Faced with what Emergency Management – E911 Coordinator Mindy Benson terms a “system at the end of its life” the Tama County Board of Supervisors has set a hearing for Monday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. to hear comments and to act upon a loan agreement to pay for new emergency and law enforcement radios and towers. Cost of the plan is not to exceed $6.7 million. The hearing will be in the supervisors board room in the Tama County Administration Building, 104 West State St., Toledo. the action came during the supervisors’ regular meeting on Monday Jan. 7. Benson first brought the replacement proposal to the board on Oct. 29. “It’s critical to getting the first responders out the door, keeping public safety (personnel) safe and keeping the people of the communities safe, “ she said at the time. The Tama County E911 Board chose to acquire the new system and related equipment from Raycom, Marshalltown. It will include any base and mobile radios required for the 12 fire departments, seven ambulance services and three first responder units in the county. in addition the sheriff’s office and Tama, Toledo, Dysart and Meskwaki Nation Tribal police departments will also be equipped with radios. The new system will also require five towers. The E911 Board membership is comprised of all area entities which provide service or protection to the county This includes all in-county based fire departments, ambulance services and first responders as well as bordering cities in other counties which provide these services among them, Belle Plaine Reinbeck and Gilman. It is expected to take an estimated 18 months to be put into service according to a Raycom spokesperson.