Buying an emergency radio communications system seems a little like buying a mattress. The options and labels vary from store to store, even for the same manufacturers.

Each retailer’s exclusive label — for what’s essentially the same craftsmanship and materials — complicates comparison shopping and gives an advantage to the seller.

The confusion may or may not be intentional, but the industry’s in no hurry to change.

And whatever you buy, you’re stuck with it for 20 years.

On Tuesday, a safety communications consultant, Mission Critical Partners of Port Matilda, recommended a $13 million upgrade for Butler County’s 911 radio system.

Brian Bark, senior vice president of Mission Critical Partners, told the county 911 Communications Council and Radio Advisory Board that the county’s current system has network failures with its leased lines and lacks flexibility for additional features.

The network, which is only 11 years old, uses the T-band spectrum radio frequency, which will be taken back by the Federal Communications Commission and sold to private interests to comply with a 2012 federal law. Plus, Motorola no longer will support the radio equipment used by the county after 2018.

Mission Critical Partners surveyed county radio users and found several deficiencies — channel congestions, aging equipment, spotty coverage in the Zelienople area and northeastern Butler County, and a lack of encryption technology for law enforcement use. They determined it’s not feasible to expand the current system.

The consultants presented four options and recommended one: a 700 MHz system that would cost a little more than $13 million. The other options included a UHF system for $13.1 million, a VHF system for $13.6 million and a different 700 MHz system for $14 million.

Hmm. The options all look good ... we guess. Which option did he say was the extra-firm pillowtop?

The next steps in the process are critical. The 911 Communications Council, whose members include industry and municipal experts and emergency responders; and the Radio Advisory Board, made up of system users, must help county commissioners decide which option to pursue, then turn that option into detailed bid specifications.

The process seems top-heavy with individuals recommending what they need and how much it will cost, and few individuals who can say, “No, that’s too much.”

And let’s be clear: It’s not a matter of trust, integrity or expertise. The consulting firm’s reputation in the industry is solid. The county needs a company like Mission Critical Partners to custom-design a modern communications network.

However, the custom-designed network will consist of off-the-shelf components — mass-produced equipment available at competitive prices from competing businesses. The magnitude of the transaction should attracts vendors willing to drop their price to get the deal.

There’s no arguing that $13 million is a large number — it’s about $75 for every county resident. And whatever we end up paying, we’ll be sleeping on that mattress for a long time.

Let’s get what we need. Let’s not pay any more than we need to get it.