Kingfisher County commissioners approved a plan presented by Kingfisher Fire Chief Tony Stewart to update radios for all county fire departments.

The approval hinges on Stewart gaining approval for a federal grant that will pay 95 percent of the cost of new digital radios that will facilitate improved connections between all the county’s fire departments.

Stewart began working on the project a year ago and presented the completed plan to commissioners Tuesday at their weekly meeting.

Stewart said all fire departments across the nation are competing for the federal funds and he would attempt to apply for grant money again if the first application is not accepted.

He said federal regulations require all departments to be compliant with new standards by 2025.

Winning applicants will be announced March 13 but the deadline to submit the grant applications is Friday.

The City of Kingfisher approved Kingfisher Fire Department’s portion of the program earlier.

Departments have approved paying $500 each as their share of the grant writer’s fee.

Commissioners also took the following actions:

•Approved purchase of a 2015 or newer all-wheel drive motor grader with 900 hours usage or less for District 3.

District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny moved to accept the bid of Yellowhouse of $193,829 over a bid for a new grader from Warren Caterpillar of $282,893.

• Approved changing requesting and receiving officers for the County 911 service, removing Traci Tate and Kim Conrady and adding Tresa Jones and Penny Daugherty.

• Approved monthly reimbursements from the state for the election board and district attorney offices.

• Approved five permits for utility road crossings in District 3 for Oklahoma Gas Electric Co;, including two eight miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher, one three miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher, one four miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher and one eight miles west and two miles south of Kingfisher.

• Approved two road crossings for Ovintiv Exploration – one in District 3 located one mile west and one mile north of Loyal and another in District 1 located three miles east and one mile north of Okarche.

• Six access drives north of Cashion for a new housing development off S.H. 74F on East County Roads 830 and 850. District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss moved for approval with Dobrovolny and District 2 Road Foreman Clay Vincent joining to make the action unanimous. Vincent represented District 2 at the meeting in the absence of Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek who is recovering after suffering a light stroke.

• Approved a road crossing permit for a water line for Encana in District 1 located three miles east and one mile north of Okarche.

• Approved a road crossing permit for Alfalfa Electric Cooperative 16 miles west and two miles north of Hennessey.

• Approved a road crossing permit for Cimarron Electric Cooperative three miles north of Omega, District 3.

• Approved a road crossing permit for a 12-inch water line for Devon Energy located two miles west and three miles south of Kingfisher District 3.

• Approved a list of old radio equipment for District 3 to be junked.

Others present for the meeting included County Clerk Jeannie Boevers as minute clerk, County Engineer Nik Smith, County Pipeline Inspector Cody Murray, Sheriff Dennis Banther, Dusty Bittle representing Yellowhouse and Jeremy Cronch representing Warren Caterpillar.