Bill seeks $50 million for communications system

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state senator today filed a bill calling for the state to spend $50-million on a statewide emergency communications system.<br/><br/>Senator Kenneth Corn says the system is needed

Wednesday, December 7th 2005, 2:09 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state senator today filed a bill calling for the state to spend $50-million on a statewide emergency communications system.

Senator Kenneth Corn says the system is needed for police, firefighters and other emergency responders.

The proposal calls for bonds to be sold to buy and install a central trunk line for a system allowing emergency personnel to communicate without going through a dispatcher. Corn says the state's Rainy Day Fund is another possible source of money to pay for the system.

The bill is named the Matthew Evans-Jeff Rominger Act. Evans was a Highway Patrol trooper and Rominger an Oklahoma City police officer who were killed in a fiery collision five years ago.

Rominger was chasing a car going the wrong way on Interstate 40 while Evans was responding to another call when the car chased by Rominger crashed into Evans' patrol car and Rominger crashed into the wreckage.