LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — This month marks a new chapter in a years-long battle over emergency communications in Lorain County.
News 5 has been reporting on political infighting and first responders’ concerns about the radios used in the county.
In emergencies, they’re often among the first tools needed.
“I would trade in my guns, my handcuffs and my badge and solely wish for a radio,” Sheffield Village Police Chief William Visalden told News 5 in August 2025.
At that time, Visalden, who also serves as the president of the Lorain County Chiefs Law Enforcement Association, was concerned about losing a communication link.
News 5 talked with him in August 2025 after the Lorain County Board of Commissioners terminated a lease with one radio system vendor on a county-run tower in Elyria.
RELATED: 'It’s life and death:' First responders raise concerns over Lorain County radio tower changes
He and other emergency responders were also worried about how effectively users of different systems would be able to communicate during a critical incident.
Now he’s more optimistic about the interoperability.
“We’re definitely a lot closer than we were three years ago when we started,” Visalden said on Friday.
The county commissioners said MARCS users are reporting “excellent performance and reliable communications” in the first weeks of use.
Several years ago, multiple agencies told News 5 that old radios and gaps in service were leading to a dangerous situation.
RELATED: Old radios causing communication issues for first responders in Lorain County
“Every week, a guy will call in a traffic stop or behind a vehicle he wants help with. He will call us; we may hear him. He may call his partner; he may not hear him,” Adam Shaw, president of the Lorain County Deputies Association, told News 5 in 2023.
In late 2022, the Board of Commissioners approved a plan to overhaul the county’s radio system with Cleveland Communications, Inc (CCI).
Early the following year, a newly seated board rescinded the deal with CCI and restarted a bidding process. The commissioners ultimately selected MARCS to be the county provider.
CCI sued the county over what the company said was a breach of contract. That lawsuit is still pending.
RELATED: 'An outdated system:' Lorain County police chiefs criticize new radio system
Last summer, the county voted to terminate CCI’s lease to put its equipment on a radio tower near Lorain County 911 in Elyria, so the MARCS system could take control of it.
It was a move county leaders said would save an estimated $15 million because MARCS would be paying for maintenance and operations.
Both vendors have been bolstering their infrastructure over the past year.
Visalden said his biggest concern has been whether users on the MARCS and CCI systems would be able to effectively communicate.
“How do all of us talk together on one channel? That’s been the main focus the entire time,” he said.
He explained 911 operators who have access to both systems will be able to patch the two together during incidents that require cross-agency communication.
“One would be a police channel, one would be a fire channel. That’s how our interoperability would work during another major incident here in Lorain County,” he said.
Visalden wants all agencies to conduct countywide testing to ensure the communication is reliable.
“We need to sit together and figure out how this is going to be. It has to be one way and one way only, countywide,” he said.
Despite extensive countywide testing, he said he believes the county is prepared for emergencies.
“We had effective communication on July 23. We continue to have effective communication today,” he said, referring to the deadly ambush on Lorain Police officers in 2025.
Visalden also wants residents to know changes to the county’s radio system will not impact calls for service.
“At the end of the day, this isn’t about vendors, contracts or politics. It’s about making sure every police officer, every firefighter, every paramedic, every police dispatcher can communicate when lives matter the most,” he said. “If we keep focus on interoperability, transparency, collaboration, we’ll be doing what’s best for the residents we serve.”
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
