring new frequencies.

However, he said there are no guarantees the money would be available and there is no distribution process set yet.

Bicehouse said the county already acquired a couple of secondary frequencies, but ideally another is needed.

Frequencies can be bought or acquired without purchase if they’re unallocated.

He said learning about the provision of the law affecting emergency services was an unpleasant surprise.

“It was a complete shock,” Bicehouse said.

Coupled with the federal requirements, another problem is that Motorola will no longer provide support for the radio equipment now used by the county.

The deadline to replace the radio system is the end of 2018.

Bicehouse said the new radio system needs to last for a long time.

“I don’t want to build a radio system for today,” he said. “I want build a system for 10 years from now.”

According to a radio system needs study completed in November by Mission Critical Partners of Centre County, the county’s estimated cost ranges from $8.5 million to $14.4 million.

Bicehouse said the first option is just replacing the radio system. The second choice, costing an estimated $11.8 million, entails leasing space from two towers, while the costliest alternative is leasing space on five towers.

Bicehouse stressed the costs are estimates, so the final cost might be less.

He said the county would seek grant funding.

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said revenue from state natural gas drilling impact fees could be used to partially offset the cost.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein agreed: “That’s what my hope is.”

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton said now is the time to start putting money aside.

“There’s no doubt we need to start planning for it now,” Pinkerton said.

But McCarrier said the county would not be able to put away the entire amount that might be needed.

“We can’t save that much by that time,” he said.

McCarrier said the county might have to borrow money to make up the difference.

Pinkerton said a bank loan might be the least costly option in that event.