County commissioners approved the purchase of badly needed new portable radios for the prison Wednesday, June 18.

Officials discussed problems with previous and existing radios before the commissioners agreed to buy 74 new Motorola radios and related equipment for $354,432.

The prison had a digital system, but the radios didn’t function in all areas of the prison, said Leslie Osche, chairman of the commissioners.

“The old radios didn’t work as promised,” Osche said.

Warden Beau Sneddon said that forced the prison to use an analog system for a year. He said he will try to sell the analog system.

The new radios will allow direct communication with 911 emergency dispatch for the first time in 10 years, he said.

Osche said she hopes the sale of the analog system will help offset the cost of the new system.

One new radio costs more than $3,000, but the county is buying them through the state’s COSTARS cooperative purchasing program at a cost of $1,927 each, Sneddon said.

He commended emergency services director Steve Bicehouse and procurement director Shawn Pugh for helping him work out terms of the sale. He said Pugh managed to get free 1,200 antennas included in the sale, which includes a seven-year warranty.