The $4 Million Radio Gap: Why Price County Emergency Communi

The $4 Million Radio Gap: Why Price County’s Emergency Communications Are on the Brink

The sheriff’s radio system will reach end-of-life by 2028. Bug Tussel was the plan, but the towers are not built. The price tag for a backup plan is $4 million. Nobody has approved the money yet. Read more Price County stories from across the web.

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Price County’s emergency radio system is dying. Not in some theoretical, long-term planning sense. The manufacturer of the county’s radio equipment is ending support for it. Within two years, the equipment the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and EMS crews depend on to communicate with each other will be obsolete.

Here is the problem: the county does not have a backup plan that is funded, approved, or ready to execute.

The Bug Tussel Gamble

In 2024, Price County entered a $15 million bond agreement with Bug Tussel Wireless. The idea was that Bug Tussel would build communication towers across the county, and the county would mount its emergency radio equipment on those towers. No rental fees. No construction costs. The county gets upgraded communications for free (or at least, at no upfront cost), and Bug Tussel gets to use the towers for commercial broadband services.

Two years later, the county has two towers, a third pending, and most work not started. Only $7,000 of the $15 million has been drawn. The radio system still needs replacing. And the county board is considering whether to walk away from the deal entirely.

The Chair’s Report

At the February 17, 2026, County Board meeting, the Board Chair gave the Committee of the Whole a blunt update on the radio system situation. The county’s radio system is at end-of-life and must be replaced within two years. The estimated cost of an independent replacement: approximately $4 million.

The original plan depended on Bug Tussel towers. Without them, the county faces two options: build its own towers, or pay monthly leasing costs for tower space on existing structures. The Board Chair specifically noted that “the county is not approving additional spending until planning, clarity and timeline is provided.”

The 2028 Deadline

County Administrator Nick Trimner clarified at the April 28 board meeting that “end of life” does not mean services stop immediately. The equipment will still work for a period, but maintaining it will become increasingly difficult and expensive. The hard deadline for replacement is 2028.

That sounds like it is far away. It is not. A $4 million capital project requires bonding, which requires board approval, which requires planning, which requires an engineering study, which requires a vendor selection process. In county government timelines, 2028 is already close.

What the $4 Million Buys

An independent radio system replacement would cover:

New radio infrastructure. Repeaters, base stations, and tower-mounted equipment to provide coverage across the county’s 1,300 square miles.

Mobile radios. New radios for sheriff’s squad cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.

Portable radios. Handheld radios for deputies, firefighters, and EMS crews.

Dispatch center upgrades. The county’s 911 dispatch center would need equipment compatible with the new system.

Ongoing maintenance contracts. The county would need to budget for annual maintenance, which is typically 10 to 15 percent of the capital cost.

The Coverage Problem

Price County’s geography creates specific radio coverage challenges. Hills, forests, and remote areas create dead zones where current radios do not work. A replacement system would need enough tower sites to cover these areas.

The Bug Tussel deal was supposed to solve this by providing free tower sites. Without Bug Tussel, the county must either build its own towers at significant cost, or lease space on existing towers (cell towers, water towers, utility structures). Leasing is cheaper upfront but creates ongoing monthly costs that add up over time.

The Timing Problem

Here is the worst-case scenario: the county spends 2026 and 2027 deciding what to do about Bug Tussel, starts the independent replacement process in 2028 just as the old system reaches end-of-life, and faces a gap period of 12 to 24 months where the radio system is partially functional or requires intensive maintenance.

During that gap period, emergency responders could lose coverage in parts of the county. A deputy responding to a call in a remote area might not be able to communicate with dispatch. Fire crews fighting a wildfire, which is a real risk in Price County’s extensive forest lands, could lose coordination. These are not hypothetical risks. They are the direct consequence of a delayed replacement timeline.

What Hastings Said

Former Supervisor Jason Hastings named the Bug Tussel towers as a reason for his resignation. In his letter, he called them “projects that don’t come to fruition.” The board’s own discussions confirm he was right: the towers are not built, the timeline has slipped, and the county does not have a clear path forward.

What the Board Should Do

1. Set a decision deadline for Bug Tussel. Give Bug Tussel 90 days to provide a binding construction timeline with milestones and penalties, or terminate the agreement and proceed with an independent system.

2. Commission an emergency radio system assessment. Before committing to build or lease, the county needs a professional assessment of its current system, coverage gaps, and replacement options.

3. Begin the bonding process. A $4 million bond issue takes months to arrange. The county should start the process now, before the deadline forces a rushed and more expensive decision.

4. Engage with other counties. 16 to 17 counties are in similar Bug Tussel arrangements. A coordinated approach could reduce costs through shared tower sites or joint procurement.

5. Create a public timeline. Residents and emergency responders deserve to know when the system will be replaced and what the fallback plan is if Bug Tussel cannot deliver.

The Bottom Line

Price County is racing a 2028 deadline with no clear strategy and $15 million in bond funds effectively frozen in Bug Tussel limbo. If the county does not take decisive action in the next 12 months, the radio system gap will become a public safety emergency in its own right.

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*This article is part of an ongoing investigative series by Northwoods Explorer covering Price County governance, transparency, and accountability. Related coverage: Bug Tussel Broadband, The Hastings Resignation, U.T.A.V. Proposal Analysis.*

Sources: Price County Board of Supervisors meeting minutes (Feb 17, 2026; Apr 28, 2026), My Northern Wisconsin (thread-817), Price County Review, Price County YouTube channel (@pricecountywigovernment).

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Related Coverage

This investigation connects to our ongoing series:

Frequently Asked Questions

What emergency communication challenges does Price County face?

Price County’s emergency communication system has significant coverage gaps, particularly in remote areas of the county’s 1,300 square miles. Dead zones, outdated equipment, and limited interoperability between agencies create situations where first responders cannot reliably communicate during emergencies.

How much would it cost to fix Price County’s radio system?

Estimates for upgrading the county’s emergency communication system to provide reliable coverage across the entire county have been projected at approximately $4 million or more, including new towers, equipment, and infrastructure to eliminate dead zones.

What are the risks of inadequate emergency communications?

Inadequate radio coverage creates risks including delayed emergency response, inability for deputies and firefighters to call for backup, coordination failures during multi-agency incidents, and potential liability for the county. These risks are especially acute in Price County’s vast rural areas.

How are emergency communication systems typically funded?

Emergency communication upgrades are typically funded through a combination of county budget allocations, state grants, federal programs like FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants, and sometimes referenda for property tax increases. Price County has explored multiple funding avenues for its system upgrades.