New radio system brings better communication between first responders in west Ky. | News

MAYFIELD, Ky. (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear was joined by the Kentucky State Police (KSP), Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan, the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, Mayfield Police Department and Mayfield Fire and EMS this week to launch a new radio system ensuring reliable communications between first responders.

KSP Posts 1 and 2 (located in Mayfield and Madisonville), which collectively serve Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg and Webster counties, utilize the Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System (SERVS), allowing the state police enhanced radio communications with 9-1-1 dispatch.

The radio system is free for local agencies to utilize if their equipment is compatible. This week, the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, Mayfield Police Department, and Mayfield Fire and EMS transitioned to the KSP radio system, meaning all agencies will communicate on the same network, leaving no gaps in communication and increasing efficiency.

“Our first responders display such sacrifice each day, and while we will never be able to fully repay our gratitude, we will do our best to show we care through support with equipment like this new radio system,” said Gov. Beshear. “To stay safe while on duty, our first responders and law enforcement officers must be able to communicate with local dispatch and one another when backup or critical information is needed. This new radio system is another step in ensuring they return home to their families after protecting our communities.”

This radio system in western Kentucky was completed in April 2025, and by spring of next year, KSP Post 3 in Bowling Green and Post 16 in Henderson will be capable of supporting local users, guaranteeing improved first responder communications coverage for hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians.

“By bringing our partner agencies onto this state-of-the-art system, we ensure that help can be sent where it is needed most—when seconds count—while also returning valuable funds to those agencies as they no longer shoulder the cost of maintaining their own radio infrastructure,” KSP Maj. David Archer noted.

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 to ensure coverage in eastern Kentucky.