MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Law enforcement agencies in Mahoning County are working to implement a new radio communication system called MARCS, which stands for "Multi-Agency Radio Communications System."

The system will make it easier to communicate with law enforcement across the state. 

"Going to the MARC system is a good idea. It's good for our community," Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said, "It's good for first responders in a lot of different ways. It will save us money."

While Valley police and fire chiefs, as well as a county detective, said this will make responding to emergencies more efficient down the line, the transition is much more than just a flip of a switch.

"Right now, we can't speak to someone in Trumbull County on our radio system, or someone in Columbiana County," Mahoning County Sheriff's detective Tyrone Hyshaw said, "There are towers that need to be upgraded. There's towers that need to be replaced. There's housing that goes in place, as far as building structure for these things. So it's not a 24-hour quick thing to do."

The NTSB laid out in recent findings that Youngstown had an incompatible radio network when responding to the downtown Realty explosion, and Hyshaw said it would have helped during that situation, as MARCS aims to get all crews on the same page. 

The multi-million dollar transition will require help from the state, not just financially, but logistically.

Werth said Austintown's and YSU's radio towers need upgrades to meet standards, and Boardman may need a brand-new $400,000 tower built, too.

The state and county will be covering most costs, but Werth said the ABM COG (Austintown, Boardman and Mahoning Council of Governments) which is the communication dsitrcit that services the area, will have to foot a $60,000 bill if the plan moves forward as is, something Werth said they've budged for. 

Logistics and planning are still in the works, but the group has agreed to move forward with the state to set up the new system, which will take at least nine months to complete. 

Down the line, they said it will save money by consolidating service costs.