Various public safety officials urged the state to find funds to upgrade Missouri's fifty-year old public communication systems.

Intro: Various public safety officials urged the state to find funds to upgrade Missouri's fifty-year old public communication systems.

Christine Slusser has more from the state Capitol.

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Missouri's House heard public officials vent about an upgrade in the public communications system which they say could save lives.

Legislative Director of Missouri's State Troopers Association, Brad Thielemier (TEEL-MIRE), says without fast communication there will be mass hysteria.

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Description: "First of all, the technology we are using for our radio system is 1950s technology and I know Representative Scharnhorst, you were probably around back then, but most other people here weren't."

Other officials mentioned the communication problems that plagued firefighters on 9/11 and say this upgrade is a necessity.

Governor Nixon's Communication Director assured that the state is exploring all options to find the funds.

From the state Capitol, I'm Christine Slusser.

Intro: Public officials voiced concern for the $85 million required to update Missouri's public radio communications system.

Christine Slusser has more from the state Capitol.

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Governor Nixon faces the challenge of finding enormous funds for Missouri's public radio communications system.

Tim Fischesser (FISH-ESSER), a member of St. Louis County's Emergency Communication System, says there have been terrible tragedies due to poor radio frequencies.

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Description: "We have send runners between the ambulance and police vehicles and stuff or try to get the message right because our radios don't work."

Fischesser also says the minutes lost due to poor communication are critical to have.

Nixon's Communications Director says they are exploring options to cover the costs of the inter-operable system.

From the state Capitol, I'm Christine Slusser.

Intro: Public officials nudged the state to quickly find funds to update Missouri's public radio system because they say it will save lives.

Christine Slusser has more from the state Capitol.

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Public officials voiced concern to the state for Missouri's aged public radio systems.

Democratic Representative Michael Brown from Jackson County spoke with Brad Thielemier (TEEL-MIRE) from the Missouri State Troopers Association and says he thinks public radios lack efficiency.

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Description: Brown: "If we were to have a statewide issue or crises of some kind, your opinion is that if we don't have interoperability, you think we're looking at lives lost that maybe could have been prevented?"
Thielemier: "I think so."

Thilemier says the 1950s radio technology is too slow and undependable.

Nixon's Communications Director, Jack Cardetti, says the state is searching for the funds.

From the state Capitol, I'm Christine Slusser.