Emergency responders say they depend on their radio to help save lives and one county says it has problems with its radio system. It's working on a multi-million dollar plan to fix it.

Chief Deputy Brian Puent says in Trempealeau County, the radio system is an almost daily concern.

"There are times when communications on one end of the county cannot hear what's going on the other end of the county and from a law enforcement supervision aspect it’s just not acceptable. You don't know what's going on," says Chief Deputy Brian Puent.

Puent says it's not just a worry with emergencies but also with every day calls.

"Our dispatch center has a lot of difficulty communicating with officers on routine duties as well as simple traffic stop or simple call for service," says Puent.

To help solve the problem the county is looking at updating the towers it already has along with adding a few more through out the county.

"The plan calls for up to a total of seven towers in an effort to fill in the spots of those parts of the county that have inadequate or no coverage," says Emergency Management Director Dan Schreiner.

Emergency Management Director Dan Schreiner says Trempealeau County has been looking at this project since 2004. He says it can't cost more than $2.5 million dollars but, even with the cost there's little opposition.

"I think everybody involved, including the county, is pretty much behind this project. It's an expensive project but we’re pretty much in agreement it's a necessary one," says Schreiner.

He says it'll benefit more than just first responders; it could help you in an emergency, or even save your life.

"I have a problem with a member of the public calling for help and having to worry about weather that help is going to get there," says Schreiner.

He says if the system is replaced the reliability would go from 60 or 70 percent up to about 95 percent. Chief Deputy Puent says that's important, considering just how necessary these radios are.

"Well we can't go to a problem unless we know what's going on for our dispatch center to get the right people to the right place in a timely manner we have to have it," says Puent.

The plan will go to the Trempealeau County Finance Committee on Tuesday. If it passes, it'll go in front of the full County Board on September 21st.