Gov. Beshear announces statewide radio system for Mayfield first responders and beyond | News

Governor Andy Beshear visited CFSB in Mayfield Tuesday to announce a new emergency radio system allowing Mayfield and Graves County first responders to communicate on the same channel as Kentucky State Police.

While highlighting advancements in public safety, Beshear commemorated the four-year anniversary of the EF-4 tornado that devastated downtown Mayfield on Dec. 10, 2021. The second floor of CFSB was the operation center for immediate disaster relief.

“Four years ago right now, nobody in Mayfield, Kentucky, knew that was the last normal day we would have. We nearly lost our hometown,” Mayor Kathy O’Nan said in opening remarks. “Many tears have been shed in this room. Much help has been brought to this room. It’s taken more than a village — it’s taken a nation and a strong leader in our state government to get us here.”

The occasion marked the official transition for the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, Mayfield Police Department and Mayfield Fire and EMS to the Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System (SERVS). KSP Post 1 and 2, which collectively serve Graves County and several other counties in western Kentucky, utilize the service for enhanced correspondence with 9-1-1 dispatch.

Beshear said the closer collaboration between state and local personnel will increase efficiency for responses to pressing emergencies like the tornado.

“Every day since is how this community marches forward,” Beshear said. “KSP is committed to keeping our community safe, and they were right there helping [Mayfield Police] Chief Kent and our first responders through the worst of the worst. We’re all grateful for their bravery and the selflessness that they and all of our law enforcement show every day.”

“During major incidents when seconds mattered, those differences [among independent radio systems] created real challenges,” KSP Major David Archer said. “SERVS gives us a modern, unified, dependable system that allows agencies to communicate directly with one another, no matter the color of the uniform or the jurisdiction in critical moments. That kind of communication saves time, and time saves lives.”

Beshear expects the two next KSP Posts, 3 and 16, to be added to SERVS by spring of next year, improving first responder communications for “hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians.” To complete the project statewide, KSP is requesting $107 million in additional funding from the General Assembly for engineering, construction, special equipment and project management.

Kentucky leads the nation in the most federally declared disasters in the last 15 years. Beshear said the radio system will grant Kentuckians greater peace of mind over the uncertainty of natural disasters. He emphasized the significance of the rollout beginning in Mayfield, honoring the dedication of the community in its recovery.

“What we need in those moments is to do better every single time — to try to learn about that one thing that we could do that might save that one extra life or help get us back on our feet just a little bit faster,” Beshear said. “The people of Mayfield, Graves County and western Kentucky are strong and resilient, but also compassionate. You just see a lot of heroes, a lot of helpers and a lot of people who made the same promise that I did — that we would keep showing up until everything and every life was rebuilt.”

“It’s amazing that it really is at every level that this day has been made possible,” Mayfield Police Chief Kent said of the collaboration among federal, state and local entities to rectify longstanding issues with radio communications. “An achievement of this magnitude and this significance is what results when everybody pulls in the same direction.”

Beshear said his administration has been committed to revitalizing Mayfield since the tornado. The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund raised more than $50 million for disaster victims and helped subsidize the construction of more than 200 homes in the region through partnerships with local nonprofits.

He highlighted other important projects the state has supported, including the reconstruction of the city hall, police station, fire station and Graves County courthouse annex. Beshear’s administration also recently announced the largest affordable housing unit investment in Kentucky, which will soon bring 66 unit to Mayfield’s Commonwealth Court.

Beshear said Graves County is thriving in other areas as well — Mayfield Consumer Products is undergoing a roughly $3 million expansion, and the Mayfield-Graves County Airport is now regional.

“I’m really proud of the work done here,” Beshear said. “I’ve seen new jobs that are announced, bringing new hope. I’ve seen countless families move into new homes a year or two or three after losing everything. We’re building a new Mayfield — a new Kentucky Home for each and every one of those families.”